Kangaroo Lake State Natural Area

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Kangaroo Lake lies in a basin ½ mile from the Lake Michigan coast and contains a mosaic of communities including a shallow, marl-bottom lake, northern upland forest, northern wet-mesic forest and marsh. While marl lakes are relatively common throughout Door County, undeveloped ones such as Kangaroo Lake are exceptionally rare. The lake's source is the spring-fed Piel Creek, which originates from a series of small springs in an unusual marl fen 5 miles upstream. Piel Creek and the surrounding wetlands provide critical habitat for the federally endangered Hine's emerald dragonfly (Somatochlora hineana). This is one of only two known reproducing populations in the country. Lowland forest of white cedar, black ash, tamarack, black spruce, and balsam fir surround the north end of the lake, which is ringed by floating sedge mats. Characteristic shrubs include speckled alder, willows, and meadowsweet. Canada yew, a declining Wisconsin species, is found along a peninsula of the north basin. Common herbs are three-leaved gold-thread, dewberry, naked miterwort, and American starflower. A dolomite plateau with numerous crevices and areas of exposed bedrock contains a forest dominated by sugar maple, beech, white birch, and red oak with a rich diversity of spring wildflowers. Numerous other rare and endangered species are present including the state and federally threatened dwarf lake iris (Iris lacustris), the dorcas copper butterfly (Lycaena dorcas), bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), osprey (Pandion haliatus), and Caspian tern (Sterna caspia). The marsh also provides important breeding and migratory habitat for black terns, sandhill cranes, and many species of waterfowl. A causeway built in the late 1800's separates Kangaroo Lake into two distinct parts - a highly developed southern portion and the northern end, which has almost completely escaped development due to the extensive wetlands. Kangaroo Lake is owned by The Nature Conservancy and the Door County Land Trust and was designated a State Natural Area in 2002.