Big Island

State Natural Area (No. 384)

Location: Within the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, Burnett County. T41N-R15W, Sections 4, 5. T41N-R16W, Sections 1, 2, 11. T42N-R14W, Section 30. T42N-R15W, Sections 25, 31-36. T42N-R16W, Section 36. 1450 acres. Section 30. T42N-R15W, Sections 25, 31-36. T42N-R16W, Section 36. 1450 acres.

Access: The area is best seen by boat. For walk-in access: from Riverside, go north on 35 across the bridge 0.7 mile, then east on Big Island Road 0.3 mile to an access lane. Cross the stream and walk south onto the island.

Description: Big Island contains maturing examples of northern dry and dry-mesic forest, and northern wet forest along with forest seeps and a very diverse reach of the St. Croix River containing numerous aquatic invertebrates. The island rises about 100’ above the river and is forested with second growth aspen and paper birch with old-growth white pine and basswood occurring on north-facing slopes. Shrubs include nannyberry, American fly honeysuckle, eastern leatherwood, and northern bush-honeysuckle. The groundlayer is rich in plant species diversity and contains club-mosses, blueberries, maidenhair fern, wild sarsaparilla, blue cohosh, yellow-blue-bead lily, partridgeberry, and numerous spring ephemerals. The northwest and eastern tip of the island are lower and wetter with species such as white spruce, marsh bluegrass, northern blue flag iris, and wool-grass. Numerous seeps and north-south aspects add to the site variability creating numerous microhabitats for flora and fauna. Big Island is owned by the National Park Service and was designated a State Natural Area in 2002.