State Natural Areas_Content Page_HuntingRiverAlders_527

Hunting River Alders

No. 527

A graphic with a lake landscape saying State Natural Areas.

 

Hunting River Alders features a wetland of alder thicket, shrub-carr, and tamarack-dominated conifer swamp situated along an undeveloped, low gradient stretch of the Hunting River. Several springs percolate within the stream distributing fresh, cold water to the river. A small shallow lake basin in the north of the site is surrounded by a cattail-dominated open marsh with wild rice on the lake borders. The lake outlet flows south to the Hunting River, which is bordered by good quality stands of alders with pockets of willow and dogwood. A black spruce/tamarack swamp is 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, including skullcaps, spotted Joe-Pye-weed, turtlehead, touch-me-nots and asters. This site provides quality habitat for many animals such as river otter, beaver, wood duck, mallard and alder flycatcher. Hunting River Alders is owned by the DNR and Langlade County and was designated a State Natural Area in 2006.

Very few State Natural Areas have public facilities, but nearly all are open for a variety of recreational activities as indicated below. Generally, there are no picnic areas, restrooms, or other developments. Parking lots or designated parking areas are noted on individual SNA pages and maps. If a developed trail is present, it will usually be noted on the SNA map and/or under the Maps tab. A compass, topographic map, or GPS unit are useful tools for exploring larger, isolated SNAs.

The good majority of SNAs are isolated and have few or no facilities. Some SNAs have vehicle access lanes or parking lots, but their accessibility may vary depending on weather conditions. Parking lots and lanes are not plowed during winter. Hiking trails may be nonexistent or consist of undeveloped footpaths. A GPS unit or compass and a detailed topographic map are valuable tools for exploring larger SNAs.

Entrance fees: Except for Parfrey's Glen, Pewits Nest, Gibraltar Rock, the Dells of the Wisconsin River, SNAs within State Parks and some within State Forests, all other DNR-owned SNAs do not have any admission fees. For more information, see Wis. Admin. Code NR 45. For the county-owned portion, we are unaware of any vehicle or admission fees.

Allowable activities: DNR-owned land

For the county-owned portion of the SNA, please contact them directly to find out about all their rules, including hunting, for this property.

The activities listed below are generally allowed on all DNR-owned SNA lands. Exceptions to this list of public uses, such as SNAs closed to hunting, are noted above and posted with signs on the property site.

Prohibited activities: all SNAs

Although a handful of sites allow activities like primitive camping (e.g. Lower Chippewa River on sand bars) or horseback riding (e.g. S. Kettle Moraine), the activities listed below are generally prohibited on DNR-owned SNAs.

  • Camping and campfires
  • Collecting of animals (other than legally harvested species), non-edible fungi, rocks, minerals, fossils, archaeological artifacts, soil, downed wood, or any other natural material, alive or dead.
  • Collecting for scientific research requires a permit issued by the DNR
  • Collecting of plants including seeds, roots or other non-edible parts of herbaceous plants such as wildflowers or grasses
  • Drones: Flying-related activities, including the use of drones, hang-gliders and model airplanes, are prohibited. Permission may be issued by the SNA Program for the use of drones for educational or research purposes
  • Geocaching
  • Horseback riding
  • Rock climbing
  • Vehicles, including bicycles, ATVs, aircraft, and snowmobiles except on trails and roadways designated for their use.

For rules governing state-owned SNAs and other state lands, please consult Chapter NR 45 Wis. Admin. Code.

Location

Within the Langlade County Forest and Upper Wolf River Fishery Area, Langlade County. T34N-R11E, Sections 28-32. 104 acres.

Driving directions

The area is best seen by canoe. From the intersection of Highway 45 and County Road T just south of Summit Lake, go east on County Road T for 3.5 miles, then north on Fitzgerald Dam Road for 2.5 miles, then west on Rice Bed Road for about 1.1 miles to a carry-in canoe landing. Canoe upstream to the site.

The DNR's state natural areas program is comprised of lands owned by the state, private conservation organizations, municipalities, other governmental agencies, educational institutions, and private individuals. While the majority of SNAs are open to the public, access may vary according to individual ownership policies. Public use restrictions may apply due to public safety, or to protect endangered or threatened species or unique natural features. Lands may be temporarily closed due to specific management activities.

Users are encouraged to contact the landowner for more specific details. The data shown on these maps have been obtained from various sources, and are of varying age, reliability, and resolution. The data may contain errors or omissions and should not be interpreted as a legal representation of legal ownership boundaries. To create your custom map where you can zoom to a specific location, please use the DNR's Mapping Application.

Property Map

Hunting River Alders is owned by Langlade County and the DNR.