Bear Lake Sedge Meadow
No. 323
Photo by Thomas A. Meyer/DNR
Bear Lake Sedge Meadow occupies a large embayment on the southern shore of Bear Lake, a hard water drainage lake. The sedge meadow is quite open, with scattered islands of bog birch, alder, black spruce and tamarack close to the lake. Much of the meadow is dominated primarily by woolly fruit sedge intermixed with three-fruited sedge, marsh cinquefoil, cotton grass and blue-joint grass.
The wetland has a distinctly bog-like character, with sphagnum moss, round-leaved sundew, pitcher plant, rose pogonia and northern bog goldenrod. Several species of bog shrubs including leather-leaf, bog-laurel, bog-rosemary and Labrador-tea are scattered throughout. A small northern wet forest of tamarack and black spruce borders the lake and a fringe of alder-willow thicket lies along the remainder of the shoreline. This area is an important habitat for several rare birds. Bear Lake Sedge Meadow is owned by Barron County and the Village of Haugen and was designated a State Natural Area in 1997.
Very few State Natural Areas have public facilities, but nearly all are open for a variety of recreational activities as indicated below. Generally, there are no picnic areas, restrooms, or other developments. Parking lots or designated parking areas are noted on individual SNA pages and maps. Trails, if present, are typically undesignated footpaths. If a developed trail is present, it will normally be noted on the SNA map and/or on the Directions tab. A compass and topographic map or a GPS unit are useful tools for exploring larger, isolated SNAs.
The good majority of SNAs are isolated and have few or no facilities. Some SNAs have vehicle access lanes or parking lots, but their accessibility may vary depending on weather conditions. Parking lots and lanes are not plowed during winter. Hiking trails may be nonexistent or consist of undeveloped footpaths. A GPS unit or compass and a detailed topographic map are useful tools for exploring larger SNAs.
Non-DNR lands
Entrance fees: For non-DNR-owned SNAs, we are unaware of any vehicle or admission fees. However, please contact the landowner for more information.
Hunting and trapping
Other activities
Other allowable activities such as - but not limited to camping, geocaching and bicycling are determined by the landowner. Please contact them directly or visit their websites for details.
Location
Barron County. T36N-R12W, Sections 11, 12, 14. 167 acres.
Driving directions
From the intersection of County Highways SS and V (Bracklin St) in Haugen, go west on V for 0.3 miles, then north and west on VV (Fleety Ave) for 1.6 miles to a parking area south of the road.
The DNR's state natural areas program is comprised of lands owned by the state, private conservation organizations, municipalities, other governmental agencies, educational institutions, and private individuals. While the majority of SNAs are open to the public, access may vary according to individual ownership policies. Public use restrictions may apply due to public safety, or to protect endangered or threatened species or unique natural features. Lands may be temporarily closed due to specific management activities.
Users are encouraged to contact the landowner for more specific details. The data shown on these maps have been obtained from various sources, and are of varying age, reliability, and resolution. The data may contain errors or omissions and should not be interpreted as a legal representation of legal ownership boundaries. To create your custom map where you can zoom to a specific location, please use the DNR's Mapping Application.
Bear Lake Sedge Meadow is owned by Barron County and the Village of Haugen.