Getting there
Sanders Park & Campground is at 4809 Wood Road in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin. Use the county park information and map to plan your arrival.
Places to Explore · Wisconsin
Spring flowers, fern-filled woods, and quiet trails through a southern Wisconsin hardwood forest.
Sanders Park Hardwoods is a 33-acre State Natural Area within the larger, 80-acre Sanders Park & Campground. The county-owned natural area was designated in 1967. Its gently raised ground and shallow swale support different woodland communities, with basswood, oaks, and black walnut among the trees.
These photographs explore the woods from the forest floor upward: bloodroot and trout lilies in flower, unfolding ferns, leafy trails, and birds in the branches. The same paths look very different as the canopy fills in.
From bare branches to a green forest floor, these views follow the changing character of the woods.
White flowers stand out against last year's leaves. Close views reveal the blossoms, while wider photographs show the colonies spreading across the forest floor.
Purple cress, hepatica, trilliums, and other woodland plants add variety to the spring photographs. These are plants photographed here, rather than a complete inventory of the natural area.
Look above the flowers, too. The photographs include a wood duck perched in a tree, a hermit thrush, and other birds among the branches.
Not every flower in a woodland is native. These photographs also document introduced plants, including Siberian squill, periwinkle, and European lily-of-the-valley. Their presence is part of the story of this forest floor.
Plan a visit
Sanders Park & Campground is at 4809 Wood Road in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin. Use the county park information and map to plan your arrival.
Several trails cross the natural area, and a park road encircles it. Take time to notice both the mature trees and the smaller plants beside the trail.
Stay on established paths, leave flowers and fallen wood in place, and photograph plants without trampling nearby growth. Bring footwear suited to muddy woodland trails.
The surrounding county park includes picnic areas and a campground. Check the county's current information for access, facilities, and camping arrangements.
Sources and visitor information: Wisconsin DNR — Sanders Park Hardwoods · Racine County — Sanders Park & Campground · County park map.
Photographs by Brian Woolman / Where’s Wildlife.