WISCONSIN

has an incredible array of plant communities set against the unique and varied topography and glacial history of the upper Midwest. Drumlins and kettle ponds of the Highlands transition to bluffs and barrens of the Central Sands and eventually onto the coulees and ridges of the Driftless; boreal forests of the Apostle Islands and Door Peninsula stand in contrast with the savannas and prairies of lake country; and everywhere, wetlands, glades, and hollows sit, subtly nestled into the landscape.

Fortunately, many examples of these systems are protected by the state’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) through the State Natural Areas (SNA) Program. The DNR currently protects nearly 700 SNAs across the state! From 2019 to 2024, I visited 304 of these unique natural lands and gained new perspectives on how special Wisconsin’s natural heritage is.

Dwight's Point and Pokegama Wetlands (#300) - 6/24/24

Swan Lake Wet-mesic Prairie (#667) - 5/19/24

Springvale Wet Meadow (#547) - 5/19/24

Fountain Creek Wet Prairie (#100) - 5/19/24

Germania Wet Prairie (#366) - 5/19/24

Puchyan Prairie (#172) - 5/19/24

Koro Railroad Prairie (#225) - 5/19/24

Karner Blue Meadow (#327) - 5/19/24

Winchester Meadow (#661) - 5/19/24

Oshkosh-Larsen Trail Prairies (#155) - 5/19/24

Sugar River Wetlands (#299) - 5/12/24

Belmont Prairie (#364) - 5/12/24

Ipswich Prairie (#195) - 5/12/24

Hardscrabble Prairie (#322) - 5/12/24

Borah Creek Prairie (#591) - 5/12/24

Barneveld Prairie (#405) - 5/12/24

Johnson Hill Kame (#258) - 4/21/24

Kamrath Creek Forest and Fen (#679) - 4/21/24

Kettle Moraine Red Oaks (#259) - 4/21/24

Muehl Springs (#35) - 4/21/24

Rhine Center Bog (#414) - 4/21/24

LTC Old-Growth Forest (#653) - 4/21/24

Cedar Grove Hawk Research Station (#8) - 4/21/24

Huiras Lake (#353) - 4/21/24

Snow Bottom (#262) - 4/14/24

Wauzeka Bottoms (#221) - 4/14/24

Kickapoo Wild Woods (#570) - 4/14/24

Limery Ridge Savanna (#341) - 4/14/24

Wyalusing Walnut Forest (#89) - 4/14/24

Millville Oak Woodlands (#682) - 4/14/24

Adiantum Woods (#245) - 4/14/24

Suk Cerney Peatlands (#575) - 3/16/24

Necedah Oak-Pine Savanna (#7) - 3/16/24

Bear Bluff (#529) - 3/16/24

Starlight Wetlands (#613) - 3/16/24

Wildcat Ridge (#615) - 3/16/24

Washburn Marsh (#192) - 3/16/24

Millston Sand Barrens (#637) - 3/16/24

Comstock Bog-Meadow (#123) - 3/10/24

Wedde Creek Savanna (#581) - 3/10/24

Lunch Creek Wetlands (#333) - 3/10/24

Bass Lake Fen (#178) - 3/10/24

White River Prairie/Tamaracks (#368) - 3/10/24

White River Sedge Meadow (#367) - 3/10/24

Berlin Fen (#207) - 3/10/24

Rush Lake (#331) - 3/10/24

Snake Creek Fen (#281) - 3/10/24

Pleasant Valley Conservancy (#551) - 12/9/23

Gasner Hollow Prairie (#261) - 12/9/23

Devil's Backbone (#640) - 12/9/23

Dewey Heights Prairie (#10) - 12/9/23

Cassville Bluffs (#337) - 12/9/23

Yellowstone Savanna (#363) - 12/9/23

Tower Hill Bottoms (#33) - 12/2/23

Spring Green Preserve (#102) - 12/2/23

Bakken's Pond (#247) - 12/2/23

Smith Slough and Sand Prairie (#250) - 12/2/23

Avoca Prairie and Savanna (#68) - 12/2/23

