Holland Red Maple Swamp encompasses a northern hardwood swamp and northern wet-mesic forest within Holland Wildlife Area in southern Brown County. One of only two SNA’s within the county, Holland Red Maple Swamp can be accessed via a parking area south of the T-intersection of Refuge Road and Mill Road southeast of the town of Greenleaf.
Far from Holland on this hike I was. From the outside, this seems to be just a block of forest amidst agricultural fields. Within its green boundaries lies an interesting mixture of natural communities, in particular northern hardwood swamp and northern wet-mesic forest. As those names imply, this site is rather damp and increasingly so as one ventures deeper toward the center of the natural area. The area is known to have been logged about a century ago and as such, the size of the trees here is not as impressive as one might suspect. I was struck by the sheer number of downed trees and limbs, but these wooden bridges allowed for staying dry in some portions of the site. Floralistically, this site was not particularly exciting with a few violets and swamp loosestrife being the highlights, though I am sure more exciting finds await earlier and later in the year. I would not mind a return visit here, in order to venture even further into the site, this time with rubber boots and/or waders.
More of my photos (and full-res) from Holland Red Maple Swamp can be viewed here.
Additional Information
| SNA # | 380 |
| County | Brown |
| Natural Communities / Geology | Northern Hardwood Swamp; Northern Wet-Mesic Forest |
| Size (Acres) | 206 |
| Parking | Parking Area (paved) |
| Trails | Yes |
| Easy to Find | Yes |
| Best Seen By | Foot |
| Marked Boundaries | No |
| Ownership | Wisconsin DNR |
| Located Within | |
| Dates Visited | 5.27.12 |
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