Castle Mound Pine Forest is a forested butte rising nearly 200 feet above the surrounding landscape. Found within the Black River State Forest, access is easy from the Castle Mound Campground unit of the forest on USH 12 south of Black River Falls. Park in the picnic parking area. Trails wind up and around the…
Tag: Black River State Forest
Catfish Eddy Terraces (293/681)
Catfish Eddy Terraces is comprised of northern dry-mesic forest and various gorges and wet terrain along the eastern bank of the Black River in Jackson County. There are no trails or parking areas here, so I found it easiest to park along Clinton Road and walk approximately 1/3 mile west into the natural area. After…
Upper Black River (290/681)
Upper Black River features a variety of natural communities along stretches of the Black River and a few of its tributaries. Floodplain forest, mesic forest, and dripping cliffs line these waterways. As one would expect with a property this large containing several parcels, there are numerous ways to access it. A DNR parking area and…
East Fork of the Black River (289/681)
East Fork of the Black River features one of the longest stretches of undeveloped river in the state and a ridge and swale complex with alternating bands of northern dry-mesic forest and a variety of wetlands. This site is directly adjacent to yesterday’s blog post, Arbutus Oaks, and the same parking area at the end…
Arbutus Oaks (288/681)
Arbutus Oaks features a southern dry-mesic forest with stately oaks and white pine as well as a swamp on the border of southern Clark County and northern Jackson County within the Black River State Forest. Campground Road leads to a large parking area near Lake Arbutus with Arbutus Oaks SNA to the west and the…
State Natural Areas of Wisconsin 