Orion Mussel Bed (#298) - 12/2/23

Blue River Sand Barrens (#69) - 12/2/23

Blue River Bluffs (#316) - 12/2/23

Richwood Bottoms (#249) - 12/2/23

Boscobel Bluffs (#683) - 12/2/23

Young Prairie (#132) - 11/4/23

Kettle Moraine Oak Opening (#229) - 11/4/23

Eagle Oak Opening (#66) - 11/4/23

Eagle Centre Prairie (#349) - 11/4/23

Scuppernong Prairie (#6) - 11/4/23

Kettle Moraine Low Prairie (#88) - 11/4/23

Ottawa Lake Fen (#128) - 11/4/23

Genesee Oak Opening (#153) - 11/4/23

Bayshore Blufflands (#377) - 10/22/23

White Cliff Fen and Forest (#383) - 10/22/23

Thorp Pond (#403) - 10/22/23

Peninsula White Cedar Forest (#13) - 10/22/23

Peninsula Niagara Escarpment (#688) - 10/22/23

Peninsula Park Beech Forest (#12) - 10/22/23

Sister Islands (#47) - 10/22/23

Ellison Bluff (#378) - 10/22/23

Europe Bay Woods (#379) - 10/22/23

Newport Conifer-Hardwoods (#90) - 10/22/23

Mink River Estuary (#218) - 10/22/23

Mud Lake (#125) - 10/22/23

North Bay (#381) - 10/22/23

Baileys Harbor Boreal Forest and Wetlands (#284) - 10/22/23

Moonlight Bay Bedrock Beach (#233) - 10/22/23

The Ridges Sanctuary (#17) - 10/22/23

Toft Point (#57) - 10/22/23

Kangaroo Lake (#335) - 10/22/23

Meridian Park (#554) - 10/22/23

Logan Creek (#543) - 10/22/23

Whitefish Dunes (#175) - 10/22/23

Cave Point-Clay Banks (#559) - 10/22/23

Swenson Wet Prairie (#64) - 10/7/23

Avon Bottoms (#36) - 10/7/23

Karcher Springs (#99) - 10/7/23

New Munster Bog Island (#53) - 10/7/23

Peat Lake (#106) - 10/7/23

Chiwaukee Prairie (#54) - 10/7/23

York Prairie (#348) - 9/17/23

Muralt Bluff Prairie (#139) - 9/17/23

Albany Sand Prairie and Oak Savanna (#680) - 9/17/23

Badfish Prairie and Spring Seeps (#681) - 9/17/23

Rush Creek (#170) - 9/9/23

Oliver Prairie (#58) - 7/10/23

Waupun Park Maple Forest (#51) - 5/10/23

Oakfield Railroad Prairie (#328) - 5/10/23

Butler Lake and Flynn's Spring (#257) - 5/10/23

Milwaukee River Tamarack Lowlands and Dundee Kame (#256) - 5/10/23

Crooked Lake Wetlands (#255) - 5/10/23

Haskell Noyes Woods (#11) - 5/10/23

Kettle Hole Woods (#294) - 5/10/23

Spring Lake (#94) - 5/10/23

Milwaukee River and Swamp (#93) - 5/10/23

Kewaskum Maple-Oak Woods (#135) - 5/10/23

Milwaukee River Floodplain Forest (#253) - 5/10/23

Jackson Marsh (#278) - 5/10/23

Cedarburg Beech Woods (#61) - 4/29/23

Sapa Spruce Bog (#208) - 4/29/23

Cedarburg Bog (#2) - 4/29/23

Riveredge Creek and Ephemeral Pond (#197) - 4/29/23

Kurtz Woods (#169) - 4/29/23

Baraboo River Floodplain Forest (#212) - 4/12/23

Lemonweir Bottomland Hardwood Forest (#390) - 4/12/23

Brooks Bluff (#232) - 4/12/23

Lawrence Creek (#70) - 4/12/23

Swan Lake Sedge Meadow and Barrens (#665) - 3/19/23

Swan Lake Tamaracks (#666) - 3/19/23

French Creek Fen (#546) - 3/19/23

French Creek North (#663) - 3/19/23

Muir Park (#96) - 3/19/23

Observatory Hill (#223) - 3/19/23

Page Creek Marsh (#330) - 3/19/23

Summerton Bog (#42) - 3/19/23

Pickerel Lake Fen (#209) - 3/14/23

Beulah Bog (#122) - 3/14/23

Lulu Lake (#138) - 3/14/23

Mukwonago River (#417) - 3/14/23

Tichigan Springs and Fen (#689) - 3/14/23

