Bohn Lake features the fluctuating water levels of its namesake lake, a remnant of a glacial tunnel channel formed millenia ago. Found in west-central Waushara County, this site is easily accessed via the Ice Age Trail. A parking area is located on the east side of CTH B, approximately 1 mile south of CTH V….
Tag: Wisconsin
Johnson Lake Barrens & Springs (273/681)
Johnson Lake Barrens & Springs features a large expanse of barrens, lakes, springs, creeks, and sedge meadows in north-central Vilas County. The site can be reached via several access roads south of CTH B. I do not recall my route back in 2012, but last year I took High Lake Road south from CTH B…
Papoose Creek Pines (272/681)
Papoose Creek Pines includes dry and dry-mesic forests of red and white pine along a stretch of Papoose Creek in northwestern Vilas County. The site is located on both sides of CTH K. I would recommend parking on Red Feather Road near the southwestern corner of the site or Manitou Park or Clear Lake Roads…
Van Vliet Hemlocks (271/679)
Van Vliet Hemlocks is a newer SNA and features an old-growth hemlock forest with a smattering of bog lakes, fen, kettle depressions, and other wetlands. The larger of two parcels is found on the east side of Van Vliet and Averill Lakes. The DNR describes a parking area at the end of East Van Vliet…
Snake Creek Fen (270/679)
Snake Creek Fen encompasses fen, wet prairie, and sedge meadow communities along a short stretch of Snake Creek in . Put your walking shoes on, so to speak, as this site is 1 mile from the nearest intersection, Swamp Road to the west and Saint Marie Road to the east. Follow the grassy Snake Creek…
Puchyan Prairie (269/679)
Puchyan Prairie contains wet-mesic prairie, marsh, and sedge meadow wetland natural communities in the floodplain of the Puchyan River. A parking area is located on the east side of Puchyan Marsh Road, just a few feet north of its intersection with CTH CC northwest of the town of Green Lake. Puchyan Prairie is a large,…
Berlin Fen (268/679)
Berlin Fen’s primary features are two fen mounds composed of calcareous peat. This natural area is easily reached with a parking area on the east side of Willard Road, just south of the Mascoutin Valley State Trail. Walk north along the road to the southwestern corner of the site. Berlin Fen is certainly one of…
Koro Railroad Prairie (267/679)
Koro Railroad Prairie features a nearly 1/2 mile stretch of mesic prairie along the Mascoutin Valley State Trail in southwestern Winnebago County. Park on the roadside on either Koro or Meadowbrook Roads, though the former is closer to the prairie than the latter. Koro has probably been one of the better railroad prairies that I…
Rush Lake (266/679)
Rush Lake features three wetland parcels scattered about the south and east sides of Rush Lake in southwestern Winnebago County. Sedge meadow, wet prairie, shrubb-carr, and cattails provide a wetland habitat millieux for a variety of birds and waterfowl. The northeastern parcel is accessible from Mountain Road, east of CTH M and the central parcel…
Ripon Prairie (265/679)
Ripon Prairie formerly featured dry prairie remnants on a small, triangular parcel in northwestern Fond du Lac County. Owned by Ripon College, the parcel was neglected over the years and woody species encroached and effectively cancelled out the prairie. Ripon Prairie’s status as a State Natural Area was mutually dissolved by a memorandum of understanding…
Karner Blue Meadow (264/679)
Karner Blue Meadow comprises a block of prime habitat for the federally endangered Karner Blue butterfly (Lycaeides melissa samuelis). The site is easily reached by parking on the side of the road on 22nd Avenue midway between CTH A and CTH H. A DNR gate and sign mark the site. There are no official trails,…
Buena Vista Prairie Chicken Meadow (263/679)
Buena Vista Prairie Chicken Meadow comprises another parcel of Greater prairie chicken habitat, just 2 miles north of Buena Vista Quarry Prairie. Both sites are part of the the Buena Vista Wildlife Area located in southwestern Portage County. The meadow is bound by 130th Street on the east and Griffith Avenue on the south and…
Buena Vista Quarry Prairie (262/679)
Buena Vista Quarry Prairie provides habitat for the the state-threatened Greater prairie chicken (Tympanachus cupido). Parking areas in the form of a gravel cul-de-sacs can be found at the end of 130th Street, 2/5 mile south of CTH W and 120th Street 2/5 mile east of CTH F. Truth be told, I did not find this…
Oshkosh-Larsen Trail Prairies (261/679)
Oshkosh-Larsen Trail Prairies encompasses a series of four wet-mesic prairie remnants located along the Wiouwash State Trail in Winnebago County just east of USH 45. Park on the roadside at any one of several intersections with county and local roads including CTH G near Allenville (then head north), Oak Ridge Road (then head south), or…
Holland Red Maple Swamp (260/679)
Holland Red Maple Swamp encompasses a northern hardwood swamp and northern wet-mesic forest within Holland Wildlife Area in southern Brown County. One of only two SNA’s within the county, Holland Red Maple Swamp can be accessed via a parking area south of the T-intersection of Refuge Road and Mill Road southeast of the town of…
State Natural Areas of Wisconsin 