Pirus Road Swamp

State Natural Area (No. 494)

Location: Within the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, Taylor County. T31N-R2W, Section 35. 187 acres.

Access: From the intersection of Highway 64 and Pirus Road, go north on Pirus Road 0.5 miles to and old field. Walk west across the field into the site.

Description: Pirus Road Swamp features a mosaic of forested wetland communities including northern wet-mesic forest, black ash swamp, and tamarack fen. The semi-open tamarack swamp grades to white cedar or black ash to the north, west, and east. Situated at the base of the ice-marginal position of the Perkinstown End Moraine, the hydrological conditions appear to be influencing the site’s species composition, which includes an exceptionally rich ground flora as compared to other swamps in the vicinity. Species include royal fern, swamp saxifrage, dwarf red raspberry, bunchberry, and skunk cabbage. The uplands contain a northern mesic forest dominated by hemlock with yellow birch, and super-canopy white pine. Numerous small tamarack bogs in kettle depressions are punctuated throughout. Also present is a wet-mesic forest dominated by cedar with hemlock and white spruce. Pirus Road Swamp is owned by the US Forest Service and was designated a State Natural Area in 2007.