Sugar Creek Bluff

State Natural Area (No. 338)

Location: Crawford County. T10N-R6W, Section 15 W1/2NW1/4. 77 acres.

Access: From the intersection of State Highway 35 and County Highway C in Ferryville, go south on 35 0.3 mile, then north on Lagoon Street about 0.25 mile. Cross the Sugar Creek Bridge and park along the road. At the junction of Lagoon Street and a gravel driveway just past the bridge, walk up the driveway 100 feet to a sign on the left indicating the trailhead. Do not access the gravel road or cabin area, as this is private property.

Description: Sugar Creek Bluff features dry goat prairies on west and south-facing slopes, dry-mesic forest, and Sugar Creek, a Class 2 trout stream. The high quality prairie is situated on bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River and contains a rich prairie flora with such species as prairie drop-seed, big and little blue-stem, New Jersey tea, flowering spurge, lead-plant, hoary puccoon, prairie coreopsis, bird's-foot violet, downy painted-cup, and bastard-toadflax. Red oak, white oak, shagbark hickory, white ash, and basswood dominate the dry-mesic forest. Although the north-facing slope has been selectively logged, the canopy remains intact. The ground flora is diverse and includes numerous spring ephemerals and early summer species including spring beauty, dutchman's-breeches, hepaticas, bloodroot, columbine, and toothwort. Numerous rare animals are known to inhabit this dry bluff. This area is highly threatened due to a high interest in home development along the scenic Mississippi River. Protection of these unique resource areas will help secure the long-term survival of the rare plants and animals found here. Sugar Creek Bluff is owned by the Mississippi Valley Conservancy and was designated a State Natural Area in 2002.