Horicon Marsh SWA--International Education Center, Dodge County, WI, US - eBird Hotspot
Horicon Marsh SWA--Greenhead Impoundment, Dodge County, WI, US - eBird Hotspot
Horicon Marsh SWA--One Mile Island, Dodge County, WI, US - eBird Hotspot
Habitat: Open Water, Marsh, Restored Grassland and Southern Hardwood Forest and Southern Lowland Forest. Horicon Marsh is the largest freshwater cattail marsh in the United States and is recognized as a Wetland of International Importance by the Ramsar Convention of the United Nations. Horicon Marsh SWA encompasses the southern one-third of the 33,000 acre marsh.
Best Birds: Kingfisher, herons, egrets, waterfowl, rails and wetland songbirds. At peak migration there may be 100-200,000 waterfowl in the marsh. Breeding ducks include Gadwall, American Wigeon, Northern Shoveler, Green-winged and Blue-winged Teal, Redhead and Ruddy Duck. Fourmile Island was the largest heron, egret and cormorant nesting colony in Wisconsin used by as many as a thousand pair of birds in the past. Due to intensive nesting bird guano has stressed and killed many trees but the site is slowly recovering. American and Least Bittern, Forster’s and Black Tern, Common Gallinule, Willow Flycatcher, Marsh and Sedge Wren and Swamp and Savannah Sparrow are commonly nesting in the Horicon.
Directions: 59 miles northwest of Milwaukee. The Education Center is found on Hwy 28 three miles southwest of Mayville, (43.47516, -88.60138). Hiking trails lead from the Education Center through open marsh, ponds and forest habitat.
The best access to the marsh by boat is three miles west of Mayville where Greenhead Road ends along the East Branch of the Rock River, (43.50464, -88.59436). Follow the river into the marsh where lowland shrubs and forest grow along the banks in the upper stretch. This eventually opens to vast cattail marsh. Returning to the landing is quite easy due to the slow current. Alternatively, continue three miles downstream to the City of Horicon. This leads past the Fourmile Island rookery Where the east branch of the river meets the main ditch the channel is constantly shifting which results in a poorly defined course. Watch for the water tower in Horicon to get your bearing.
One Mile Island can be accessed from the west side of the City of Horicon at the end of Nebraska Street, (43.45514, -88.63936). A boat landing is located here and a short hiking trail follows One Mile Island through hardwood forest and marsh.
Address and additional information
N7725 Hwy 28, Horicon, WI
Horicon Marsh Wildlife Area | Wisconsin DNR
Bill Volkert
