French Creek North (339/696)

French Creek North State Natural Area is a large wetland area containing springs, marsh, tamarack swamp, fen, and sedge meadow natural communities. As with many newer SNAs, French Creek North is owned by the Wisconsin DNR as part of a larger eponymous State Wildlife Area. French Creek North is located approximately 11 miles northeast of…

Muehl Springs (337/696)

Muehl Springs State Natural Area features a sedge meadow, springs, and stream system that feeds into the Sheboygan River. Owned by the Wisconsin DNR, Muehl Springs is located just north of the Northern Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest (NKMSF) and a few miles west of Rhine Center Bog State Natural Area and just…

Riveredge Creek & Ephemeral Pond (334/693)

Riveredge Creek & Ephemeral Pond State Natural Area encompasses a portion of the Riveredge Nature Center, including a stream and pond, near Newburg in Ozaukee County. Primarily recognized for its diverse aquatic/invertebrate life, this natural area eventually connects with the Milwaukee River to the northwest. I often feel that having an SNA embedded within a…

Sugar Creek Bluff, SNA #338 (216/675)

Sugar Creek bluff features a dry prairie and southern dry-mesic forest overlooking the Mississippi River in Crawford County.  Access is via Lagoon Street.  Park beyond a gravel driveway and walk ~100 feet to the trailhead going north.  A series of long switchbacks eventually leads you to the top and the dry prairie and scenic overlook….

Bass Hollow (198/675)

Bass Hollow encompasses a southern mesic forest amidst a cliff-lined coulee, or hollow, in southern Juneau County.  It is found on both sides of Cowan Road east of CTH K.  A parking area for the adjacent Bass Hollow County Park is found on the south side of Cowan Road. I have visited Bass Hollow twice…

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…