Enterprise Hemlocks State Natural Area

Enterprise Hemlocks features stands of mature mesic forest heavily dominated by hemlock with some very old trees present. In the mid 1980's, road crews cut 13 hemlocks for a road improvement project. Upon inspection, a DNR wildlife biologist concluded that four trees were over 200 years in age. One tree had a year of origin of 1720 leading to the conclusion that this area may have escaped harvest during the logging era. Small boggy conifer swamp and ephemeral ponds are scattered throughout the site in kettle depressions. Larger wetland areas are dominated by extensive acreage of black spruce muskeg and white cedar swamp. Rare plants include the showy lady's-slipper orchid and small yellow lady's-slipper orchid. The surrounding county forestlands also contain good examples of these community types, including northern hardwoods. This site affords a rare opportunity, in cooperation with Oneida County, to maintain extensive, intact examples of representative northern Wisconsin communities and their associated biota on a landscape scale. Enterprise Hemlocks is owned by the DNR and was designated a State Natural Area in 2010.