Location: Waupaca County

Area protected: 82 acres

Protection strategy: conservation easement

Hiking up Bags Hill’s steep, wooded slopes one witnesses the exceptional panorama of southern Waupaca County and also of northern Waushara County. A local landmark, Bags Hill, is a prime example of Wisconsin’s glacial past which created the moraines, kettles, ridges, and the area’s undulating terrain with its sandy soil and beautiful vistas. It is striking that the conservancy contains much of the same forest components as the government surveyors described in 1851, with extensive stands of oaks still intact.

Bags Hill is a generally dry and wooded site with approximately 10 acres of restored prairie and 1.3 acres of mucky, poorly drained soils surrounding a small natural pond. The conservancy is being managed to improve wildlife habitat and diversity via tree planting around the hill and the creation of Karner Blue Butterfly habitat the restored prairie. This is another great example of families becoming excellent stewards of the land.