Crex Sand Prairie

State Natural Area (No. 32)

Location: Within Crex Meadows Wildlife Area, Burnett County. T39N-R18W, Section 7 N½SE¼. 79 acres.

Access: From Grantsburg go north on County F 7 miles, then east on North Refuge Road 2 miles to the north boundary of the natural area. An overlook located 0.25 mile south on West Refuge Road, which bisects the area, is an excellent place to view the site. The site is CLOSED to the public from Sept 1-Dec 31. No hunting or trapping allowed.

Description: Crex Sand Prairie occupies part of an extensive sand plain that was once glacial Lake Grantsburg and contains a sand prairie representative of the presettlement vegetation once found in northwestern Wisconsin. Upland soils of the Omega series are sandy with very little organic matter. The natural area is a gently rolling, treeless prairie that in the early 1940's was a jack pine-oak forest that had grown up from the barrens during the period of fire suppression. After management activities of tree removal and prescribed burning, the native prairie has recovered and prairie plants have regained dominance. Spring burns maintain this treeless aspect although oak grubs are very common. Grasses such as big and little blue-stem, June grass, and needle grass grow there along with lead-plant, wormwood, sky-blue aster, wild lupine, spiderwort, and prairie larkspur. Breeding birds include large populations of common yellowthroat and clay-colored sparrow. In addition, a sharp-tailed grouse dancing grounds is found within the natural area. Crex Sand Prairie is owned by the DNR and was designated a State Natural Area in 1958.