Smith-Reiner Drumlin Prairie features two drumlins that contain dry prairie remnants in eastern Dane County. Located just south of CTH PQ (also known as Prairie Queen Road) and east of STH 73 on Clearview Road, there is a small gravel parking area on the west side of the road. From that point, an access lane…
Tag: The Prairie Enthusiasts
Borah Creek Prairie (211/675)
Borah Creek Prairie features dry prairie remants on land surrounding Borah Creek in eastern Grant County, south of Fennimore. Park on the side of Mt. Ridge Road and walk in on the access lane heading west. This was the last stop on my latest weekend excursion to southwestern Wisconsin. As such, fatigue had set in…
Holland Sand Prairie (98/674)
Holland Sand Prairie features, of course, a sand prairie that was once part of a massive sand terrace above the Mississippi River. Now, Holland Sand Prairie is the only sizable remnant. The site can be accessed from CTH Mh (McHugh Road). A parking area and information kiosk are present. Informal trails lead throughout the site….
Muralt Bluff Prairie (50/674)
Muralt Bluff Prairie was protected thanks to the foresight of a few Green County residents, was then purchased by Green County, and is now owned by The Prairie Enthusiasts and the DNR (and managed by the former). It is definitely one of my favorite sites, in part because of the care with which it is…
Black Earth Rettenmund Prairie (29/674)
Black Earth Rettenmund Prairie is a well-managed dry-mesic prairie on a low ridge containing over 80 prairie species. I have always considered this a sister site to Pleasant Valley Conservancy SNA, both due to its proximity and its management by the same group (TPE) and people (the Brocks). There is a small, 2-car pull-off for…
Pleasant Valley Conservancy (28/674)
I could probably write a small novel summarizing my numerous visits to Pleasant Valley Conservancy, but I’ll hold that for a chapter in my memoirs (ha!). Its proximity to my house is one of the reasons I have visited so often, as is its proximity to another SNA, Black Earth Rettenmund Prairie, which often makes…
Schluckebier Prairie (22/674)
Schluckebier Prairie is a small remaining remnant (23 acres) of what was once a 14,000 acre “Sauk Prairie” Grassland prior to the arrival of European settlers. German for “drink a beer”, Schluckebier is an odd name for this site; perhaps the settlers used to tip back a few here in the old days. There are…
State Natural Areas of Wisconsin 