Jackson Harbor Ridges

State Natural Area (No. 110)

Location: On Washington Island, Door County. T34N-R30E, Section 27, SW¼; Section 28, SE¼. 70 acres.

Access: From the end of Highway 42 at Northport Pier, take the ferry to Washington Island. From the ferry landing, go north on Losdells Point Road (County W) 1.7 miles, then continue north on Main Road 2.6 miles, then go east on Jackson Harbor Road 3.5 miles, then north on Indian Point Road 0.1 mile to a parking area on the right. The natural area lies to the east.

Description: Situated on Washington Island off the tip of the Door Peninsula, Jackson Harbor Ridges contains several coastal plant communities and an exceptionally rich flora of rare and uncommon plants. The topography undulates with areas of dry to moist sand ridges and low, wet swales. Twelve ridges and swales are evident, the result of former Lake Michigan water levels. The swales contain an unusual plant community that prefers wet calcareous soils. Characteristic species here are Kalm's lobelia, shrubby cinquefoil, bladderworts and several sedges. Bird's-eye primrose (Primula mistassinica), low calamint (Calamintha arkansana), and slender bog arrow-grass (Triglochin palustris) are among the rare plants found here. The 9-acre beach gradually grades into drier dunes, which are stabilized with drought tolerant species such as creeping juniper, bearberry, and sand coreopsis. The dunes harbor the federally-threatened dune thistle (Cirsium pitcheri) and the state-threatened dune goldenrod (Solidago simplex var. gillmanii) and sticky asphodel (Tofieldia glutinosa). Behind the dunes is a mixed conifer-hardwood forest of red and white pines, white cedar, balsam fir, and American beech. Patches of the federally-threatened dwarf lake iris (Iris lacustris) are scattered throughout. The point at the entrance to Jackson Harbor is a sand spit that attracts gulls, terns, shorebirds, and waterfowl. Jackson Harbor Ridges is owned by the Town of Washington and was designated a State Natural Area in 1973.