The 144.5-acre Thunder Lake Wildlife Conservation Area in the town of Three Lakes was the first of our nature preserves.  The land was gifted in 2006 by a donor who wishes to remain anonymous.  The property includes about one-half mile of undeveloped natural shoreline on Thunder Lake. 

The land is adjacent to the south boundary of the Wisconsin DNR’s Thunder Marsh Wildlife Area, and provides a significant buffer between the large wildlife area and the commercial cranberry operation and Three Lakes community.  The habitat is relatively undisturbed tamarack and black spruce swamp.  There is very little high ground (approx. one-acre island).   

The donor's intent was to leave the property as a nature preserve for wildlife with minimal human disturbance.  The property has no existing development, logging roads or trails on it.  The property is open to the public, including for hunting as it is adjacent to a public hunting area.  There is no direct land access from a public road, so visitors must access the site by walking in through the state lands.  Click here for a (186K) digital orthophoto map of the Thunder Lake Wildlife Conservation Area:   

This 32-acre site next to the City of Rhinelander was transferred in 2007 to the Northwoods Land Trust by The Nature Conservancy.  The land is recognized for its old-growth hemlock and pine forest characteristics, and has been dedicated as a State Natural Area by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.  The property includes about one-third of a mile of undeveloped natural shoreline on the Pelican River. 

The property is open to the public for hiking and nature observation.  There is a nature trail with shorter and longer loops of about one-quarter and one-half mile respectively.  Click here for a pdf (821K) map of the Holmboe Conifer Forest.

This 5.62-acre site south of Hwy. 8 near the City of Rhinelander was gifted in 2009 to the Northwoods Land Trust thanks to the generosity of Patrick Dugan and Sue Hausserman-Dugan.  The property includes several acres of undeveloped woodlands and a very unique, long, narrow esker peninsula extending out into Squash Lake.  All together, the property includes about 4,088 feet of natural shoreline on Squash Lake. 

Managed as a nature preserve, the property is open to the public for hiking, snowshoeing, and nature observation.  Canoes and kayaks may be carried in for those wishing to explore the shallow bay.   Click here for an aerial photo map image of the Dugan Squash Lake Nature Preserve.