Snow Falls Creek

State Natural Area (No. 309)

Location: Within the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, Oconto County. T32N-R16E, Sections 1, 11, 12. 153 acres.

Access: From the intersection of State Highway 32 and County Highway F in Lakewood, go east on F 2.0 miles, then east and south on Old 32 (FR 2106) 2.4 miles, then east on FR 2070 0.7 mile, then northeast on FR 2070A 0.7 mile to the northwest boundary. Walk east 0.3 mile into the site.

Description: Snow Falls Creek is a high gradient, boulder-strewn trout stream originating in two large spring ponds (Sullivan Springs and Hickey Springs) to the north and joining the North Branch of the Oconto River south of the natural area. The creek is bordered by white cedar, balsam fir, and black ash. Tall, scattered white pines add to the forest structure. The ravines and uplands west of Snow Falls Creek support an exceptional forest composed primarily of hemlock, sugar maple, yellow birch, basswood, red oak, and beech, here at its northwest limits in the state. The shrub layer is poorly developed throughout with prevalent species of mountain maple, beaked hazelnut, leatherwood, witch hazel, and alternate-leaved dogwood. Characteristic species of the moderately rich but sparse herb layer are wild sarsaparilla, Canada mayflower, big-leaved aster, lady fern, and club-mosses. Noteworthy herbs include Indian cucumber-root (Medeola virginiana), early coral root, and spotted coral root. The rolling morainal uplands surrounding the creek and mature hemlock-hardwoods are forested with even-aged stands of pole-sized paper birch, trembling aspen, and sugar maple. Although the forest has a history of selective cutting, no recent timber harvest has occurred and the stand remain relatively intact. Resident bird species include black-throated green and blackburnian warblers, ovenbird, solitary vireo, wood thrush, hermit thrush, veery, least flycatcher and the state-threatened red-shouldered hawk (Buteo lineatus). Snow Falls Creek is owned by the U.S. Forest Service and was designated a State Natural Area in 1996.