Tamarack Creek Bog features bog, marsh, and forest communities with several species more often found further north. Located within the Tamarack Creek Wildlife Area in southern Trempealeau County, the natural area is composed of two parcels with parking for the southern parcel on the roadside of CTH F and a parking area adjacent to the…
Tag: Bog
Finnerud Pine Forest, SNA #31 (222/675)
Finnerud Pine Forest encompasses an old-growth red pine forest, bog, and lake shoreline. The site is owned by the University of Wisconsin System via the Board of Regents and is managed by the UW Arboretum. Visits require advanced permission. I am grateful to the UW Arboretum for allowing me to visit the several natural areas…
Black Tern Bog, SNA #49 (221/675)
Black Tern Bog features a quaking sphagnum bog mat surrounding two seepage lakes, just a stone’s throw from USH 51 in Vilas County. Park along, but well off of the highway, wand walk east toward the bog and lakes. This was another site in which I was uneasy about where I had to park. Traffic…
Cedarburg Bog (196/675)
Cedarburg Bog, a National Natural Landmark, features a variety of wetland natural communities surrounding several lakes. Public access is available from the north on STH 33 and from the south on Cedar Sauk Road. A trail leads from the former to one of the lakes. From the latter, a roadside pull-off, an unimproved trail leads…
Border Lakes (193/675)
Border Lakes, or the Catherine Wolter Wilderness Area as The Nature Conservancy calls it, encompasses 15 undeveloped lakes in northwestern Vilas County. A parking area is located on East Bay Road, southeast of Presque Isle. Numerous trails that are more like access roads, loop through the site. As my mother and I pulled into the…
Cherry Lake Sedge Meadow, SNA #120 (172/675)
Cherry Lake Sedge Meadow contains a southern sedge meadow, as well as northern wet forest, tamarack bog and surrounding uplands. A parking area for the encompassing Honey Creek Wildlife Area is located on CTH W midway between Waterford and Burlington. I started off from the parking area by following one of several foot-trails that wander…
Beulah Bog (171/675)
Beulah Bog encompasses two bog lakes surrounded by a northern wet forest in northeastern Walworth County. A parking area is located on Stringers Bridge Road, south of CTH J. From there, a trail leads east over undulating glacial terrain before turning south to reach a boardwalk, which in turn leads to one of the bog…
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,…
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…
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…
Franklin & Butternut Lakes, SNA #119 (140/675)
Franklin & Butternut Lakes encompasses a variety of habitats over rolling glacial topography, more or less centered around the aforementioned lakes. Found within the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, parking for this site is available at either of two parking area on FR 2181 (Butternut Lake Road). Alternatively, there are several stopping points along various forest roads….
Frog Lake & Pines, SNA #187 (139/675)
Frog Lake & Pines features a northern dry-mesic forest and wetlands surrounding a wilderness lake. A small pull-off is located on the west side of STH 47 just south of Manitowish. From there, a walkable access lane leads to a short trail to the lake. I made a stop at Frog Lake & Pines after…
Lima Bog, SNA #219 (131/675)
Lima Bog features one of the largest bogs in southern Wisconsin with flora more characteristic of the northern portion of the state. There is a parking area on East Bowers Lake Road south of the site from which a very uneven jaunt through a forested and rocky divide between two agricultural fields awaits you. Then,…
The Ridges Sanctuary, SNA #17 (114/675)
The Ridges Sanctuary contains a series of ridges and swales marking former shorelines of Lake Michigan from the last 1400-1500 years. This topography results in an array of different natural communities and resident species. A large parking lot and visitor’s center can be found off of CTH Q just east of Hwy 57. Note that…
State Natural Areas of Wisconsin 