Lake Laura Hardwoods contains an old-growth northern mesic forest on the south shore of Lake Laura in central Vilas County within the Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest. A boat launch that doubles as a parking area is found at the end of Deerfoot Road. As denoted by its number, Lake Laura Hardwoods was the 500th…
Fountain Creek Wet Prairie, SNA #100 (160/675)
Fountain Creek Wet Prairie features a large wet-prairie alongisde Fountain Creek within the Grand Marsh State Wildlife Area in southwestern Green Lake County. A parking area is located off of CTH B. The visit here was abbreviated as try as I might I could not find a suitable route into the bulk of the wet…
Page Creek Marsh, SNA #330 (159/675)
Page Creek Marsh features a variety of wetland natural communities surrounding Page Creek in central Marquette County. A parking area for the largest of three parcels is located off of CTH K, southwest of Montello. From there, a trail leads through the forest and to the creek. The remaining two parcels involve roadside parking. Page…
Summerton Bog, SNA #42 (158/675)
Summerton Bog contains a mixture of wetland communities including bog, fen, and sedge meadow northwest of Endeavor. A parking area is located off of Freedom Road on the west side of the natural area. This is another site that requires a more detailed exploration in the near future. Here, the weather precluded any significant exploration,…
Brooks Bluff, SNA #232 (157/675)
Brooks Bluff features an oak barrens community on the top of a sandstone mesa in Adams County. It is located adjacent to CTH B and parking is on the side of the highway. My time here was limited by my uneasiness parking on the side of the highway here. The shoulder is not particularly wide,…
Lawrence Creek, SNA #70 (156/675)
Lawrence Creek’s focal point is, wait for it, Lawrence Creek. Several other natural communities are present including mixed forest, sedge meadow, and degraded land slated for restoration to prairie. The natural area is divided into two parcels, one each in Adams and Marquette Counties. Several parking areas are scattered around the periphery of the Lawrence…
York Prairie, SNA #348 (155/675)
York Prairie is composed of three dry-mesic prairie remnants along with cliffs and springs in northwestern Green County, west of New Glarus. A grassy parking area is available at the middle of three parcels off of York Valley Road. During my two visits to York Prairie, I explored the middle parcel fairly completely. In late…
French Creek Fen, SNA #546 (154/675)
French Creek Fen features three fen areas embedded with a semi-open wetland complex. A wet prairie, sedge meadow, and springs are also present. Found within the French Creek Wildlife Area in northern Columbia County, there are several parking areas around the periphery, though the easiest access is probably via the parking area at the end…
Muir Park, SNA #96 (153/675)
Muir Park features a variety of natural communities within the boundaries of Muir County Park in Marquette County. A parking area and boat ramp are available off of Fox River Road. The Ice Age Trail forms a loop around Ennis Lake. The prairie was in full force during my mid-June visit. Butterfly milkweed, spiderwort, prairie…
Observatory Hill, SNA #223 (152/675)
Observatory Hill is an rock outcropping rising 300 feet above the surrounding landscape and forming the highest point in Marquette County. A parking area is found on Gillette Avenue and a trail winds from there to the summit. The trail can be uneven in some places with exposed rock and tree roots. Observatory Hill presents some…
Springvale Wet Prairie, SNA #547 (151/675)
Springvale Wet Prairie includes a wet prairie, sedge meadow, and small fen on a site bisected by Duck Creek east of Pardeeville. There are no great parking options as even the roads here have narrow shoulders and steep ditches on the sides. Luckily for me, CTH I was closed at the time and so I…
Hub City Bog, SNA #80 (150/675)
Hub City Bog encompasses a bog and relict pine stands in northern Richland County. Part of the site is owned by the University of Wisconsin via the Arboretum and as such, access is restricted. A parcel south of Hub City is DNR-owned and open to the public. Parking for this parcel is on CTH I…
Kickapoo Valley Reserve, SNA #354 (149/675)
Kickapoo Valley Reserve is a massive property containing a range of forest types, as well as sedge meadow, shrub0-carr, alder thicket, swamp, sandstone cliffs, and the Kickapoo River. Located adjacent to Wildcat Mountain State Park, the natural area is accessible via numerous roads and highways that course through it. A few trailheads have parking areas…
Mt. Pisgah Hemlock-Hardwoods, SNA #15 (148/675)
Mt. Pisgah Hemlock-Hardwoods features a forest with relict hemlock and birch trees along the Kickapoo River within Wildcat Mountain State Park. Access is vai the Hemlock Trail which begins from the parking lot for the Lower Picnic Area. The hike up Mt. Pisgah is fairly easy with no steep slopes and overall a gentle climb…
Fort McCoy Barrens, SNA #228 (147/675)
Fort McCoy Barrens includes one of the largest remaining barrens communities as well as two pristine creeks. Found within the Fort McCoy Military Installation in Monroe County, a visit requires some special hoops to jump through including calling ahead to ask permission and displaying an informational card in your windshield as you park along the…
State Natural Areas of Wisconsin 