Ripon Prairie formerly featured dry prairie remnants on a small, triangular parcel in northwestern Fond du Lac County. Owned by Ripon College, the parcel was neglected over the years and woody species encroached and effectively cancelled out the prairie. Ripon Prairie’s status as a State Natural Area was mutually dissolved by a memorandum of understanding…
Tag: Fond du Lac County
Oakfield Railroad Prairie, SNA #328 (185/675)
Oakfield Railroad Prairie features mesic and wet-mesic prairies along two portions of the Wild Goose State Trail, a 34-mile long trail with one terminus in Fond du Lac and the other in Clyman Junction. Park on the road near one of several trail intersections: CTH D, Lost Arrow Road, River Road, or Willow Lawn Road….
Oakfield Ledge, SNA #190 (175/675)
Oakfield Ledge features a substantial exposure of the Niagara Escarpment in southern Fond du Lac County, south of Oakfield. Two parcels, each with their own parking area, are accessible form CTH Y and Breakneck Road, respectively. I have visited the southern parcel twice. A trail leads from the parking area along the edge of the…
Waupun Park Maple Forest, SNA #51 (174/675)
Waupun Park Maple Forest features a mature southern mesic forest dominated by maple within the confines of Waupun County Park, on the northwest corner of the city of Waupun. Two parking areas are available on the delightfully named CTH MMM and yes, that’s 3 M’s. A trail begins from the northernmost of the two parking…
Kettle Hole Woods, SNA #254 (93/674)
Kettle Hole Woods features southern mesic and southern dry-mesic forests on a hillside with numerous ephemeral ponds scattered throughout. Continuing with the theme, this is one of 11 SNA’s found within the Northern Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest. This is your standard park on the road (Forestview Road) and ‘jump in’ site, though…
Milwaukee River Tamarack Lowlands & Dundee Kame, SNA #256 (92/674)
Milwaukee River Tamarack Lowlands & Dundee Kame features a variety of wetland communities and several glacial kames surrounding a stretch of the Milwaukee River in the Northern Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest. It is one of 11 SNA’s found with this forest unit. There are several ways to access this SNA and I would…
Milwaukee River & Swamp, SNA #93 (91/674)
Milwaukee River and Swamp features a mixture of wet-mesic forests of the northern and southern varieties as well as a conifer swamp along the shores of the Milwaukee River and Mauthe Lake within the Northern Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest. It is one of 11 SNA’s within this forest unit. The Ice Age…
Haskell Noyes Memorial Woods, SNA #11 (88/674)
Haskell Noyes Memorial Woods protects a typical southern dry-mesic forest on rolling terrain within the Northern Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest, one of 11 SNA’s found there. It is easy to find this SNA, with a glorified gravel pull-off from CTH GGG. A large SNA sign is noticeable from the road and a…
State Natural Areas of Wisconsin 