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| Bog rosemary grows on moss mats along the Raven Nature Trail. |
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| Raven Nature Trail map. Click map for larger version. |
The 1.43-mile loop heads up and down small hills as passing a lake and crossing a wetlands in Northern Highland American Legion State Forest. It is one of several paths that are part of the Raven Trail System.
To reach the trailhead, from Minocqua/Woodruff take Wis. Hwy. 47 south. Turn left/east onto Woodruff Road. In about 0.85 miles, turn right/east into he parking lot for the Raven Trail System.
The trailhead is at the lot’s northwest corner. On state forest maps for the trail system, it’s marked in yellow. The Red Trail runs concurrently with it for about half of the hike.
After heading through a maple-basswood forest for a third of a mile, the trail reaches the shore of Hemlock Lake. A variety of forest wildflowers can be seen along the way from spring to fall. White pine and hemlock line a good portion of the shoreline.
Upon leaving the lake, the Red Trail separates by heading straight-left/northeast. Stay on the Nature Trail by going right.
Bog wildflowers
The loop soon reaches a bog covered in sphagnum moss. A boardwalk crosses the bog, as the moss, though solid to the eyes, actually floats atop water and can’t support your weight.
During spring, several flowers bloom on the sphagnum moss. Among them is bog rosemary, leatherleaf, bog laurel, and Labrador tea. There are even two carnivorous plants – sundew and pitcher plant.
Bog rosemary blooms May-June. Its pink, urn-shaped are but a quarter-inch wide and sit on a backward-curving stalk. The leaf’s underside is white while the topside is a blue-green that stands out starkly against the other plants. The plant mainly grows in northern Wisconsin, but a few have been spotted in the state’s southeastern counties.
From late April to May, look for leatherleaf. The nodding, tubular white flowers are about a quarter-inch long and hang in a row beneath a 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, blooms in spring as well. 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.
Labrador tea blooms from spring through summer. The white flower is a mere third of an inch to half an inch wide. The blooms usually form a tight, round cluster. Each individual flower has five petals. The plant’s fragrant resin makes a good tea. The plant typically is found in northern bogs and also is known as Hudson Bay’s tea.
Carnivorous plants
The carnivorous linear-leaved sundew blooms early June through early August, though what you’ll notice most about it are its leaves. Extremely long, the leaves are pinkish. The flower, of which up to four can sit atop a stalk, also are pink, though sometimes they can be white. Sticky glands on the leaves trap insects then digest them. Sundew is found in the central part of the Northwoods and southeast Wisconsin, though generally not along Lake Michigan.
Another carnivorous wildflower on the trail is the pitcher plant. Downward-pointing hairs guide insects into a pool of rainwater kept in its cupped stalk. There the trapped insect drowns. The plant releases enzymes into the rainwater to digest the bug. Its 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.
While not a flower, cotton grass is one interesting-looking plant found in the bog. It’s white, fluffy head sometimes is mistaken as a funny-looking flower. Cotton grass actually is a sedge, a grass-like plant that prefers wet areas. It can be found on very wet bog and fen mats as well as the higher points of embankments. The plant grows in the northern part of the state.
Near the loop’s end, the Red Trail rejoins the nature route by coming in from the left/northeast. Continue heading southwest back to the parking lot.
No pets are allowed on the trail. Hiking is permitted only after the snowmelt in spring and during summer, as the trail is groomed for skiing in winter. The trail can be buggy, so be sure to bring insect repellent.
