Dike 17 Wildlife Area
Dike 17 Wildlife Area is a 3,100-acre property located within the Black River State Forest. It can be accessed by taking Highway 54 east and turning south either on Wildcat Road and then east on Battlepoint, or by turning south on North Settlement Road. The property consists of brush and grassland intermixed with flowages.
Management Objectives
The dikes were originally constructed in the 1940s by the Game Division under the Resettlement Administration using Works Project Administration labor. This included setting up a small sawmill on the area where they assembled and produced oak sheet piling for the core of each earth dike on the property. The flowages are periodically drawn down to promote growth of forage for waterfowl, and the uplands are burned to maintain them in an open or brushy landscape to benefit nesting waterfowl, sharp-tailed grouse and Karner blue butterflies.
For more information on master planning for this and other wildlife areas around the state, visit the property planning page.
Recreation
-
The Dike 17 Wildlife Area offers many recreational opportunities:
- Birding;
- Cross-country skiing (no designated trail);
- Fishing;
- Hiking (no designated trail);
- Hunting;
- Trapping;
- Wild edibles/gathering; and
- Wildlife viewing.
Maps
Map is currently being updated - check back soon!
If you are interested in exploring this property further, you can access an interactive map.
