Wisconsin State Natural Areas Program
Bear Bluff (No. 529)

Overview

Location

Jackson County. T20N-R1E, Section 7. 186 acres.

Access

From the town of Mather in northeast Juneau County, go west on County H 0.7 miles, then north on County HH 5 miles, then continue north on Goodyear Road 2.8 miles. The site lies east and west of the road.

Description

Description

Bear Bluff SNA is situated within an extensive, wetland complex that occupies a significant portion of the bed of the extinct Glacial Lake Wisconsin. It is a small remnant of the “Great Swamp of Central Wisconsin”, much of which has been altered for cranberry cultivation. Of note is the presence of a forested community dominated by white pine and red maple, which occupies a landscape position between wet, acid forested wetlands of black spruce and tamarack, and dry forests comprised of pine and oak. This community type is uncommon in the state with a high percentage occurring in and around the bed of Glacial Lake Wisconsin. Associated trees include yellow birch, black ash, and tamarack. Common understory shrubs are alder, winterberry, dewberry, and poison sumac. Ground flora includes skunk cabbage, cinnamon fern, and three-leaved gold thread. A small portion of the site contains a more open wetland. And in contrast to many of the poor fens that are common within this landscape, this open wetland is an acid peatland dominated by sphagnum mosses, leather-leaf, blueberry species, few-seeded sedge, northern yellow lake sedge, blue-joint grass, and bog birch. Other characteristic species include cotton-grass, pond sedge, manna grass, bog rosemary, bog laurel, and black chokeberry. Birds breeding here and within the surrounding environs include American bittern, sharp-shinned hawk, Wilson’s snipe, yellow-bellied flycatcher, least flycatcher, eastern wood-pewee, sedge wren, golden-winged warbler, Nashville warbler, pine warbler, Canada warbler, red-breasted grosbeak, purple finch, clay-colored sparrow, Lincoln’s sparrow, and LeConte’s sparrow. Bear Bluff is owned by the DNR and Jackson County. It 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.

• Detailed Map [PDF, 206 KB]

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)