Bass Hollow encompasses a southern mesic forest amidst a cliff-lined coulee, or hollow, in southern Juneau County.  It is found on both sides of Cowan Road east of CTH K.  A parking area for the adjacent Bass Hollow County Park is found on the south side of Cowan Road.

I have visited Bass Hollow twice and still don’t think that I have seen all that it has to offer.  During the first visit, I explored north of Cowan Road, where I found spring ephemerals to be abundant on the gentle slope.  Violets, spring beauty, large-flowered bellwort, large-flowered trillium, and pussytoes were in abundance.  I cut my visit a bit shorter than I wanted as I began to hear gunshots.  I returned last spring and explored the southeastern portion.  The timing of this visit ended up being a bit too early for the bulk of the wildflower possibilities, but cabin fever had been setting in and it was great to get out and about again.  Sharp-lobed hepatica, bloodroot, spring beauty, and skunk cabbage were colorful puncuations throughout the brown detritus of last year’s growing season.  At the base of the hollow in this area, a stream gently flowed.  On my next visit, I plan to explore the hollow in the northeastern portion of the site.

Cliff

Forest

Large-Flowered Trillium

Cliff

Sharp-Lobed Hepatica

Skunk Cabbage

Stream

Virginia Spring-Beauty

Bloodroot

Large-Flowered Trillium

Common Violet

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

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