Kettle Hole Woods features southern mesic and southern dry-mesic forests on a hillside with numerous ephemeral ponds scattered throughout.  Continuing with the theme, this is one of 11 SNA’s found within the Northern Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest.  This is your standard park on the road (Forestview Road) and ‘jump in’ site, though the road is rather narrow and there is essentially no shoulder on which to pull over anywhere near the SNA.  As such, my visit was a bit more rushed that I would have liked it to be, owing to my unease about parking where I did.

I parked and walked in near the more southern of the two areas in which the SNA abuts Forestview Road.  I meandered along the pond edge and marveled at the various ephemeral wildflowers.  On this day, wild geranium, large-flowered trillium, and large-flowered bellwort were the most abundant species.  On the hillside, a deer trail faded in and out of existence.  I made my way around the pond without much difficulty.  Were I to return, I would focus on additional ponds and perhaps find a few reptiles and amphibians in this very appropriate habitat.

Large-flowered Trillium

Yellow Forest Violet

Pond & Forest

Wild Geranium

Pond

Forest

Large-flowered Trillium

More of my photos (and full-res) from Kettle Hole Woods can be viewed here.

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