Marinette County Beech Forest
No. 55
Photo by Thomas A. Meyer/DNR
Marinette County Beech Forest contains a beech-dominated northern mesic forest within a surrounding landscape of hemlock-hardwood forest. The beech is present at its range limit in Wisconsin. The area has granite and greenstone bedrock overlain by glacial till from the Athelstane lobe of the Cary stage of Wisconsin glaciation. The soils are mildly podzolized sandy loams on rough to undulating topography. Forest dominants are beech, sugar maple, yellow birch, and hemlock.
Groundlayer species include American starflower, sweet cicely, pyro-las, large-leaved aster, Canada mayflower, white baneberry, and large-flowered trillium. Nesting birds include a broad-winged hawk, least flycatcher, hermit thrush, veery, red-eyed vireo, ovenbird, scarlet tanager and black-throated green and black-throated blue warblers. Marinette County Beech Forest is owned by Marinette County and was designated a State Natural Area in 1967.
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. 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
Marinette County. T34N-R17E, Section 11 NE¼NE¼. 37 acres.
Driving directions
From Wausaukee, go west on County Highway C 19 miles, then north on Goodman Parkway Road nearly 5 miles. The road bisects the natural area.
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.
Marinette County Beech Forest is owned by: Marinette County