Borah Creek Prairie
This site consists of 10 acres of high quality remnant dry and dry-mesic prairie, 17 acres of former cropland planted to prairie vegetation and five acres of overgrown oak savanna. It has an outstanding assemblage of plants including several rare and uncommon species. This preserve is highly walkable and provides great educational value.
Borah Creek Prairie in summer. Photo by Martha Querin-Schultz.
Borah Creek Prairie
Borah Creek Prairie in summer. Photo by Martha Querin-Schultz.
This site consists of 10 acres of high quality remnant dry and dry-mesic prairie, 17 acres of former cropland planted to prairie vegetation and five acres of overgrown oak savanna. It has an outstanding assemblage of plants including several rare and uncommon species. This preserve is highly walkable and provides great educational value.
Access & Directions
From the west side of Fennimore, head south on Rodger Hollow Road for 2.7 miles. Turn right onto Townline Road. Go west for 0.8 miles. Turn left (south) on Mt Ridge Road. Go 1/3 mile to the access road and parking lot to Borah Creek Prairie on the right, at 11949 Mt Ridge Road.
Site Steward
Connect with the site steward to see how you can care for this rare habitat at an upcoming work party.
This site is stewarded by The Prairie Enthusiasts Southwest Wisconsin Chapter.
Site Steward: Steve Querin-Schultz (Email)
How to Enjoy This Site
Allowed:
- Outdoor Recreation
- Hunting (for all species, no permit or reservation required)
- Trapping (for all species, no permit or reservation required)
Not Allowed:
- Collecting Plants, Seeds, Rocks or Animals without permission from The Prairie Enthusiasts
How to Enjoy This Site
Allowed:
- Outdoor Recreation
- Hunting (for all species, no permit or reservation required)
- Trapping (for all species, no permit or reservation required)
Not Allowed:
- Collecting Plants, Seeds, Rocks or Animals without permission from The Prairie Enthusiasts
Summer wildflower walk at Borah Creek Prairie. Photo by Donna Williams-Richter.
What Makes Borah Creek Prairie Special
The preserve consist of 10 acres of high quality remnant dry and dry-mesic prairie, 17 acres of former cropland planted to prairie vegetation, and five acres of overgrown oak savanna. Most of the rest of the preserve is former pasture with varying amounts of native prairie vegetation that survived the grazing, including a large population of the Federally Endangered prairie bush-clover. Surveys of this property have found such rare prairie specialist as woolly milkweed, prairie Indian-plantain, Hill’s thistle, wild quinine, and prairie turnip. Rare and declining grassland birds detected using the area include upland sandpiper, eastern kingbird, brown thrasher, dickcissel, eastern meadowlark, grasshopper sparrow, and bell’s vireo.
The entrance of Borah Creek Prairie. Photo by Marcia Chambers.
How was Borah Creek Prairie Protected
In 2009, The Prairie Enthusiasts, Mississippi Valley Conservancy, and Driftless Area Land Conservancy, with funding from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the WI DNR Knowles-Nelson State Stewardship Fund, procured 138 acres of this site near Fennimore, WI. It was immediately designated a WI State Natural Area. In 2010, title was transferred to The Prairie Enthusiasts. It has since been managed and cared for by the Southwest Wisconsin Chapter of The Prairie Enthusiasts. In 2013, another 43 acres were added to the preserve for a total 181.
Members gather for their annual picnic at the Borah Creek Barn. Photo by Rob Baller.
How You Can Help Borah Creek Prairie
The Southwest Wisconsin Chapter holds field trips and work parties at this site.
Check out our Events Calendar to see upcoming work parties or contact the site steward to get involved.
Prescribed fire at Borah Creek Prairie. Photo by Steve Querin-Schultz.