Woodman Lake Sand Prairie & Dead Lake features a sand prairie and barrens complex and the very shallow Deep Lake, all part of the Lower Wisconsin State Riverway. Access is via Woodman Lake Road north of STH 133 and the town of Woodman. A parking area is located on th east side of Woodman Lake Road while the natural area likes on the west side.
It is always a bit unusual to be exploring a dry prairie in the midst of a steady rain, but that was the goal here. Curiously, the prairie is named after Woodman Lake, which is across the road, near the parking area. Dead Lake abuts the prairie, yet is tacked on the name of the site as almost an after thought. The prairie was fairly quiet with hawkweed and blue toadflax being the most adundant flowering species. I walked around the shore of Dead Lake for a bit, but would recommend rubber boots for any sort of extended exploration. The lake has a maximum depth of 3 feet, so the adventurous soul could walk right through it in waders if up for the risk. I would not mind returning to this site, perhaps in a slightly drier state.
More of my photos (and full-res) from Woodman Lake Sand Prairie & Dead Lake can be viewed here.
Additional Information
| SNA # | 251 |
| County | Grant |
| Natural Communities / Geology | Dry Prairie, Lake,Sand Dune, Sand Barrens, Sand Blow |
| Size (Acres) | 286 |
| Parking | Parking Areas (gravel) |
| Trails | Yes |
| Easy to Find | Yes |
| Best Seen By | Foot |
| Marked Boundaries | No |
| Ownership | Wisconsin DNR |
| Located Within | |
| Dates Visited | 5.29.11 |
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State Natural Areas of Wisconsin 