Loon Lake Woods

State Natural Area (No. 396)

Location: Within Loon Lake Wildlife Area, Barron County. T35N-R14W, Section 29. 59 acres.

Access: From the intersection of Highways 63 and 48 in Cumberland, go south on 63 4.6 miles, then west on 18½-19½ Avenue 3.1 miles, then south on 1st Street 0.3 mile to a small parking area east of the road. Walk east into the site.

Description: The gently rolling terrain of Loon Lake Woods supports a second-growth southern mesic hardwood forest of sugar maple and basswood with large red oaks common. Associates include red maple, white ash, white oak, paper birch, and yellow birch. Tall shrubs include beaked hazelnut, alternate-leaved dogwood, and arrow-wood, which is generally sparse to moderate in density. Ironwood, and American hop-hornbeam are present as small trees in the understory. The groundlayer contains species such as maidenhair fern, zigzag goldenrod, large-flowered bellwort, sessile-leaved bellwort, bishop’s-cap, wild geranium, interrupted fern, violets, and sedges. Several ephemeral kettle ponds are scattered through the area with black ash, alder, and wetland herbs including sensitive fern, marsh marigold, wild calla, water-parsnip, blue flag iris, and common water-hemlock. Birds include broad-winged hawk, least flycatcher, yellow-throated vireo, northern waterthrush, veery, scarlet tanager, and blackpoll, Tennessee, chestnut-sided, and Canada warblers. Loon Lake Woods is owned by the DNR and was designated a State Natural Area in 2003.