Perkinstown Hemlock-Hardwood Forest

Site Description

This area covers the forestland in the central portion of the Medford district of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. The topography encompasses a terminal moraine with all the attendant glacial features: eskers, kettles, kames, ice-walled lake plains, and outwash terraces. The most important feature is the extensive tracts of old conifer forest, extensive conifer wetlands and mature northern hardwood forest that still remain. Much of the forest lies in the rugged moraine, but the vast Kidrick Swamp is flat. Other habitats include alder thicket, open bog, muskeg, old red pine forest, floodplain forest, and upland openings.

Ornithological Importance

This site hosts breeding populations of many neotropical migrants such as yellow-throated vireo, mourning warbler and Canada warbler. Especially high numbers of veery, wood thrush, black-throated blue warbler, northern parula, and Blackburnian warbler are found here.

Photo Credit: WDNR