Friends of Point Beach State Forest

06/16/2026

🌸Point Beach State Forest Species Spotlight🌸

Prairie Smoke (Geum triflorum)

A Wisconsin and North American native perennial
commonly called Prairie Smoke, for the appearance of the wispy seedheads. Other common names include Old Man’s Whiskers, Purple (or Red) Avens, Long-Plumed Avens, and Three-Flowered Avens.

It is widely distributed across southern Canada and the central and northern U.S. in temperate and sub-arctic grasslands, and is hardy in zones 3a-7b. This prairie and open woodland wildflower in the rose family (Rosaceae) can be locally abundant on upland prairie sites.

It is commonly found on shallow and gravelly sites as well as in silty and loamy soils. Unfortunately, it has become rather rare over much of its range, out-competed by naturalized invaders and eliminated by development. Native Americans used this plant for medicinal purposes.

The nodding pink flowers turn upright after pollination, then the styles elongate to form plumes.

05/22/2026

⚠️Storm damage alert⚠️

Staff have been busy cutting hazard trees. All trails at Point Beach State Forest are passable except the ice age trail. Please proceed with caution due to some remaining debris. Volunteers for trail clean up are appreciated.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

05/21/2026

Join us this weekend for musical story telling from Ryan Meisel. Free event!

05/06/2026

🦎Point Beach State Forest Species Spotlight 🦎

BLUE-SPOTTED SALAMANDER

Ambystoma laterale
Family: Ambystomatidae (Mole salamanders)
Status: Common
Size: 3 to 5 inches

Blue-spotted salamanders live all over Wisconsin except the far southwest corner of the state. They live in both hardwood and coniferous forests. They can survive in drier places than most Wisconsin salamanders. You can find them living in forests with sandy soils as long as there are woodland pools that can hold water into late summer.

During the winter, salamanders burrow into leaf litter or crawl down into holes. There they wait for warmer days. But sometimes they don't wait! As cold-blooded animals, their body temperatures rise and fall with the outdoor temperatures. If the outdoor temperature is below freezing, the body of the salamander should be too cold to move about. But these salamander are equipped with some type of natural antifreeze that allows them to be "supercooled." Not only are they alive at frigid temperatures; they can move around.

What they eat

Blue-spotted salamanders are nocturnal, coming above ground at night and on dark, rainy days to look for food. They are carnivores, eating invertebrates like earthworms, snails, slugs, spiders, and insects. The larvae are also carnivores. They eat aquatic invertebrates.

Did you know?

Blue spots might be little, but they are not defenseless. Their coloration helps them hide from predators. If a predator gets too close, the salamander raises its tail over its back. It can wiggle and curl its tail around. At the same time, it releases a bad-smelling, sticky substance from a gland near the base of its tail. If a predator attacks, it is most likely going to bite that wiggling tail. Since salamanders taste bad, the predator might spit the salamander out. Even if the tail should get bitten off, the salamander can regenerate it!

05/02/2026

🐍Point Beach State Forest Species Spotlight 🐍

RED-BELLIED SNAKE
Storeria occipitomaculata

Family: Colubridae (Non-venomous snakes)
Status: Common
Size: 8-10 inches

Habitats include boreal forests, sphagnum bogs, and northern and southern hardwood forests and adjacent fields. Red-bellied snakes eat slugs, earthworms and beetle larvae. This species is often seen in large numbers on warm sunny days in September or October basking on back roads and bicycle trails.

04/29/2026

🪷Point Beach State Forest Species Spotlight 🪷

Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)

This plant is a native Wisconsin spring ephemeral wildflower that blooms in early April to mid-May. Found in moist woodlands, it features a single white flower with a yellow center that opens in the sun and closes at night, wrapped by a distinctive, deeply lobed grayish-green leaf. It is known for its bright orange-red root

04/24/2026

🌲Point Beach State Forest Species Spotlight🌲

Woodchuck (Marmota monax)

Age: Live 2-4 years

Habitat: Fields, pastures, meadows, around homes and other buildings, woodland edges, and woodlands

Home: Den, often underneath a building or steps, up to 30 feet long and down to 5 feet deep. Often with large dirt piles outside, almost always has 1-2 additional escape entrances, which don’t’ have dirt piles

Food: Herbivore; green vegetation, leaf buds, grasses; especially like dandelions

Sounds: Sharp whistle-like alarm call

Breeding: Mar-Apr mating; 30 days gestation

Young: 3-7 offspring once per year in May or June; born naked with eyes closed, opens eyes and crawls at about 4 weeks, weaned at about 6 weeks, will disperse to own area at 8-10 weeks.



Notes: The woodchuck is a type of marmot and is the larges member of the squirrel family in Wisconsin. Solitary except for mating and when a mother raises her young. Feeds during the summer, adding body fat to sustain it through hibernation. Will lay curled up in a ball with its head between its front legs. A true hibernator, its body drops from 90 degrees F to 40 degrees F, breathing slows to only once every 6 minutes and heart rate decreases from 75 to 4 beats per minute. Has a large tunnel system that is often used by other mammals such as cottontails, raccoons, and opossums. Usually, will have separate summer and winter dens.

04/20/2026

03/19/2026

Park staff have been busy this week with clearing and maintaining the large amount of snow off roads, campground and day use areas. Due to the strong winds there were power outages, and trees down on the roads and trails. Staff have been working on clearing the trails- it could take weeks. With the warmer weather coming up and debris from the storm, the trails will not be groomed. You can ski, but be aware of downed trees and debris. Thank you for your understanding.

03/14/2026

⚠️ For public safety, the IAT and parking area on the west side of CTH-O in the Point Beach State Forest will be closed from March 4 - June 15 due to a timber harvest (all trails and parking areas west of CTH-O in the state forest will be closed).⚠️

To bypass this closed section when hiking eastbound, take CTH-O north and continue west around the bend, where the road becomes CTH-V. The 2.1-mi reroute replaces 2.0 miles of IAT.

Atlas: 96f , Guidebook: 361 , Databook: 97-98