Skunk Creek Woods

State Natural Area (No. 522)

Location: Within the Wood County Forest. T22N-R2E, Sections 15, 16. 66 acres.

Access: From the intersection of Highways 80 and 54 in Dexterville, go west on 54 5.8 miles, then continue west on Peterson Road 1.4 miles and park (near where the road turns south). Walk north into the site. The woods are west of Skunk Creek.

Description: Skunk Creek Woods features a northern dry-mesic forest situated within a large expansive peatland. Medium to large red oak and white pine dominate the canopy. Associated trees include white oak, black cherry, mountain ash, and paper birch. Yellow birch, sugar maple, red maple, and eastern hop-hornbeam are also present. Common shrubs are huckleberry, northern bush-honeysuckle, American fly-honeysuckle, maple-leaved viburnum, and sweet fern. The groundlayer contains many dry-mesic associated species. Plants noted include wild columbine, wild sarsaparilla, big-leaf aster, three-leaved goldthread, Canada bunchberry, wild strawberry, American starflower, partridgeberry, naked miterwort, round-leaved shin-leaf, rosy twisted stalk, Canada mayflower, and nodding trillium. Breeding birds include broad-winged hawk, black-billed cuckoo, red-headed woodpecker, pileated woodpecker, great-crested flycatcher, yellow-throated vireo, black-throated green warbler, pine warbler, ovenbird, and scarlet tanager. Rare and uncommon species found here include the state-threatened red-shouldered hawk (Buteo lineatus), golden-winged warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera), and the four-toed salamander (Hemidactylium scutatum). Skunk Creek Woods is owned by Wood County and was designated a State Natural Area in 2007.