Tar Dam Pines

State Natural Area (No. 486)

Location: Within the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. Oconto County. T32N-R17E, Sections 9, 10, 15, 16. 847 acres.

Access: The site is located approximately 3 miles south and 8 miles east of Lakewood. The site is accessible from Forest Roads 2104 and 2324. From Lakewood, go south on Highway 32 4.5 miles, then east on Tar Dam Road 7.3 miles to a 90 degree turn in the road. Park and walk east into the site.

Description: Tar Dam Pines features several stands of oak and pine-oak woodland, most with white oak as a common canopy species. Other canopy trees include red oak, sugar maple, paper birch, and white pine. An interesting and unique area occurs to the west where the canopy becomes scattered and the habitat is dominated by a groundlayer of bracken fern and early low blueberry. It is unclear whether this community type is an artifact of past harvest or is evidence of a prior savanna/woodland or bracken grassland community. Original land survey records mention there being “sparsely timbered land” in this area. Scattered rocks and boulders occur within the complex and support common polypody while areas of exposed bedrock contain species such as Cladonia and pale corydalis. Along the east end of the site is a black ash dominated swamp. Similar lowland black ash swamps occur throughout the complex along intermittent creeks. Together these lowland areas form the headwaters of the drainage leading to Waupee Creek. Other notable species include Indian cucumber root (Medeola virginiana) and white adder’s mouth (Malaxis brachypoda). Tar Dam Pines is owned by the US Forest Service and was designated a State Natural Area in 2007.