Arena Pines and Sand Barrens

State Natural Area (No. 246)

Location: Iowa County. T8N-R5E, Section 8 E½SW¼. 80 acres.

Access: From the intersection of U.S. Highway 14 and Village Edge Road in Arena, go north and west on Village Edge Road for 2.5 miles (it turns into Helena Road) to the intersection with Pine Road. The site lies northeast of the intersection.

Description: Arena Pines and Sand Barrens features an excellent example of sand barrens vegetated with jack pine, black oak, and river birch. Found along the edge of numerous sand blows scattered throughout the site is the evergreen false heather shrub, which helps stabilize the shifting sands. Also present are a diversity of dry prairie species including little blue-stem, June grass, three-awn grass, flowering spurge, hoary puccoon, venus’-looking-glass, blue toadflax, lyrate rock cress, and prairie coreopsis. The barrens is also home to the only Wisconsin population of button-weed (Diodia teres), a species of special concern. Arena Pines and Sand Barrens is owned by the DNR and was designated a State Natural Area in 1991.