Kissick Swamp Wildlife Area
Just a couple miles outside of Hayward, Wisconsin, Kissick Swamp Wildlife Area provides plenty of options for public use. Mixtures of high-ground oak, aspen forest, lowland conifer and alkaline bog give this property a lot of variety.
Kissick Swamp Wildlife Area was acquired in 1946-48 for deer yard protection. At the time, there was a large amount of white cedar reproduction on the property. Several additional purchases were made in 1951, bringing the total acreage of the property to 933. The property was logged in the 1920s, resulting in the uniform conifer cover that dominates the property.
Directly south of Kissick Swamp Wildlife Area lays the town of Hayward Forest, providing additional silent sport recreational opportunities. The wildlife area also shares a western boundary with Washburn County Forest, creating a large block of land for public recreational opportunity.
Management Objectives
Active timber management continues on the property today using modern silviculture practices with a focus on quality wildlife habitat for both game and non-game species. There are individual mature, mast-producing red and white oaks scattered throughout the property. The north end of the property has featured more aspen management over the last 40 years, and timber management will continue with a focus on multi-aged stands producing quality wildlife habitat.
There are multiple large openings on the south end of the property that are maintained for warm-season grasses, flowers and soft mast production. Throughout the property, a network of rustic trails connects maintained wildlife openings complexes providing forage and cover for wildlife in the forested stands.
A 160-acre natural area was created in 1983 to protect the alkaline bog and 10-acre lake. Several springs and seeps drain into the lake from the immediate vicinity. An unnamed tributary to Chippanazie Creek flows out of the area to the northwest.
For more information on master planning for this and other wildlife areas around the state, visit the Property Planning page.
Recreation
The Kissick Swamp Wildlife Area offers many recreational opportunities:
- Biking
- Birding
- Canoeing
- Cross-country skiing (no designated trail)
- Hiking
- Hunting
- Trapping
- Wild edibles/gathering
- Wildlife viewing
Amenities
- Bathroom - there is no bathroom on this DNR property, but a restroom is available across County Hill Road at Hayward Town Forest.
- Parking lot - there are three parking areas throughout the property.
- Campground and size - none.
- Trails, Types and Lengths - non-designated trails only.
Maps
Download a map of this property.
If you are interested in exploring this property further, you can access an interactive map.
