The Nature of Peninsula

Peninsula's rich natural legacy includes Wisconsin's largest protected tract of the Niagara Escarpment, eight miles of shoreline, and several rare species, including the Dwarf Lake Iris (Iris lacustris). Peninsula has two State Natural Areas, the White Cedar Forest and the Beech Maple Forest. The State Natural Areas Council set both areas aside because they possess unique attributes of native plant communities, typical of the way things looked before Europeans settled here.


The Dwarf Lake Iris is on the United States list of threatened species.
DNR Photo

Know what poison ivy looks like. Leaves of three, let it be. Stay on the trails and roads. And tell your kids, "Don't pet the dogs!"

Visitors can also learn much about park history and ecology at the White Cedar Nature Center.

Nature Links

Learn more about these features by visiting the following links:

Environmental Education for Kids (EEK!)
Peninsula's Key Ecosystems
Peninsula Seasons
Peninsula's Wildlife

Lake Michigan Links

Naturalist Kathleen Harris suggests these web sites to learn more about Peninsula State Park and the adjoining waters of Lake Michigan.

Educational Signs

Seven historical wayside signs reveal stories about key park features. All are accessible by car.

  • Shorelines and Sedge Meadows: Weborg Point and the White Cedar Forest. Shore Road, near Weborg Point.

  • Visitors learn about Peninsula history by viewing an historical wayside sign.
    DNR Photo

  • Privilege in the Park: Camp Meenahga 1916-1948. Shore Road, Skyline parking lot, Lot 3.
  • Island Overlook: Who was Sven? Skyline Road, Sven's Bluff overlook.
  • Island Paradise: Horseshoe Island. Shore Road, near Lighthouse.
  • Life on the Ledge: The Niagara Escarpment. Near Eagle Tower.
  • A State Park System is Formed: Peninsula Takes the Lead. Eagle Panorama.
  • A Road Less Traveled: Eagle Terrace, CCC. Eagle Trail trailhead, at Terrace.

Sentinel Trail and the White Cedar Nature Trail both feature series of educational signs.

For more information, ask Kathleen Harris, (920) 854-5976.

Last Revised: Friday October 09 2009