Jackson Harbor Ridges features a series of sand dunes and swales on the northeastern corner of Washington Island in Door County. As previously discussed in the Detroit Harbor post, the customary way to reach the island is to take the ferry at the end of STH 42 which will take you to Detroit Harbor. Then make your way across the island to Jackson Harbor Ridges, a parking area for which is found on Jackson Harbor Road.
Beautiful views of the harbor abound at Jackson Harbor Ridges. A sandy trail leads from the parking area to the dunes. Ultimately, we were short on time here as we needed to catch one of the last ferries to Rock Island, the site of our camping reservation for the next couple of nights. It was nice to see an natural stretch of sandy beach that hadn’t been turned into a play area. The highlight was seeing a lesser fringed gentian, a species of special concern in Wisconsin. Gentians are one of my favorite genera of flowers to find and this was no exception. I really would have liked to spend some more time here and I hope to do so someday soon. In particular, I would like to explore more of the dunes and swales including the western parcel, which I didn’t have time to get to.
More of my photos (and full-res) from Jackson Harbor Ridges can be viewed here.
Additional Information
| SNA # | 110 |
| County | Door |
| Natural Communities / Geology | Sand Dunes, Mixed Upland Forest |
| Size (Acres) | 67 |
| Parking | Parking Area (gravel) |
| Trails | Yes |
| Easy to Find | Yes |
| Best Seen By | Foot |
| Marked Boundaries | No |
| Ownership | Town of Washington; More info: Wisconsin DNR |
| Located Within | n/a |
| Dates Visited | 8.15.10 |
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State Natural Areas of Wisconsin 