Cedarburg Bog, a National Natural Landmark, features a variety of wetland natural communities surrounding several lakes.  Public access is available from the north on STH 33 and from the south on Cedar Sauk Road.  A trail leads from the former to one of the lakes.  From the latter, a roadside pull-off, an unimproved trail leads through boggy habitat to another lake.  A portion of the site is managed by the UW-Milwaukee Field Station.  They own a boardwalk through a portion of the bog.  Use of this area is available through field trips through the Friends of the Cedarburg Bog and via group outings.

I visited Cedarburg Bog on a field trip and after learning about the history of the site, we proceeded on a boardwalk through the swamp and bog.  Along the way, the trip leader stopped to take core samples of the peat and muck comprising the bog, exposing the layers of history including various bones and invertabrate creatures.  On the eve of May, there was little floralistically to observe.  Pitcher plants were present but had not bloomed yet.  Marsh marigolds were in bud and the leaves of cranberry plants added a decorative flair to the tops of mossy mounds.  Cedarburg Bog is a very large site and a full exploration was beyond the scope of this field trip.  That said, I look foward to the chance to visit this site again, likely involving a kayak trip from the southern access point.

Swamp

Marsh Marigold

Into the Bog

Bog Core Sample

Bog

Large Cranberry

Bog Core Sample

Swamp

Landmark Plaque

Pitcher Plants

More of my photos (and full-res) from Cedarburg Bog can be viewed here.

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