In the Great Lakes region, spring is a treat for the senses. As the natural world wakes up, birds begin to nest, trees and shrubs begin to bud, and my personal favorite – native spring wildflowers begin to emerge. Also known as spring ephemerals, these beautiful native plants appear in early spring before the leaf canopy has filled out. They are here for us to enjoy only for a few short weeks before they fade away and make room for summer plants and vegetation. Lulu Lake State Natural Area in Wisconsin’s Kettle Moraine State Forest is a top destination for spring ephemerals in southern Wisconsin.
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Lulu Lake State Natural Area Topography
Lulu Lake State Natural Area, Wisconsin
Designated a State Natural Area in 1977, Lulu Lake SNA is located within the Mukwonago River Watershed in the southern unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest. Located in southern Wisconsin, Lulu Lake State Natural Area and Preserve straddles Walworth and Waukesha Counties. The property is jointly owned by The Nature Conservancy and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The state natural area is home to 632 acres of oak openings, wetlands, and numerous conservative species of birds, butterflies, and plants.
Lulu Lake Views
Lulu Lake
Lulu Lake itself is a 40-foot deep, 95-acre glacial lake fed by the Mukwonago River. Today, Lulu Lake is slow, no-wake lake open for recreation. The shoreline of the lake provides habitat for numerous high-quality, conservative native plants not found elsewhere in Wisconsin.
Read more about these conservative plants and paddling Lulu Lake in my recent article: Paddle Wisconsin’s Beautiful Lulu Lake | Discover Hidden Native Treasures.
Hiking Lulu Lake State Natural Area
Lulu Lake Preserve: N9564 Nature Road, Eagle, WI
To access the trailhead for Lulu Lake Preserve from Troy Center: Take Nature Rd. north for 1.5 miles. The Lulu Lake Preserve parking area will be on your right. Parking is limited to about 6 spots at the trailhead on Nature Road. At the entrance to the trail you’ll notice signage describing the species you may find along the trail. A boot brush is available at the trailhead to clean your boots of unwanted invasive species. Combined trails are just under 2 miles, and there is much to see.
Check out the preserve map from The Nature Conservancy: Lulu Lake Preserve Map – The Nature Conservancy
Spring Ephemerals
A top feature of Lulu Lake is the presence of spring ephemerals and native ferns. Wisconsin’s native spring wildflowers are known as ephemerals due to their short-lived nature. Native ephemerals include Bloodroot, Hepatica, Rue and Wood Anemone, Wild Geranium, Spring Beauty, Bellwort, Birdfoot Violet, Baneberry, and Virginia Bluebells. These forest treasures appear throughout Wisconsin and the Upper Great Lakes region between March and May each spring, emerging from leaf litter, at the base of trees, and in clusters throughout the forest floor.
My favorite part of spring is hiking through the woodlands and prairies of Kettle Moraine State Forest in southern Wisconsin in search of these tiny fleeting plants. Native Hepatica is among the earliest and most vibrant of the spring ephemerals, ranging in color from deep purple to a milky white. These tiny flowers can be spotted at the base of trees and along northern slopes of trails and river banks.
Native Oaks and Shagbark Hickory
During the spring season, you’ll find oaks beginning to bud. Oaks are characterized by catkins, the small, fuzzy, yellow-green tassel-like flowers that appear on oaks as they bud. Additionally, you’ll find shagbark hickory trees with budding flowers. These flowers are characteristic of large tulips – they’re beautiful, and large!
Turtlehead and the Baltimore Checkerspot
If you’re lucky, you’ll observe the caterpillar for the Baltimore Checkerspot butterfly on the native Turtlehead plant. Turtlehead, a native plant with white flowers in the shape of a turtle’s head serves as the host plant for the endangered Baltimore Checkerspot butterfly. Turtlehead once grew abundantly on prairie edges and sedge meadows throughout the Midwest, but is far less common today. As a result, Baltimore Checkerspot populations have declined.
Checkerspot caterpillars overwinter in webs on the host plant, and can be found on the ground in leaf litter. Lulu Lake provides a healthy home to this unique and declining butterfly. If you see these webs, please do not disturb them!
Ferns of Lulu Lake State Natural Area
Several notable native ferns can be found throughout Lulu Lake SNA. Among my favorite ferns found in the sedge meadow and woodland areas are the wood fern and sensitive fern pictured below. If you’re lucky, you may find maidenhair fern and lady fern as well.
Kettle Moraine State Forest – Winter and Spring Hiking
Lulu Lake State Natural Area is part of the larger Kettle Moraine State Forest. Wisconsin’s Kettle Moraine Forest is comprised of five main units, encompassing over 56,000 acres in southeastern Wisconsin showcasing fascinating geology and remnant glacial landforms that tell the story of Wisconsin’s unique glacial past. The spring season is a beautiful time to enjoy this unique post-glacial landscape and native treasures. Read more about similar hikes in the Kettle Moraine in my recent article: Kettle Moraine State Forest | 3 Top Spring Hikes.
Another beautiful Wisconsin spring hike in the Loew Lake Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest is the Monches Segment of the Ice Age Trail in the Kettle Moraine State Forest. Read more in my recent article: Explore Wisconsin’s Beautiful Spring Treasures | Ice Age Trail | Monches Segment
Get out there and enjoy the spring weather, and nature’s gifts!
-Erin
