Allen Creek Wetlands includes a complex of wetlands including sedge meadow, wet-mesic prairie, and fen. The natural area consists of two parcels, one of which is privately owned and closed to the public and the other which is DNR-owned and open to the public. I have visited only the former, but the directions given…
Tag: Sedge Meadow
Fair Meadows, SNA #416 (224/675)
Fair Meadows encompasses a variety of habitats including oak woodland and savanna, wet prairie, and sedge meadow. It is home to the federally threatened and Wisconsin endangered eastern prairie white-fringed orchid. A privately owned natural area, Fair Meadows is generally only open to the public on field trips through conservation organizations and that is how…
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,…
French Creek Fen, SNA #546 (154/675)
French Creek Fen features three fen areas embedded with a semi-open wetland complex. A wet prairie, sedge meadow, and springs are also present. Found within the French Creek Wildlife Area in northern Columbia County, there are several parking areas around the periphery, though the easiest access is probably via the parking area at the end…
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…
Springvale Wet Prairie, SNA #547 (151/675)
Springvale Wet Prairie includes a wet prairie, sedge meadow, and small fen on a site bisected by Duck Creek east of Pardeeville. There are no great parking options as even the roads here have narrow shoulders and steep ditches on the sides. Luckily for me, CTH I was closed at the time and so I…
Newark Road Prairie, SNA #113 (144/675)
Newark Road Prairie features a wet-mesic prairie found in southern Rock County. A grassy pull-off with room for perhaps 2 cars is located on the north side of Beloit Newark Road, just west of the intersection with Knutson Road. From the pull-off, a trail of sorts winds its way through the prairie. I am not…
Whitefish Dunes, SNA #175 (117/675)
Whitefish Dunes features the largest landscape of sand dunes along the Great Lakes. Found within Whitefish Dunes State Park, both active and stabilized dunes are home to various stages of succession with those dunes further from the lake being more wooded and stabilized. Parking is available near the park office. From there, we walked north along…
Toft Point, SNA #57 (115/675)
Toft Point contains a wide range of natural communities on a peninsula between Moonlight Bay and Baileys Harbor. To reach the site, take the access lane off of Ridges Road, about 1.5 miles east of the intersection of STH 57 and Ridges Road. A parking area and trailhead can be found there. Alternatively, continue on…
Mud Lake, SNA #125 (112/675)
Mud Lake features a shallow drainage lake surrounded by a sedge meadow. It is one of 6 SNA’s with ‘Mud Lake’ in the name and one of 2 SNA’s with 3 owners. There is room to park at dead-ends on Lime Kiln and Birch Roads, on the north and east sides of the site, respectively….
North Bay, SNA #381 (110/675)
North Bay features a long list of natural communities including various forest and wetland types (see table below) and certainly is more diverse than its name implies. Such is the case sometimes with SNA names. At times a site may be named X Lake and it really is just the lake. Other times it is much…
Meridian Park, SNA #544 (105/675)
Meridian Park features an interesting collection of natural communities approximately equidistant between the equator and the North Pole (hence the name). It is accessible from a wayside on the west side of Hwy 57. It is an official Door County Park, though there is little more than you’d find at a smaller wayside and scant…
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…
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…
Lulu Lake, SNA #138 (86/674)
Lulu Lake is an amazing mosaic of natural communities straddling the Walworth-Waukesha County line. Several parking areas are located around the property including on CTH E, Lulu Lake Road, and Nature Road. Trails lead throughout the site. The SNA is owned approximately 2/3 by the DNR and 1/3 by The Nature Conservancy. Both entities own…
State Natural Areas of Wisconsin 