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…
Tag: Wisconsin
Plainfield Tunnel Channel Lakes, SNA #226 (137/675)
Plainfield Tunnel Channel Lakes encompasses two glacial lakes, but the focus here is on the large population of Fassett’s locoweed. There are 3 separate parcels, but all are separated by just a few yards. A parking area is accessible from STH 73 southeat of Plainfield. Fassett’s locoweed is an endangered species in Wisconsin and a…
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…
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…
Sohlberg Silver Lake, SNA #166 (132/675)
Sohlberg Silver Lake features the eponymous lake as well as the surrounding forest, small bogs, and tamarack swamps. Park at the dead end on 18th Avenue and walk east along the trail which winds to the lake. Exploring the lake shoreline was fairly easy as the high water covered most of the exposed mud flats….
Lima Bog, SNA #219 (131/675)
Lima Bog features one of the largest bogs in southern Wisconsin with flora more characteristic of the northern portion of the state. There is a parking area on East Bowers Lake Road south of the site from which a very uneven jaunt through a forested and rocky divide between two agricultural fields awaits you. Then,…
Clover Valley Fen, SNA #213 (130/675)
Clover Valley Fen features a series of peat mounds with characteristic fen flora just northwest of the Whitewater Lake Campground in the Kettle Moraine State Forest – Southern Unit. To reach it is not the easiest endeavor. Park either on Hi-Lo Road near the campground entrance or you could risk parking in a campsite to…
Young Prairie, SNA #132 (129/675)
Young Prairie features a wet-mesic prairie amidst a mixture of degraded lands straddling the Jefferson-Walworth County line. It can be reached via a DNR access lane north of Bluff Road or just to the northeast via a parking area off of Young Road. I have visited this site three times and have yet to explore…
Clifford Messinger Dry Prairie & Savanna Preserve, SNA #230 (128/675)
Clifford Messinger Dry Prairie & Savanna Preserve is composed of 13 separate parcels of dry prairie and oak savanna scattered across 11 miles in the Southern Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest. Over the years, the number of parcels has varied as parcels were acquired, delisted as SNA’s, or subsumed into an existing SNA….
Texas Island Woods, SNA #603 (127/675)
Texas Islands Woods is not in Texas, of course, but can be found in Jefferson County, Wisconsin within the Rome Pond Wildlife Area. A parking area can be found off of CTH E south of Sullivan. From there, walk approximately 1/2 mile along a DNR access lane to the “island”. Why this site is called…
Jefferson Tamarack Swamp, SNA #389 (126/675)
Jefferson Tamarack contains a tamarack swamp, of course, along with a southern sedge meadow and marsh, all as part of the Jefferson Marsh Wildlife Area, just east of Jefferson in, you guessed it, Jefferson County. There are several parking areas scattered around the edge of the Wildlife Area either on CTH Y or USH 18….
Genesee Oak Opening & Fen, SNA #153 (125/675)
Genesee Oak Opening & Fen is well-described by its name. An bur oak opening and fen are found at the site, just north of North Prairie. An access lane leads west from STH 59 to a small pull-off for parking. Continue walking west into the site. I have visited Genesee Oak Opening & Fen twice,…
Martin’s Woods, SNA #350 (124/675)
Martin’s Woods is a Waukesha County Land Conservancy property feature mesic and wet-mesic forests on Edgewood Avenue just west of Big Bend. There is no dedicated parking area and not much of a shoulder to speak of, so just do your best in terms of parking as far off the road as you can. The…
State Natural Areas of Wisconsin 