Huiras Lake State Natural Area contains a seepage lake, dry-mesic forest, and an assortment of wetland natural communities in northwestern Oazaukee County. Owned by the Ozaukee-Washington County Land Trust (OWLT), Huiras Lake is open to a wide range of outdoor activities, including hiking, birding, fishing, hunting, boating (though there is no easy way to get…
Tag: Shrub-Carr
New Munster Bog Island (321/693)
New Munster Bog Island State Natural Area contains a small hill, or knoll, surrounded by shrub-carr and tamaracks in southern Kenosha County. I found the DNR prescribed access to be fairly straightforward. From a State Wildlife Area parking area on the north side of 75th St, a rudimentary path leads to Palmer Creek. I recall…
Mead Conifer Bogs (295/686)
Mead Conifer Bogs includes northern wet forest, shrub-carr, and bog habitats spanning the intersection of 3 counties in central Wisconsin: Wood, Portage, and Marathon. The larger eastern parcel spans the northwest corner of Portage County and crosses into south-central Marathon County while the smaller western parcel rests in the northeast corner of Wood County. It is part…
White River Sedge Meadow (278/681)
White River Sedge Meadow encompasses the largest southern sedge meadow in Wisconsin. Located just one mile south-southeast of White River Prairie/Tamaracks and also a part of the larger White River Marsh State Wildlife Area, this natural area can be accesses by numerous parking areas scattered around its perimeter. The most direct access is from parking…
Rush Lake (266/679)
Rush Lake features three wetland parcels scattered about the south and east sides of Rush Lake in southwestern Winnebago County. Sedge meadow, wet prairie, shrubb-carr, and cattails provide a wetland habitat millieux for a variety of birds and waterfowl. The northeastern parcel is accessible from Mountain Road, east of CTH M and the central parcel…
Faville Prairie, SNA #3 (226/675)
Faville Prairie features a low prairie surrounded by sedge meadow and shrub-carr in Jefferson County. Owned by the UW System and managed by the UW Arboretum, permission is required to visit the site. As denoted by its number (3), Faville Prairie was one of the first SNA’s and was designated in 1952. The fluctuating water…
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…
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…
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,…
Kickapoo Valley Reserve, SNA #354 (149/675)
Kickapoo Valley Reserve is a massive property containing a range of forest types, as well as sedge meadow, shrub0-carr, alder thicket, swamp, sandstone cliffs, and the Kickapoo River. Located adjacent to Wildcat Mountain State Park, the natural area is accessible via numerous roads and highways that course through it. A few trailheads have parking areas…
Quincy Bluff & Wetlands, SNA #272 (133/675)
Quincy Bluff & Wetlands is a massive natural area with a great variety of natural communities. Originally acquired by The Nature Conservancy, the property was transferred in recent years to the DNR. It has been the site of intensive restoration activities as well as land acquisition over the years and will continue to be in…
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…
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…
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…
Waubesa Wetlands, SNA #114 (69/674)
Waubesa Wetlands features a sedge meadow, fen, and shrubb-car habitat in an old lobe of Lake Waubesa. Overland access is available from a small (2-car) parking area on Lalor Road (aka Rustic Road 19). From there, a access trail along a fenceline leads to the site. Further south on the same road the site boundaries…
State Natural Areas of Wisconsin 