Meridian Park

State Natural Area (No. 544)

Location: Door County. T29N-R27E, Sections 1, 12. 191 acres.

Access: From the intersection of County F and Highway 57 in Baileys Harbor, go south on 57 4.1 miles to a wayside west of the road.

Description: Situated on an isthmus of sand between the south end of Kangaroo Lake and Lake Michigan, Meridian Park contains a diverse set of natural features characteristic of Door County including dolomite outcroppings and escarpment, sand ridge and swale complex, forested sand dune, alkaline marsh, and sedge meadow. Of note is the 10-to-15 foot high ledge of rock outcrop, part of the Niagara Escarpment, which chronicles the weathering effects of Lake Michigan waves in ancient times. This area is important habitat for rare land snails and ferns living in the tiny, damp grottos of moss and dolomite. Other natural features are the mile-long 50-to-60 feet high sand dunes forested with a mature northern mesic forest of hemlock, sugar maple, and yellow birch. Canopy associates include beech, red maple, white cedar, and a few super-canopy white pine. The shrub layer is composed primarily of Canada yew, a declining species in Wisconsin due to deer browse. Also present is a series of dry sandy ridges alternating with lower wet swales that tell the story of the receding shoreline of Lake Michigan. In 2006, The Wisconsin Chapter of The Nature Conservancy donated a forty-acre parcel to the county. The entire park was then legally dedicated as a State Natural Area, the highest form of land protection in the state. Meridian Park is owned by Door County and was designated a State Natural Area in 2007.