Lunch Creek Wetlands is comprised of a large sedge meadow and areas of calcareous fen straddling the meandering Lunch Creek in Waushara County.  This site can be accessed from a DNR parking area on the east side of CTH Y.  Alternatively, it appears access is possible from the northeast and southeast corners of the site via Mielke Way Road (hah!) and Cumberland Avenue, respectively.  Both routes involve roadside parking and neither route is described by the DNR.  Sometimes there is an interesting reason for that (e.g., land dispute with private owner or simply that the natural area’s boundary has changed and the website has not been updated yet.  One thing I have learned along this journey is to always have a backup access plan.

I do not feel that I have seen the best of what Lunch Creek has to offer.  I came in from the recommended DNR parking area and followed Lunch Creek to the south what seemed like a good distance, but I know I did not make it to the heart of the sedge meadow.  The creek was rather picturesque with its meanders and shallowness lending to nice photographic opportunities.  With rubber boots, it was possible to watch a good distance in the creek itself.  The banks were somewhat difficult to walk through with tussocks here and there making for less than ideal footing.  This site is high on my revisit list so that I can go deeper into the sedge meadow, but that is likely to have to wait until 2017 or beyond.

Creek

Skunk Cabbage

Creek

Creek

Creek

Wood Anemone

Pond

More of my photos (and full-res) from Lunch Creek Wetlands can be viewed here.

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