Puchyan Prairie contains wet-mesic prairie, marsh, and sedge meadow wetland natural communities in the floodplain of the Puchyan River.  A parking area is located on the east side of Puchyan Marsh Road, just a few feet north of its intersection with CTH CC northwest of the town of Green Lake.

Puchyan Prairie is a large, landscape-style natural area and the DNR seems to be eager to expand the amount of land in this area.  During my first visit, I walked all the way to the end of Puchyan Marsh Road, well at least until I came to the chain and multiple ‘No Trespassing’ signs.  On my second visit, as part of a field trip, the lane was open past this former roadblock.  At some point in the intervening 2 years, the DNR had purchased additional land or an easement which allowed use of this lane.  I thinkt that this allows easier access to the nicer prairie portions of the site, mostly the land south of the large forested area in the center.  Highlights here included tall green milkweed, prairie blazing star, the state-threatened Nuttall’s prairie parsley, and several species of odonates.  One could spend several days here and I certainly think this is worthy of revisiting, perhaps in early June and early September to see how the area changes with the seasons.

Turk’s Cap Lily

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

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