Blackhawk Island State Natural Area protects an island in the Wisconsin River that is wooded with a variety of tree species and a plethora of ferns. Owned by the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents and managed by the UW Division of Extension, the site is operated as an outdoor learning center and self-described “river…
Tag: Northern Mesic Forest
Enterprise Hemlocks (325/693)
Enterprise Hemlocks State Natural Area protects a mature mesic forest, predominantly composed of hemlocks and associated ephemeral ponds and boggy areas. The site is located south of Rhinelander in the southeast portion of Oneida County. There are 3 parcels, the northernmost of which can be accessed from Zimmer Rd, west of CTH G, and two…
Marshall’s Point (308/687)
Marshall’s Point is a secluded piece of splendor in Door County. A relic boreal forest and northern mesic forest untouched for more than a century lie within the protections of a gated community and neither its location or the method by which I obtained permission will be disclosed here. I was fortunate to be guided…
Kieper Creek (305/687)
Kieper Creek includes a variety of natural communities in northwestern Florence County, sandwiched between the two previous blog posts, directly east of Lauterman Lake and just west Fox Maple Woods. A few possible access routes exist for this site. FR 2154 forms a joint border between Lauterman Lake and Kieper Creek SNA’s. Lauterman Creek crosses beneath…
Lauterman Lake (304/687)
Lauterman Lake encompasses rolling terrain, a mesic hardwood forest, lakes, creeks, and a braided esker system in northern Florence County. The site can be reached via parking areas on Brule River Road (FR 2154) to the east of the namesake lake and FR 2553 to the west; both are just south of STH 70. Note…
Fox Maple Woods (303/687)
Fox Maple Woods contains a block of northern mesic forest and sedge meadow in northwestern Florence County. STH 70 bisects the property, though the vast majority and more interesting portions lie north of the highway. A parking area provides easy access to the forest. A faint trail leads northwest from the parking area, but I…
Little Bear Hemlocks (296/686)
Little Bear Hemlocks encompasses a block of northern mesic forest in Portage County, one of very few left in the central portion of Wisconsin. It is easily accessible via a parking area near the southeast corner of the parcel off of STH 34. No trails exist here, but none are needed. The canopy is composed…
Lost Canoe (280/681)
Lost Canoe includes a nice array of natural communities including northern mesic and dry-mesic forests, fen, and several lakes southwest of Boulder Junction in central Vilas County. A parking area and trailhead are found on the north side of Nebish Lake Road west of Starrett Road. A total of 11 miles of trails loop around…
Wilderness Ridge, SNA (257/679)
Wilderness Ridge is a T-shaped area of forested ridges and wet swales marking former shorelines of Lake Michigan. Located within Point Beach State Forest, the site is easily accessed from the parking area at the entrance station and following the trail south. A GPS is recommended to know exactly when you are within the boundaries…
Point Beach Ridges (256/679)
Point Beach Ridges encompasses a series of 11 ridges and swales representing former shorelines of the Nippissing Great Lakes, a term for Lakes Superior, Michigan, and Huron which were all connected after the glaciers receeded but with much higher water levels than at present. A small pull-off is located on the east side of CTH…
Woodland Dunes, SNA (255/679)
Woodland Dunes featuers a series of forested ridges and swales that represent former shorelines of Lake Michigan. The site is owned by the Woodland Dunes Nature Center which has a headquarters/nature center building just north of the natural area on STH 310/Hawthorne Avenue. Trails lead from the nature center north, but none head south into the…
Sugar Camp Hemlocks (242/679)
Sugar Camp Hemlocks features a northern mesic forest with a dominant old-growth hemlock component. This natural area can be reached by taking Fire Lane (gravel) and parking along the road. The site abuts a house that is seemingly in the middle of nowhere so take care to avoid trespassing on private property. Despite our early…
Holmboe Conifer Forest (241/679)
Holmboe Conifer Forest includes a variety of northern forest types on rolling terrain along the Pelican River in the city of Rhinelander. The directions as described by the DNR are a bit out of date and I believe they pre-date the Taylor Park nursing home that was built adjacent to the site on Boyce Drive….
LTC Old Growth Forest (237/679)
LTC Old Growth Forest is a small remnant of old-growth northern mesic forest located on the campus of Lakeshore Technical College in Manitowoc County. The campus entrance is approximately 1/2 mile east of I-43 on CTH XX. Park in the North parking area and walk east into the natural area. Trails wind through the site….
Tomahawk Lake Hemlocks, SNA #510 (223/675)
Tomahawk Lake Hemlocks features a northern mesic forest with hemlock and yellow birch on rolling topography betwen Tomahawk and Little Carr Lakes. Kettle depressions are found throughout the site. Park on Rainbow Road, near the intersection with Robin Road and beyond the entrance to the Macnaughton Correctional Center. Hemlock forests are one of my favorite…
State Natural Areas of Wisconsin 