Cherry Lake Sedge Meadow (#120) - 3/14/23

Mud Lake Fen and Wet Prairie (#604) - 2/19/23

Jefferson Tamarack Swamp (#389) - 2/19/23

Chub and Mud Lake Riverine Marsh (#606) - 2/19/23

Waterloo Quartzite Outcrop (#604) - 2/19/23

Audubon Goose Pond (#86) - 2/5/23

Rocky Run Oak Savanna (#220) - 2/5/23

Mud Lake Forest and Ponds (#664) - 2/5/23

Grassy Lake (#548) - 2/5/23

Deansville Fen (#311) - 2/5/23

Patterson Hemlocks (#216) - 1/13/23

Memorial Grove Hemlocks (#294) - 1/13/23

Chippewa Trail (#440) - 1/13/23

Headwater Lakes (#480) - 1/13/23

Tucker Lake Hemlocks (#296) - 1/13/23

Doering Woods (#481) - 1/13/23

Springstead Muskeg (#344) - 1/13/23

Bass Lake Preserve (#211) - 1/13/23

Turtle Flambeau Peatlands (#291) - 1/13/23

Frog Lake and Pines (#187) - 1/13/23

DuPage Lake Peatlands (#502) - 1/13/23

Toy Lake Swamp (#22) - 1/13/23

Papoose Creek Pines (#503) - 1/13/23

Plum Lake Hemlock Forest (#26) - 1/12/23

Lake Laura Hardwoods (#500) - 1/11/23

Haymeadow Creek (#479) - 1/11/23

Upper Buckatabon Springs (#609) - 1/11/23

Day Lake (#189) - 1/10/23

Trout River (#505) - 1/9/23

Devine Lake and Mishonagon Creek (#507) - 1/9/23

Germain Hemlocks (#355) - 1/8/23

Lower Tomahawk River Pines (#588) - 1/8/23

Lily Lake (#555) - 1/8/23

Big Eau Pleine Woods (#235) - 1/8/23

Mead Conifer Bogs (#373) - 1/8/23

Little Bear Hemlocks (#620) - 1/8/23

Magnolia Bluff (#648) - 12/4/22

Allen Creek Wetlands (#641) - 12/4/22

Rose Lake (#538) - 12/4/22

Red Cedar Lake (#215) - 12/4/22

Lost Lake (#198) - 10/29/22

Pine Island Savanna (#549) - 10/29/22

Cady's Marsh (#72) - 10/29/22

McGilvra Woods (#206) - 10/29/22

Mazomanie Oak Barrens (#248) - 10/29/22

Quincy Bluff and Wetlands (#272) - 10/23/22

Hulburt Creek Woods (#371) - 10/22/22

Bass Hollow (#270) - 10/22/22

Hub City Bog (#80) - 10/22/22

Bear Creek Sedge Meadow (#369) - 10/22/22

Wyalusing Hardwood Forest (#5) - 10/16/22

Kickapoo Valley Reserve (#354) - 10/15/22

Tunnelville Cliffs (#542) - 10/15/22

Portland Maples (#372) - 10/15/22

Eureka Maple Woods (#222) - 10/15/22

Coon Creek Cliffs (#201) - 10/15/22

Eagle Eye (#675) - 10/15/22

Faville Prairie (#3) - 10/9/22

Snapper Prairie (#168) - 10/9/22

Waterloo Prairie (#63) - 10/9/22

Chub Lake Oak Savanna (#607) - 10/9/22

Waubesa Wetlands (#114) - 9/28/22

Empire Prairies (#146) - 9/14/22

Mayville Ledge Beech-Maple Woods (#143) - 9/3/22

Smith-Reiner Drumlin Prairie (#654) - 6/19/22

Black Earth Rettenmund Prairie (#210) - 6/18/22

Rock River Prairie (#289) - 5/27/22

Newark Road Prairie (#113) - 5/27/22

Kessler Railroad Prairie (#199) - 5/27/22

Mazomanie Bottoms (#142) - 5/23/22

Bluff Creek (#271) - 5/22/22

Clifford Messinger Dry Prairie and Savanna Preserve (#230) - 5/22/22

Clover Valley Fen (#213) - 5/22/22

Carver-Roehl Woods (#649) - 5/22/22

Texas Island Woods (#603) - 5/8/22

Martin's Woods (#350) - 5/8/22

Muskego Park Hardwoods (#112) - 5/8/22

Franklin Savanna (#409) - 5/8/22

Sander's Park Hardwoods (#56) - 5/8/22

Renak-Polak Maple-Beech Woods (#95) - 5/8/22

Cudahy Woods (#351) - 5/8/22

Warnimont Bluff Fens (#352) - 5/8/22

Olson Oak Woods (#157) - 5/7/22

