Lake Laura Hardwoods State Natural Area

Situated on rolling to broken pitted outwash terrain between Lake Laura and Salsich Lake, Lake Laura Hardwoods features an extensive northern mesic forest that includes old-growth stands as well as mature stands that possess or are developing old-growth attributes. Some stands are over 250 years old. Canopy dominance varies from almost pure hemlock with white pine to pure hardwoods including sugar maple, yellow birch, and basswood. Reproduction is primarily sugar maple but balsam fir is an important sapling locally. Hemlock and yellow birch are reproducing well near Salsich Lake. The understory includes Canada mayflower, lycopods, intermediate wood fern, rough-leaved rice grass, and twisted stalk. Where sugar maple is dominant associates include yellow birch, red oak, white ash, basswood with occasional large white pine and hemlock. Common groundlayer species include Pennsylvania sedge, wood anemone, hepatica, American starflower, sessile-leaved bellwort, and false Solomon's seal. Shrubs present are leatherwood, beaked hazelnut, and American fly honeysuckle. Salsich Lake is a 48-acre soft-water seepage lake, which is ringed with a mature forest. Along the southeast shore is an old-growth hemlock-hardwood stand with a long history of research use by Purdue University and University of Wisconsin ecologist, John Curtis. The lake bottom is mostly sand with some gravel, boulders, and silt and supports a rare dragonfly that has only been found in Vilas County. The clear-water lake contains freshwater sponges, indicating high water quality. Animal life is diverse with bald eagle, broad-winged hawk, common loon, pileated woodpecker, evening grosbeak, blackburnian warbler, ovenbird, northern parula, and bobcat. Of note is the presence of lungwort, a lichen that is an indicator of undisturbed ecosystems. Lake Laura Hardwoods is owned by the DNR and was designated a State Natural Area in 2007.