The Lautenbach Woods Nature Preserve

Photo by Julie Schartner.

The Door County Land Trust is celebrating 25 years of preserving Door County’s finest open spaces and wild places. Over the course of the summer and fall, this column will feature one of the special places the Land Trust is working to protect.

The Lautenbach Woods Preserve is situated on and below the Niagara Escarpment a few miles south of the Village of Egg Harbor. A 1.25-mile trail loops through a dense hardwoods and hemlock forest and down the slope of the Niagara Escarpment. Hikers will see first hand the vertical and horizontal fractures in the dolomite rock that underlie much of Door County. In the spring when the ground thaws, standing water from higher elevations pours out the base of the escarpment “as if someone’s pulled the plug on a drain” into the Lautenbach Woods Preserve. A vernal pond on the far western portion of the preserve provides habitat in spring and early summer for migrating waterfowl, salamanders and spring “peepers.”

The Door County Land Trust is challenging people to visit all of the places featured in this column. People are encouraged to email [email protected] when they accomplish this feat and to have their name entered into a drawing to win a copy of the Land Trust’s Guide to the Places We Protect due to be published this fall. For more information on the Land Trust and to download preserve trail maps, visit http://www.doorcountylandtrust.org.

Just the Facts: Lautenbach Woods Nature Preserve

Trout Lily. Photo by Julie Schartner.

Acres protected: 150

Miles of trails: 1.25, easy-to-moderately difficult

Amenities: picnic table and kiosk at trail head; no restroom facilities

Directions: From Egg Harbor, take Highway 42 south about 4 miles to County Highway G. Turn right (north) on G and travel about one mile. A parking area is located on the west side of the road directly across from Woodwalk Gallery.

Highlights: The Lautenbach Woods Preserve is beautiful year-round. Come in spring and early summer to view a carpet of wildflowers. Beat the summer heat in the shaded sanctuary of hardwoods. In fall, the colors are stunning and vibrant fall mushrooms are abundant. The preserve is also an ideal place for a quiet cross-country ski or snowshoe in winter.

Partnering organizations: The Nature Conservancy, Fox River/Green Bay Natural Resource Trustee Council, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Knowles Nelson State Stewardship Fund, Wisconsin Land Fund and many generous individuals.