State Natural Areas Program

State Natural Areas (SNAs) protect outstanding examples of Wisconsin's native landscape of natural communities, significant geological formations and archeological sites. Wisconsin's 609 State Natural Areas encompassing over 330,000 acres are valuable for research and educational use, the preservation of genetic and biological diversity, and for providing benchmarks for determining the impact of use on managed lands. They also provide some of the last refuges for rare plants and animals. In fact, more than 90% of the plants and 75% of the animals on Wisconsin's list of endangered and threatened species are protected on SNAs. Learn More...

Featured State Natural Area

Apostle Islands Maritime Forest, Ashland County

Apostle Islands Maritime Forests consists of portions of five islands within the 21-island Apostle Islands archipelago: Sand, Raspberry, Outer, Bear, and Devils. The cold waters of Lake Superior surrounding the islands greatly influence their vegetation. Except for Bear Island, deer are absent allowing hemlock and cedar to reproduce and Canada yew and other understory plants to thrive.

Visit the Apostle Islands Maritime Forest....

State Natural Area Guidebook:

Wisconsin, naturally features 150 of our finest State Natural Areas. This award-winning publication contains site descriptions, photos, and driving directions. Order yours today!

Our Partners

• Natural Resources Foundation (exit DNR)
• The Nature Conservancy (exit DNR)
• Gathering Waters (exit DNR)
• Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest (exit DNR)