Spring Lake State Natural Area contains a seepage lake ringed by a northern wet forest with areas of calcareous fen and shrubs as well. Located just west of the Mauthe Lake State Recreation Area, this 37-acre site is located within the Northern Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest, just west of the town of…
Tag: Kettle Moraine State Forest – Northern Unit
Kettle Moraine Red Oaks (251/679)
Kettle Moraine Red Oaks features a southern dry-mesic forest with a significant red oak component on rolling topography in the Northern Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest (KMSFN). This natural area is one of 11 found in the KMSFN and one of 18 total in the KMSF. I reached the site by parking on…
Milwaukee River Floodplain Forest (194/675)
Milwaukee River Floodplain Forest features floodplain and dry-mesic forests along a stretch of the East Branch of the Milwaukee River in Washington County. Parking is along the roadside on Oak Drive, just north of CTH H, where the gravel shoulder widens a bit near the Ice Age Trail. My first visit here was in too-early…
Kewaskum Maple-Oak Woods, SNA #135 (94/674)
Kewaskum Maple-Oak Woods features southern mesic and southern dry-mesic forests split between two parcels located southeast of Kewaskum. A parking area is located on South Mill Road from which a snowmobile trail heads west and bisects the non-SNA land between the two parcels. I have visited Kewaskum Maple-Oak Woods twice and am not very happy…
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…
Spruce Lake Bog, SNA #59 (90/674)
Spruce Lake Bog features a hard-water seepage bog northwest of Dundee in one of the many kettles characteristic of this region. It is one of 11 SNA’s within the Northern Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest. A parking area is located on Airport Road as denoted by ‘Wildlife Viewing Area’ signs. Cross the grass…
Butler Lake & Flynn’s Spring, SNA #257 (89/674)
Butler Lake features the namesake lake and spring, as well as a short segment of the Parnell Esker. It is one of 11 SNA’s found within the Northern Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest. Access is easy via a large parking area at a bend in Butler Lake Road. There is a boat landing…
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…
Johnson Hill Kame, SNA #258 (87/674)
Johnson Hill Kame contains northern and southern dry-mesic forests on the slopes of a conical moulin kame deposited during the last glaciation of Wisconsin. Parking here is the very narrow roadside along Shamrock Road. Walk across the agricultural field to a tree line, an area which can be quite wet with ephemeral ponds and quite…