Quincy Bluff & Wetlands is a massive natural area with a great variety of natural communities. Originally acquired by The Nature Conservancy, the property was transferred in recent years to the DNR. It has been the site of intensive restoration activities as well as land acquisition over the years and will continue to be in the future. There are dozens of potential access points to this site which, at present, is comprised of 6 separate parcels totaling nearly 6500 acres, the third largest SNA at present. The vast majority of the site is contained in one large parcel, though several private in-holdings are not open to the public.
I have visited this site 3 times and could probably visit it a dozen more without seeing everything there is to offer. My first visit was via the DNR-described access off of 16th Avenue, where a parking area is located. From there, a trail/old logging road leads through the forest, around the bluff, and then between the back side of the bluff and the edge of the wetlands. On that day, it was evident that a burn had been conducted on the site as the trail back over the bluff was utilized as a fire break, resulting in an interesting forest dichotomy – black on one side, green on the other. A winter visit took me to Rattlesnake Mound, located on the east side of 14th Court. This location offered some great views of the surrounding snowscape as well as somewhat treacherous footing on the rocks. The third visit began from the end of 14th Court where an gated access lane leads to several access lanes atop dikes. Here, scenic views of the water were had amidst rather blustery conditions. For the last two spots, I would like to return and explore when things are, shall we say, a bit more green. All in all, Quincy Bluff & Wetlands has a tremendous amount to offer and represents a fantastic opportunity for landscape-level preservation and restoration of a small portion of Wisconsin’s original natural communities.
More of my photos (and full-res) from Quincy Bluff & Wetlands can be viewed here.
Additional Information
| SNA # | 272 |
| County | Adams |
| Natural Communities / Geology | Northern Wet Forest, Northern Wet-Mesic Forest, Northern Sedge Meadow, Southern Sedge Meadow, Shrub-Carr, Sand Prairie, Pine Barrens, Bluff |
| Size (Acres) | 6498 |
| Parking | Parking Areas |
| Trails | Yes |
| Easy to Find | Yes |
| Best Seen By | Foot |
| Marked Boundaries | No |
| Ownership | Wisconsin DNR |
| Located Within | n/a |
| Dates Visited | 6.3.10 / 1.17.15 / 4.18.15 |
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State Natural Areas of Wisconsin 