Ottawa National Forest's Wildflower Viewing Areas

By jan schultz on Jul 7, 2012

Where to find rare native plants and flowers on the Ottawa.

Wildflower Viewing Areas are sites of high botanic interest selected by botanists for the native plants and flowers found within them. Five of these areas can be found on the Ottawa National Forest. Consider visiting these sites during your next trip to the forest. Don't forget your camera!

Bergland Cultural & Heritage Center's Native Plant and Pollinator Garden (Bergland District): This approximately 450 square-foot native plant and pollinator-viewing site is a work in progress. The garden was established during summer 2008, with over 35 species of local native shrubs, ferns, forbs, and grasses planted from seed, as plugs or as larger transplanted stock. More on this Wildflower Viewing Area…

Black River Harbor Area (Bessemer District): About 15 miles north of Bessemer, Michigan, the Black River flows through eastern hemlock and northern hardwood forests in a series of scenic waterfalls as it drops to enter Lake Superior. Several short hiking trails lead to the waterfalls from trailheads along the Black River National Scenic Byway (County Road 513). These trails provide opportunities to view a lovely display of spring ephemerals and other wildflowers as well as the waterfalls and their conglomerate and sandstone rock formations. The area includes the harbor, Great Lakes beach, a picnic and day use area, a campground, and trails into five distinct waterfall-viewing areas. More about this Wildflower Viewing Area…

Imp Lake Trail (Watersmeet District): The hardwood-hemlock forests surrounding the trail provide a variety of wildflowers to view starting in mid-May each year. Examples are baneberry, wood sorrel, bluebead, wild sarsaparilla, Canada mayflower, hairy Solomon's seal, feathery false lily of the valley, nodding trillium, threeleaf goldthread, jewelweed, bunchberry dogwood, starflower, enchanter's nightshade, jack in the pulpit, Clayton's sweetroot, and bigleaf aster. More on this Wildflower Viewing Area…

Ottawa Visitor Center's Native Plant and Pollinator Upland and Wetland Gardens (Watersmeet District): On the grounds of the Forest Visitor Center in Watersmeet, Michigan, are two native plant gardens. One is a small upland garden, which may be reached by a short path from the Visitor Center, or may be viewed from inside the center. This garden was established as a National Public Lands Day project in September 1999. The approximately 100 square-foot garden features sun-loving and mesic soil-associated species. The second garden is a work in progress, planted in 2010 as part of construction of new administrative offices across an access road from the Visitor Center. More on this Wildflower Viewing Area…

Wolf Mountain Hiking Trail (Bessemer District): The Wolf Mountain Hiking Trail provides access to a diverse display of spring wildflowers and rock outcrop plants. The trail is short but quite steep. It starts at the end of Forest Road 9300, and heads upward through tall sugar maple and oak trees. On either side of the trail may be seen flowers including yellow violets, downy Solomon's-seal, false Solomon's-seal, bloodroot, Canada mayflower, wild sarsaparilla, blue cohosh, baneberry, wild leek, zigzag goldenrod, jack-in-the-pulpit, wood nettle (beware its stinging hairs!), bottlebrush grass, large leaf aster and trout lily, as well as the delicate maidenhair fern. More on this Wildflower Viewing Area…

Contact person: Sue Trull strull@fs.fed.us or (906) 932-1330 x312.