Hagar Mountain

State Natural Area (No. 306)

Location: Within the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, Oconto County. T31N-R17E, Sections 5, 6, 7, 8. T32N-R17E, Sections 31, 32. 1,006 acres.

Access: From the intersection of State Highway 32 and County Highway W in Mountain, go east on W 3 miles to the junction with FR 2630 (Bear Paw Rd). Continue on W 0.5 mile to a cabin at Fire #13124. Park along Highway W. To reach Hagar Mountain, go north on a foot trail that runs along the property line from the east side of the cabin. Please do not trespass on private land. Alternatively, follow Baldwin Creek south into the southern portion of the site.

Description: Hagar Mountain features an excellent example of exposed igneous bedrock habitat with numerous fissures and crevices, which support some unusual plant communities and several rare plants. Also important to this site is one of the northern-most and largest turkey vulture roosting sites in Wisconsin. The steep-sided habitat varies depending on aspect and condition of the rock. Some south-sloping rock faces and exposed cliffs are virtually bare while north slopes are wooded with hemlock, and north-facing cliffs are often moss and fern-covered. Between these extremes are large areas on the tops of the outcrops that support an interesting lichen and moss flora with occasional colonies of rock spike-moss. Growing in crevices or depressions where soil has accumulated are common polypody, marginal wood fern, rusty woodsia, pale corydalis, and northern sweet colt's-foot. The site is also sparsely forested with red and Hill's oak, red maple, red, white, and jack pine, and cherry. Rugged talus slopes have formed at the edges of many outcrops and these provide habitat for an additional set of species including the rare purple clematis (Clematis occidentalis). Other rare plants include Deam's rock-cress (Arabis missouriensis var. deamii), Rocky Mountain sedge (Carex backii)¸and white adder's-mouth (Malaxis monophyllus). The site itself is quite aesthetic with numerous rock outcrops affording scenic views and having one of the few waterfalls on the Nicolet. Hagar Mountain is owned by the USDA Forest Service and was designated a State Natural Area in 1996. The boundary was expanded in 2007.