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| Black oak trees can be found on the Central Sands Nature Trail at Wisconsin's Buckhorn State Park. |
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| Central Sands Nature Trail map. Click for larger version. |
The 1.4-mile loop sits on a peninsula in the Castle Rock Flowage at Buckhorn State Park. Wisconsin’s second largest state park, many of the campsites here are hike-in, adding a level of primitiveness to the area.
To reach the trailhead, from Adams-Friendship take Wis. Hwy. 13 north. Turn left/west onto Wis. Hwy. 21. In Necedah, go left/south onto Wis. Hwy. 80 then straight/south on Wis. Hwy. 54. Next, turn left/east onto County Hwy. G. Once in the park, go right/south onto Buckhorn Park Avenue. At 36th Street, turn left/west. Just before the street curves north is an access road heading left/south to backpack campsites. The access road dead ends at the South Parking Lot. Walk back to the parking lot entry. A stem trail next to the park amphitheater heads right/east to the loop.
A wooden bridge crosses a forested wetlands. Once the connector reaches the loop, go left/north. The trail is sandy, thanks to sediment laid down some 14,000 years when advancing glaciers blocked the Wisconsin River’s flow, creating Glacial Lake Wisconsin. Today, the sandy soil of the Wisconsin’s Central Sands region – which matches the shape of the glacial lake – largely sports an oak/pine barrens.
Black oak
A variety of trees can be spotted along the way. Most are jack pines, but there are a few small birch groves in the wetter areas. Among the highlights is the black oak.
In Wisconsin, the black oak largely is limited to the southern part of the state, though it can be found in small numbers in a couple of northern counties. A large tree, it usually reaches 2-3 feet in diameter and can grow up to 80 feet tall. Its dark, almost black, bark is thick and deeply furrowed.
Usually black oak in Wisconsin is found on only ridge tops or the lower two-thirds of south- and west-facing slopes. It sometimes hybridize with red oak, making identification of it difficult.
About 0.7 miles from the trailhead, you’ll reach the first intersection with the looping Turkey Hollow Trail. This segment of the Turkey Hollow connects to the Partridge Trail farther east. To remain on the Central Sands Nature Trail, continue straight/southwest.
Wildlife is abundant at Buckhorn State Park, and there’s a good chance that you’ll see some of it on the nature trail. Canada geese, ducks, herons and sandhill cranes often can be heard overhead while owls search the forest floor for insects, mice and snakes. Mink, muskrats and otters – or at least signs of them – can be spotted in the wetland areas. Inland, white-tail deer, turkeys, coyotes and even black bear hang out.
Castle Rock Lake
The trail reaches its second intersection with Turkey Hollow Trail at 1.1 miles. Go left/northwest. You’ll be greeted by a view of Castle Rock Lake.
The man-made lake was created in 1947 when the hydroelectric Castle Rock Dam was built a few miles south of what is now the park. Holding back the Wisconsin and Yellow rivers, the 16,000-acre flowage never is deeper than 30 feet.
The trail then curves inland back to the woods with a wetlands on the left before reaching the stem trail that returns to the parking lot.
Most of the trail is shade, so sunscreen is unneeded. Insect repellent is, however, especially near the wetlands during summer; fortunately, the bugs are tolerable in the drier barrens.
