Ferryville on the Wisconsin Great River Road

Operated by Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, this natural area is an example of a "goat prairie" and is an important habitat for numerous rare plants and animals. Access to the park is convenient from either Highway 35 (at the roadside) or from Rush Creek Road. Located only 3.5 miles from Ferryville. Access to the natural area is free.

Rare plants include purple milkweed (Asclepias purpurascens), hairy meadow-parsnip (Thaspium barbinode), broad beech fern (Phegopteris hexagonoptera), and Kentucky coffee tree (Gymnocladus dioica). Rare animals include wing snaggletooth (Gastrocopta procera), Kentucky (Oporornis formosus) and cerulean warblers (Dendroica cerulea), Acadian flycatcher (Empidonax virescens), red-shouldered hawk (Buteo lineatus), and the gorgonne checkerspot butterfly (Chlosyne gorgone). Rush Creek is owned by the DNR and was designated a State Natural Area in 1981.

Additional information available at the Wisconsin DNR website.

Rush Creek