Wisconsin State Natural Areas Program
Beaver Creek (No. 478)

Overview

Location

Within the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. Vilas County. T41N-R11E, Sections 28-33. 697 acres.

Access

The site is located 6 miles northeast of Eagle River, WI. From Eagle River, go north on Highway 45 4 miles, then east on Highway 17 7 miles, then south on FR 2178 about one mile. The site is located south of FR 2178. Further access into the site can be gained using FR 2470 and 2470B.

Description

Description

Beaver Creek features high quality natural communities associated with the Vilas-Oneida Outwash Plains landtype including northern dry-mesic forest, northern wet forest, and open bog. The mature, fire-related dry-mesic forest is dominated by large red pine, mostly 15-20 inches in diameter although some individuals are larger. The stand’s year of origin is 1890. Associates include white pine, red maple, and white spruce. Although not common, there are pockets of white pine regeneration, especially on upland islands within the black spruce swamp forest. The dense shrub and sapling layer is primarily beaked hazelnut, red maple, and mountain maple with blueberry and sweet fern. Ground flora is variable and includes barren strawberry, trailing arbutus, early low blueberry, wintergreen, yellow bluebead lily, and spinulose wood fern. The lowland northern wet forest is dominated by older black spruce with several small inclusions of white cedar and a fringe of tamarack along the Little Deerskin River. Bryophytes (sphagnum, feather mosses, liverworts, and lichens) are a dominant group in the understory and on branches and trunks of black spruce. Several small spring runs start within the site. Situated within a kettle depression is a small but pristine poor fen surrounding a bog pond. The fen is dominated by white beak-rush and arrow-grass with wool-grass, few-seeded sedge, two-seeded bog sedge, mud sedge, cotton-grass, and numerous ericaceous shrubs. Several boreal birds are known to occur here including boreal chickadee and gray jay. Beaver Creek is owned by the US Forest Service and was designated a State Natural Area in 2007.

Maps

The WDNR'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. Therefore, while the majority of SNAs are open to the public, access may vary accordingly. 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 land owner 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.

Activities

Please come prepared for your visit. Amenities vary from site to site with most SNAs being primitive and without facilities. See Guidelines for Visitation for details.

Allowable Activities

Most DNR-owned SNAs allow:

• Hiking
• Hunting
• Fishing
• Trapping
• Skiing

Some exceptions apply. Properties closed to the public or closed to specific use, such as hunting, will be posted.

***For non-DNR-owned SNAs: Additional use guidelines may apply. Please verify any use restrictions with the landowner or contact the SNA Program. Landowners may require additional permits or restrict the number of hunters at a given SNA to provide a quality hunting experience. SNA landowners can be found at the bottom of each SNA description page.

Prohibited Activities

• Horseback riding
• Rock climbing
• Vehicles, including bicycles, ATVs, aircraft, and snowmobiles except on trails and roadways designated for their use
• Collecting of plants (including fruits, nuts, or edible plant parts), animals, fungi, rocks, minerals, fossils, archaeological artifacts, soil, downed wood, or any other natural material, alive or dead

Please note that a permit is required for scientific collection and research on State Natural Areas. For more information, contact Thomas Meyer, State Natural Areas Program Specialist.

For more information on rules governing state-owned SNAs and other state lands, please consult Wisconsin's Administrative Code Chapter NR 45 (exit DNR)