Eagle Oak Opening State Natural Area

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Eagle Oak Opening was the first oak opening found in a statewide search and contains an example of kettle hole moraine topography and large numbers of open-grown white and bur oaks. Most of the former oak opening has reverted to dry-mesic forest but there are areas where some of these prairie species can still be found. Species include big and little blue-stem, Indian grass, side-oats grama, prairie drop-seed, blue-eyed grass, prairie buttercup, alum-root, prairie smoke, New Jersey tea, bird's-foot and prairie violets, shooting-star, pale-spiked lobelia, white camas, goldenrods, and asters. There is also a showy display of pasque flowers in the spring. The area has many glacial formations including kettle holes with ephemeral ponds that are important habitat for amphibians. Eagle Oak Opening is owned by the DNR and was designated a State Natural Area in 1968.