Albany Wildlife Area
Albany Wildlife Area is located outside the village of Albany in Green County. There are 1,429 acres of state-owned land.
Embedded within the wildlife area, is the 90-acre Albany Sand Prairie and Oak Savanna State Natural Area (No. 680) located in the northeast part of the property.
The department has acquired parcels through the statewide Extensive Wildlife Habitat (EWH) and Scattered Wildlife (SW) programs. The EWH parcels (580 acres) lie upstream of the Albany Wildlife Area along the Little Sugar River between the wildlife area and the Village of Monticello. The fourth parcel is a small SW parcel (20 acres) located northeast of Albany Wildlife Area with frontage on both the Sugar River and Allen Creek. Approximately 8 miles of the Sugar River State Trail intersects a portion of these properties and is included in the Southern Savanna Region of the Great Wisconsin Birding and Nature Trail by offering quality bird observation sites.
Habitat types include a floodplain forest and open wetlands that are subject to seasonal flooding. Other acreage is restored or maintained native prairie, upland shrub, and oak woodland, along with varying cropland.
Together, these properties provide public access for hunting, fishing, trapping and other recreational opportunities including a challenging to intermediate river trip along 10.5 miles of the Little Sugar and Sugar Rivers.
Common game species include pheasants, turkeys, waterfowl, deer, and other small game.
Management Objectives
Albany Wildlife Area was created in 1956 to protect the river habitat and provide public hunting opportunities. The other 3 parcels (EWH and SW) were purchased between 1970 and 1990 to provide wildlife habitat, public recreation, and buffer portions of the Sugar River State Trail.
Management provides opportunities for public hunting, fishing, trapping and other outdoor recreation while protecting the qualities of the unique native communities and associated species found on the property.
Prescribed burning, mowing, invasive species control, agriculture, and timber stand improvement are the most common management practices utilized on the landscape.
In recent years, more effort has been made to convert agricultural lands back to native habitats by planting oak trees and prairie grasses/forbs.
Recreation
The Albany Wildlife Area offers many recreational opportunities:
- Biking (Sugar River State Trail)
- Birding
- Boating (motorized and non-motorized)
- Canoeing
- Cross-country skiing (no designated trail)
- Fishing
- Hiking (designated and non-designated trails)
- Hunting (noted for pheasant, turkey, waterfowl, deer and small game)
- Kayaking
- Trapping
- Snowmobiling trail
- Wild edibles/gathering
- Wildlife viewing
Amenities
- Bathroom - none.
- Parking lot - yes.
- Campground and size - none.
- Trails, Types and Lengths - The Sugar River State Trails go through this property.
- Other amenities - There is a boat launch on this property.
Maps
Download a map of this property: Map A [PDF] or Map B [PDF]
If you are interested in exploring this property further, you can access an interactive map.
