Alvin Creek Headwaters encompasses several natural communities centered around, appropriately enough, Alvin Creek and its headwaters in north-central Forest County. The site lies southwest of the intersection of STH 70 and STH 55. Access can be made directly from west on FR 2175 and from the east on FR 2427. Both lightly traveled (and lightly…
Tag: Wisconsin DNR
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…
Upper Buckatabon Springs (302/687)
Upper Buckatabon Springs encompasses a variety of wetland habitats including springs, ponds, alder thickets, northern sedge meadow, fen, and tamarack swamp across two parcels in central Vilas County. Access to the western parcel is available directly from CTH K on the south side or 3 Springs Road on the west side. The eastern parcel appears…
Franklin Savanna (297/686)
Franklin Savanna contains the bones of an oak savanna within the decidedly urban Milwaukee County. It is one of just 3 SNA’s found within the county. It can be found on Oakwood Road, south of the city of Franklin, in the southeast corner of the county. Parking here is dicey at best. The road is…
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…
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…
Brockway Ponds (291/681)
Brockway Ponds consists of 5 separate ponds and associated wetlands within the Jackson County Forest. The ponds can be reached via Funmaker Road, just south of STH 54. From there, sandy trails, more or less, lead to the ponds. On my visit, water covered the road adjacent to the northernmost pond, which precluded access to…
East Fork of the Black River (289/681)
East Fork of the Black River features one of the longest stretches of undeveloped river in the state and a ridge and swale complex with alternating bands of northern dry-mesic forest and a variety of wetlands. This site is directly adjacent to yesterday’s blog post, Arbutus Oaks, and the same parking area at the end…
Arbutus Oaks (288/681)
Arbutus Oaks features a southern dry-mesic forest with stately oaks and white pine as well as a swamp on the border of southern Clark County and northern Jackson County within the Black River State Forest. Campground Road leads to a large parking area near Lake Arbutus with Arbutus Oaks SNA to the west and the…
Yellow River Oxbows (287/681)
Yellow River Oxbows features a floodplain forest around the meandering Yellow River and its oxbows and sloughs in central Juneau County. A parking area is located on the west side of 17th Avenue midway between 28th Street and 30th Street just northwest of Buckhorn State Park. From the parking area, a primitive trail leads toward…
Necedah Oak-Pine Forest (286/681)
Necedah Oak-Pine Forest is described as featuring an almost-closed forest, but more closely resembles a savanna. Located approximately 5 miles southeast of Necedah Oak-Pine Savanna, this site can be reached by taking Speedway Road east 3/4 mile from STH 80. The site is found at the intersection of Speedway Road and 10th Avenue, both gravel…
Necedah Oak-Pine Savanna (285/681)
Necedah Oak-Pine Savanna includes barrens and northern dry forest communities within the confines of the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in northern Juneau County and is one of two SNA’s within the refuge. The site, southwest of the Sprague-Mather Flowage, is most easily accessed via Bewick Trail, a gravel road. Note that some Refuge roads are…
Smith-Reiner Drumlin Prairie (283/681)
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…
State Natural Areas of Wisconsin 