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| Marsh cinquefoil blooms June to August in Wisconsin's kettle bogs. |
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| Barksdale Ponds Trail topo map Click map for larger version. |
The 1.25-miles round trip Barksdale Ponds Trail heads through the southern unit of the Barksdale Ponds State Natural Area in the Chequamegon National Forest.
To reach the trailhead, from Iron River, Wis., take U.S. Hwy. 2 east. Turn left/north onto Topside Road. When the road splits, go left/northwest onto Loon Lake Road/Forest Road 242. Next, turn left-straight/northeast onto Forest Road 847 (some maps list it as Forest Road 647). In about 0.375 miles, look for a jeep trail on the road’s right/east. Pull off the road there and park. This is the trailhead.
The road to the kettle bogs crosses a dry, glacial outwash plain featuring a mature red and white pine forest. Most of the tree trunks measure 16-18 inches in diameter. Beneath the canopy is a sparse shrub layer of hazelnut and pine saplings. Ground flora includes bearberry, big-leaf aster, blueberries, bracken fern, and wintergreen.
Kettle ponds
The difference between the pine forest and the state natural area is stark and begins right away. The route is a jeep trail that winds between two kettle ponds.
Look for spirea, a three- to six-foot tall shrub that likes moist to wet soil, especially meadows and streambanks. Its white, five-parted flower is a mere quarter-inch wide and slightly fuzzy. It blooms June to August. It’s found in all but four of Wisconsin’s counties.
Another flowering plant here is the marsh cinquefoil, which loves mucky, peaty soil. The purple to red, five-parted flower measures about three-quarters of an inch wide and also blooms June to August. Cinquefoil grows across northern Wisconsin and near Lake Michigan.
Water smartweed blooms in autumn. It's fully aquatic with the leaves floating on the water. The bright pink flowers grow in short clusters on smooth stems rising from the water. Individual flowers in the cluster are a mere quarter inch in length. Smartweed is found in all but six Wisconsin counties.
At 0.375 miles from trailhead, you'll come to another jeep trail. Go right/east on to it.
Sphagnum moss
During the hike, you'll encounter several kettle bogs where light-green sphagnum moss covers the wetlands. Sphagnum moss, which tolerates acidic water, forms floating mats over ponds. It can thicken up to six feet deep.
Thanks to compounds in the sphagnum’s cell walls, the moss does not decay so easily traps water. Be careful to not step on the solid-looking moss – in addition to potentially harming other rare plants that grow atop it, the mats can’t fully support your weight, and you’re sure to get wet.
The sphagnum mat itself hosts several wildflowers.
Late April to May, look for leatherleaf. The nodding, tubular white flowers are about a quarter-inch long and hang in a row beneath their stem. The mound-shaped shrub can grow up to three feet high and sometimes forms dense thickets. It grows in most of Wisconsin but is largely absent in the Driftless Area.
Bog laurel, also known as swamp laurel, also blooms in spring. Its cup-shaped, rosy red flower measures from a quarter inch to a full inch wide. The plant's leaves and twigs are poisonous. It thrives in wet areas that receive sun across the state's northern half.
Carnivorous plant
Wild cranberry also grows here. Blooming in mid to late June, the flowers are dark pink. Bees pollinate them, and shortly afterward berries form, usually in late June or early July. Three different species of wild cranberry can be found in the state, mostly in the northern half and in the central sandy plains.
The highlight of any hike past a sphagnum bog is the carnivorous pitcher plant. Downward-pointing hairs guide insects into a pool of rainwater kept in its cupped stalk, where the trapped insect drowns. The plant releases enzymes into the rainwater to digest the bug. It's maroon, bell-shaped flowers, which bloom in summer, are large at 2-3-inches wide and droop from a tall stalk. The pitcher plant usually grows only in northeast Wisconsin.
At 0.625 miles, you'll come to another jeep trail. Go right/southeast onto it. The trail passes the eastern shoreline of another kettle pond before arriving at Mirror Lake. After taking in the sites, retrace your steps back to the trailhead.
Bug spray is recommended for the hike in spring and summer.
