Hunting River Alders

State Natural Area (No. 527)

Location: Within the Langlade County Forest. T34N-R11E, Sections 29-32. 104 acres.

Access: The area is best seen by canoe. From the intersection of Highway 45 and Summit Lake Road in Summit Lake, go east on Summit Lake Road 1.1 miles, then northeast on Rice Bed Road 2.6 miles to a canoe landing. Canoe upstream to the site.

Description: Hunting River Alders is a fairly extensive wetland of alder thicket, shrub-carr, and conifer swamp situated along an undeveloped, low gradient stretch of the Hunting River. Although the dominant plant over much of the site is alder, pockets of willow-dogwood and a black spruce/tamarack swamp are also present. This stretch of river is wide, turbid, and sluggish. Common aquatic plants are water-lilies, duckweed, and a few pondweeds including common, flat-stemmed, and long-leaved pondweed. Numerous showy forbs can be found in the ground flora along the stream banks. Plants include skullcaps, spotted Joe-Pye-weed, turtlehead, touch-me-nots, and asters. This site provides quality habitat for many animals such as river otters, beaver, wood ducks, mallard, and alder flycatcher. Hunting River Alders is owned by Langlade County and was designated a State Natural Area in 2006.