Young Prairie

State Natural Area (No. 132)

Location: Jefferson and Walworth Counties. T4N-R16E, Section 5; T5N-R16E, Section 31, 32, 33. 806 acres.

Access: From the intersection of Highway 12 and County H in La Grange, go north on County H 2.6 miles, then west on Bluff Road slightly less than 1 mi. to a gated access lane to the north just where the road turns south. Park along the road and walk north on the old farm lane into the site.

Description: Young Prairie features a large wet-mesic prairie containing rare plants and animals. It is among the best and largest prairie remnants of its type known in the region. A small stream and associated wetland vegetation are located in the northeast section of the tract. Surrounded by agricultural lands on the east, south, and west, and by old field on the north, this low prairie is relatively flat except for a number of seasonally flooded, shallow depressions scattered throughout. More than 80 species of native plants have been found including such showy species as compass plant, prairie dock, blazing-star, purple prairie-clover, lead-plant, shooting-star, turks-cap lily, coneflower, sunflowers, goldenrods, and asters. Rare plants include purple milkweed (Asclepias purpurascens), prairie milkweed (Asclepias sullivantii), prairie Indian plantain (Arnoglossum plantagineum), and whip nut-rush (Scleria triglomerata). The prairie also harbors two endangered insects, the silphium borer moth (Papaipema silphii) and red-tailed prairie leafhopper (Aflexia rubranura). Nesting birds include bobolink, eastern meadowlark, common yellowthroat, sedge wren, and swamp sparrow. Occasional visitors are upland sandpiper, sandhill crane, and short-eared owl. Young Prairie is owned by the DNR and was designated a State Natural Area in 1977.