Rare, centuries-old forest protected in Tenderfoot Reserve expansion

LAND O’ LAKES, Wis. — Less than 1% of Wisconsin’s original old-growth forest remains. These rare, centuries-old ecosystems — defined by towering canopy trees, large fallen logs, rich soils and complex layers of life—are among the most biodiverse and least disturbed habitats in the Midwest.

Now, an additional 500 acres of Northwoods forest are permanently protected and open to the public as part of an expansion of The Nature Conservancy’s Tenderfoot Forest Reserve. With the new acquisition, the reserve encompasses about 1,500 acres, strengthening one of the region’s most important habitat corridors between Michigan’s Ottawa National Forest to the north and the Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest to the south.

“Old-growth forests are more than just old trees; they’re entire systems that have developed over centuries,” said Matt Dallman, Northwoods director for The Nature Conservancy. “They provide critical habitat, store significant amounts of carbon and offer a window into what resilient forests look like over the long term.”

Old-growth forests in the Midwest typically exist only in scattered remnants, making intact, publicly accessible examples like this especially rare. Wisconsin forests were subject to intensive logging in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Securing these 500 acres ensures the protection of a unique habitat and preserves ecological knowledge that can inform forest management for generations.

The newly protected land, south of the Guido Rahr, Sr., section of the Tenderfoot Forest Reserve, was purchased from the Dunne family, who sought permanent protection for the property they had owned for decades. Transitioning the acreage into the Tenderfoot Forest Reserve both safeguards the forest and opens it for public use, including hiking, hunting, fishing and boating.

For local naturalist and author John Bates, who has led trips into Tenderfoot Forest Reserve for years, the significance of expanding protection of this old-growth forest is as personal as it is ecological.

“This is the closest we’ll get to an old-growth forest landscape in Wisconsin,” said Bates, who also is a trustee emeritus for The Nature Conservancy. “Some of these trees started growing before European settlement. They’re not fossils; they’re our living ancestors. When you walk beneath them, you’re walking through history.”

Reaching that ancient forest requires effort — a feature that helps preserve its quiet, cathedral-like character and limits the introduction of invasive species. Public access is available only by boat, beginning with a paddle from the Palmer Lake boat launch (8040 Palmer Lake Road, Land O’ Lakes, Wis.) and across its connecting waters to the Guido Rahr, Sr., area of the reserve. There are no public roads to the site, and signage is limited. While some trails may connect to the existing Tenderfoot Forest Reserve trails, they are not yet clearly marked, so hikers should be prepared for a rustic experience.

Once inside the Tenderfoot Forest Reserve, visitors may see yellow birch that can exceed 3 feet in diameter and reach ages of 300 to 400 years. The mix of ancient and younger trees creates ideal habitat for species such as the blackburnian warbler, which thrives in high canopies, and the northern parula warbler, which requires the shaded, moist conditions of older forests. The reserve also supports the state-endangered pine marten, a weasel-like mammal that depends on mature healthy, connected forest.

“Together with other protected lands, the reserve forms a continuous habitat corridor that allows wildlife to move across a large, connected forest region,” Dallman said. “By bringing these acres into permanent conservation, we’re helping ensure the forest — and the ecological knowledge it holds — endures.”

Bates said the expansion brings Wisconsin closer to something he once thought impossible.

“My dream has always been: Can we, in Wisconsin, ever have a landscape where you get up in the morning and walk all day, and at sunset still be in old-growth forest?” he said. “This gets us closer to that.”

For more information about the Tenderfoot Forest Reserve and other lands and waters protected by The Nature Conservancy, please visit nature.org/wisconsin.