Ward/Swartz Decatur Woods (#231) - 5/7/22

Browntown Oak Forest (#23) - 5/7/22

Weir White Oaks (#347) - 5/7/22

Belmont Mound Woods (#167) - 5/7/22

Pecatonica River Woods (#260) - 5/7/22

Parrish Oak Savanna (#674) - 5/7/22

New Observatory Woods (#28) - 5/7/22

Stockbridge Ledge Woods (#345) - 4/24/22

High Cliff Escarpment (#176) - 4/24/22

Pope Lake (#194) - 4/24/22

Emmons Creek Barrens (#365) - 4/24/22

Pickerel Lake (#227) - 4/24/22

Plainfield Tunnel Channel Lakes (#226) - 4/24/22

Bohn Lake (#530) - 4/24/22

Mecan Springs (#370) - 4/24/22

Upper Fox Headwaters (#265) - 4/24/22

Necedah Oak-Pine Forest (#14) - 4/23/22

Cranberry Creek Mound Group (#203) - 4/23/22

Kingston Pines (#578) - 4/23/22

Meadow Valley Barrens (#576) - 4/23/22

Blueberry Trail (#577) - 4/23/22

Mill Bluff (#359) - 4/23/22

Yellow River Oxbows (#361) - 4/6/22

Buckhorn Barrens (#360) - 4/6/22

Roche-A-Cri Mound (#183) - 4/6/22

Roche-A-Cri Woods (#362) - 4/6/22

Sohlberg Silver Lake (#166) - 4/6/22

Krueger Pines (#20) - 4/3/22

Lost Canoe (#108) - 4/2/22

Allequash Lake and Pines (#508) - 4/2/22

Camp Lake and Pines (#506) - 4/2/22

Black Tern Bog (#49) - 4/2/22

Trout Lake Conifer Swamp (#21) - 4/2/22

Goose Lake Drumlins (#375) - 3/26/22

Bean Lake (#111) - 3/26/22

Ancient Aztalan Village (#408) - 3/26/22

Lima Bog (#219) - 3/26/22

Hook Lake Bog (#242) - 3/26/22

Oakfield Ledge (#190) - 3/6/22

Mullet Creek White Cedar Wetlands (#676) - 3/6/22

Nichols Creek Cedars and Springs (#677) - 3/6/22

Nichols Creek East Cedars (#678) - 3/6/22

Spruce Lake Bog (#59) - 3/6/22

Jay Creek Pine Forest (#241) - 2/26/22

Ketchum Creek Pines (#243) - 2/26/22

Bauer-Brockway Barrens (#325) - 2/26/22

Castle Mound Pine Forest (#16) - 2/26/22

Catfish Eddy Terraces (#611) - 2/26/22

Glenn Creek Barrens (#634) - 2/26/22

Robinson Creek Pines (#193) - 2/26/22

Blackhawk Island (#77) - 2/13/22

Dells of the Wisconsin River (#283) - 2/13/22

Fern Dell Gorge (#407) - 2/13/22

Mirror Lake Pine Oak Forest (#406) - 2/13/22

Baxter's Hollow (#82) - 2/12/22

South Bluff/Devil's Nose (#97) - 2/6/22

Devil's Lake Oak Forest (#27) - 2/6/22

Ableman's Gorge (#75) - 2/6/22

Lower Narrows (#533) - 2/6/22

Arena Pines and Sand Barrens (#246) - 1/30/22

Pine Cliff (#19) - 1/30/22

Ridgeway Pine Relict (#326) - 1/30/22

Lodi Marsh (#374) - 1/29/22

Natural Bridge and Rockshelter (#105) - 1/23/22

Pan Hollow (#545) - 1/23/22

Pine Hollow (#45) - 1/23/22

Pewit's Nest (#200) - 1/23/22

Honey Creek (#91) - 1/22/22

Hemlock Draw (#535) - 1/22/22

Parfrey's Glen (#1) - 11/6/21

East Bluff (#98) - 11/6/21

Scott Lake and Shelp Lake (#117) - 10/16/21

Abraham's Woods (#38) - 4/16/21

Gotham Jack Pine Barrens (#279) - 4/2/21

Ferry Bluff (#217) - 4/2/21

Mecan River Pine-Oak Forest (#582) - 2/13/21

Giant White Pine Grove (#118) - 1/12/21

Mt. Pisgah Hemlock-Hardwoods (#15) - 10/16/20

Kohler Park Dunes (#558) - 9/15/19

Gibraltar Rock (#73) - 8/31/19

Visited but not Pictured

Brady’s Bluff Prairie (#9)
Trempealeau Mountain (#356)

Wisconsin State Natural Areas

WISCONSIN

Visited but not Pictured