https://ebird.org/hotspot/L18130374
Habitats: Northern Hardwood Forest, Alder Swamp, Conifer Bog, Open Water
Best Birds: Iron County set aside a 1,700 acre portion of county forest as a no-cut area, called the Penokee Range Biological Reserve,. It is a part of the 12,000 acre area forming the Penokee Range Important Bird Area. The Penokee Range forest of sugar maple, yellow birch, and basswood is a core habitat for Black-throated Blue Warbler. Other forest interior species with high populations here include Least Flycatcher, Canada and Black-throated Green Warbler and Ovenbird. Northern Goshawk has been confirmed in this area. A small population of Golden-winged Warbler breeds in the alder thickets lining Alder Creek which flows parallel to and just south of the reserve. The black spruce, cedar and tamarack bogs harbor small numbers of Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Winter Wren, Nashville Warbler, Canada Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, White-throated Sparrow, and Lincoln’s Sparrow.
Directions: About 6.5 miles west of Hurley. The best access points to the Penokee Range Biological Reserve are from Hoyt Road in the east and from Weber Lake Road/County E in the west. Hoyt Road is off Hwy 77 between the small towns of Pence and Iron Belt. There is an ATV trail that starts on Hoyt Road (46.43904, -90.29873) 2,2 miles north of Hwy 77 just after Hoyt Road crosses Alder Creek. The trail extends west and in about 1 mile reaches the northeast end of the reserve. The next 6 miles of the ATV trail lies within the reserve until a half-mile of the County E trailhead.
The west end access point is near a parking lot at the Weber Lake County Park (46.40982, -90.39287). The ATV/snowmobile trail starts approximately 0.25 mile south of the parking lot (46.40768, -90.38802) on County E. The reserve boundary is about 0.5 miles from the trailhead. One can also access the PRBRA via the Uller Ski trail heading east into the hills from County E (46.41012, -90.39171), though the ski trail may be more rugged and difficult to follow than the ATV trail.
If hiking to the PRBRA is not an option, there are alternate places where roads proceed north from Hwy 77 transecting the Penokee Range IBA. These include Hwy 122 north of Whitecap Mountain (46.42877, -90.40361), Upson Lake Road (46.38970, -90.43585) and Casey Sag Road (46.41788, -90.47732).
Address and additional information:
Weber Lake County Park, County Trunk E and Weber Lake Road, Montreal WI, 46.40982, -90.39287
County E-ATV Trailhead, 46.40768, -90.38802
County E-Uller Trailhead, 46.41012, -90.39171
Hoyt Road ATV Trailhead, 46.43904, -90.29873
Weber Lake (ironcountyforest.org)
Ski Map: 5f435428b50f10c43fbc054c1b1be32d (wsimg.com)
Carl Schroeder
