Tellock’s Hill Woods State Natural Area protects a northern mesic forest and drumlin with an outstanding display of spring ephemerals. I highly recommend a visit here in late April to early May to catch this fleeting experience.
Tellock’s Hill Woods is located northwest of New London in Waupaca County. Roughly bounded by Postel Rd on the south side and Shady Lane Rd on the west and north sides, two separate DNR-owned parcels make up Tellock’s Hill Woods. Interestingly, a non-DNR-owned ~170-ft wide piece of land separates the two parcels. From satellite imagery, it is not clear why the DNR did not acquire that parcel and include it in the SNA designation; there are no dwellings or improvements visible on the strip of land. Thus, to get from the eastern parcel to the western, one must walk along Postel Rd. It appears, but do not quote me, that it would be legal to access the western parcel from that spot. A parking area is found on the western side of Shady Lane Rd near the norther boundary of the eastern parcel.
There are no formal trails at Tellock’s Hill Woods, but that’s no bother. Taking care to not recklessly trample any vegetation, it is quite easy to get figuratively lost in the wonderment that is the exquisite array of spring ephemeral wildflowers here. From the parking area, walk south further into the SNA and up the drumlin slope. The drumlin rises more steeply in the western SNA parcel and more gradually in the eastern parcel.
I visited Tellock’s Hill Woods after my Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin field trip to (Plover River Woods and Dells of the Eau Claire River. at the recommendation of the the now dean-emeritus of Wisconsin’s SNA program, Thomas Meyer. Thus, my time for exploration was shorter than I would have like it to be. I would very much love to return to Tellock’s Hill Woods during spring ephemeral season and to make it a point to visit both parcels, noting any contrasts in the drumlin’s topography and the resulting botanical riches as I go.
Additional photos can be found on Flickr.
| SNA # | 101 |
| County | Waupaca |
| Natural Communities / Geology | Northern Mesic Forest, Drumlin |
| Size (Acres) | 52 |
| Parking | Parking Area |
| Trails | No |
| Easy to Find | Yes |
| Best Seen By | Foot |
| Recommended Footwear | Hiking boots |
| Marked Boundaries | No |
| Ownership | Wisconsin DNR |
| Located Within | n/a |
| # Visits (at time of posting) | 1 |
