Krueger Pines State Natural Area protects a mature northern dry-mesic forest with large red and white pines. The site is located within Council Grounds State Park, just northwest of Merrill across the Wisconsin River. The single parcel is bounded on the east by the park road, along which is a convenient parking area. The Blue…
Tag: Wisconsin State Park
Kohler Park Dunes (238/679)
Kohler Park Dunes features a stunning series of sand dunes and a mile of Lake Michigan shoreline within Kohler-Andrae State Park in Sheboygan County. Several access points can be used including parking areas on Beach Park Lane at the northern boundary, near the Sanderling Nature Center in the park, and on Old Park Road at the…
Trempealeau Mountain, SNA #356 (232/679)
Trempealeau Mountain is a 425-foot tall forested rock in the Mississippi River, just offshore from Perrot State Park. The formal method of reaching the site, one of only three islands composed of solid rock along the Mississippi River, is to kayak or canoe from the state park boat launch. Canoes and kayaks are available for…
Wyalusing Walnut Forest (204/675)
Wyalusing Walnut Forest encompasses several forest types from wet to dry on and below a bluff overlooking the confluence of the Mississippi and Wisconsin Rivers. It is found within Wyalusing State Park, easily in my top 2 Wisconsin State Parks. Great views, wonderful natural areas, and outstanding birding can all be found here. Though a…
Dewey Heights Prairie (202/675)
Dewey Heights Prairie features a dry prairie on a bluff 800 feet above the Mississippi River. Found within Nelson Dewey State Park, a lesser known site in Grant County, this gem is easily reachable and explorable for most. Several parking areas are located along and at the end of the long park road and a trail…
Wyalusing Hardwood Forest (199/675)
Wyalusing Hardwood Forest features a mixture of southern forest types (wet-mesic, mesic, dry-mesic, and dry) near the confluence of the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers in Wyalusing State Park. The closest parking area is a pull-off from the main park road near the Paul Lawrence Interpretive Center with room for 3-4 cars. From there, take the…
Rock Island Woods, SNA #382 (182/675)
Rock Island Woods features several forest types and cliff communities on Rock Island off the tip of Door County. As it is an island accessible only by boat, there is no parking. Many people take the ferry from the tip of Door County to Washington Island, drive their car across the island, and then take…
High Cliff Escarpment, SNA #176 (176/675)
High Cliff Escarpment features a more than one-mile long exposure of the Niagara Escarpment, a limestone cliff that extends from Waukesha County through Door County and then on into Canada and New York. This natural area is found within High Cliff State Park along the northeastern shore of Lake Winnebago and is accessible via the…
Belmont Mound Woods, SNA #167 (167/675)
Belmont Mound Woods featuers southern mesic and dry-mesic forests within Belmont Mound State Park. An access road leads north form CTH G on the west side of the state park. Warning: it is not a very well-maintained road and I felt my car get several scrapes underneath along the way. Park on the road, narrow…
Mt. Pisgah Hemlock-Hardwoods, SNA #15 (148/675)
Mt. Pisgah Hemlock-Hardwoods features a forest with relict hemlock and birch trees along the Kickapoo River within Wildcat Mountain State Park. Access is vai the Hemlock Trail which begins from the parking lot for the Lower Picnic Area. The hike up Mt. Pisgah is fairly easy with no steep slopes and overall a gentle climb…
Rib Mountain Talus Forest, SNA #532 (138/675)
Rib Mountain Talus Forest encompasses a second-growth northern mesic forest within Rib Mountain State Park, just southwest of Wausau. Enter the state park and follow the park road to its terminus in a large parking area. Numerous trails loop through the site, with some passing in and out of the natural area. A GPS is…
Buckhorn Barrens, SNA #360 (136/675)
Buckhorn Barrens is much than its name belies. Comprising the southern half of Buckhorn State Park, a variety of natural communities are found here including: barrens, sand blows, northern and southern sedge meadows, and a second-growth forest. Numerous parking areas and two boat landings are located in the park provided multiple starting points for your…
Roche-A-Cri Woods, SNA #362 (135/675)
Roche-A-Cri Woods, as is the case for its sister SNA, Roche-A-Cri Mound, is found within Roche-A-Cri State Park. The ‘Woods SNA’ is comprised of the bulk of the state park that is not part of the ‘Mound SNA’. As a result, you can utilize the same parking area to visit both sites. A number of trails…
Roche-A-Cri Mound, SNA #183 (134/675)
Roche-A-Cri Mound is comprised of the eponymous mound which was once an island in Glacial Lake Wisconsin. Found within Roche-A-Cri State Park, a parking area is located at the trailhead which in turn leads to the steps which will take you to the top. No stairmaster required after hiking this natural beauty. Meaning “crevice in…
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…
State Natural Areas of Wisconsin 