Wisconsin State Natural Areas Program
Quincy Bluff And Wetlands (No. 272)

Overview

Location

Adams County. T16N-R5E, Sections 1-4, 10-15, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27. T16N-R6E, Sections 7, 18. T17N-R5E, Sections 25, 26, 27, 34, 35, 36. 5,102 acres.

Access

From the intersection of Highways 13 and H just east of White Creek, go west on H 2.6 miles, then north on 16th Avenue 0.4 mile, then west on Evergreen Avenue 0.5 mile, then north on 16th Drive 2.4 miles to a parking area east of the road. Or from Highways 13 and H, go north on 13 5.9 miles, then west on Dyke Drive 1.4 miles, then north on 14th Drive 0.4 mile to a parking area west of the road. Old logging roads loop through the site. State Natural Area and The Nature Conservancy preserve signs mark the parcels. Turkey hunting is allowed on DNR lands only. Deer hunting is allowed on both DNR and TNC lands in accordance with state regulations. Learn more about deer hunting on TNC lands...

Description

Description

Quincy Bluff and Wetlands is a large, landscape-scale natural area featuring a mosaic of communities including northern wet and wet-mesic forest, northern and southern sedge meadow, shrub-carr, pine barrens, and sand prairie. This unique area is located in the Central Sand Plain ecoregion of Wisconsin, the bed of extinct Glacial Lake Wisconsin and features a vast wetland complex with low sandy ridges, wetlands, and seepage ponds situated between sandstone mesas and buttes that rise 100-200 feet. Quincy Bluff, which rises 200 feet high and extends for approximately two miles, contains northern dry forest and open cliff communities. Lone Rock, an excellent example of a Driftless Area mesa, features one hundred-foot Cambrian sandstone cliffs. The uplands are forested with jack pine and Hill's oak with a shrub layer dominated by huckleberry, American hazelnut, and early low blueberry. Pennsylvania sedge is the dominant herb with wild lupine and spreading dogbane common constituents of the understory. Grasses and forbs characteristic of barrens and sandy prairies are found here including big blue-stem, June grass, needle grass, poverty grass, goat's-rue, prairie coreopsis, and rough blazing-star. Due to its large size and heterogeneous landscape, Quincy Bluff and Wetlands contains essential habitat for a great diversity of species. Within this vast ecosystem are numerous rare plant and animal species including cross milkwort (Polygala cruciata), Virginia meadow beauty (Rhexia virginica), fragile prickly pear (Opuntia fragilis), ringed boghaunter dragonfly (Williamsonia lintneri), ebony boghaunter dragonfly (Williamsonia fletcheri), warpaint emerald dragonfly (Somatochlora incurvata), and a tiger beetle (Cicindela patruela huberi). Quincy Bluff is owned by the DNR and The Nature Conservancy and was designated a State Natural Area in 1993.

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.

• Guidebook Map [PDF, 86 KB]
• 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)