CREX MEADOWS
A part of Wisconsin's scenic Indianhead Country, the Crex Meadows Wildlife Area is located in beautiful Burnett County, just north of the Village of Grantsburg. At 30,000 acres Crex is the largest state owned wildlife area in
Wisconsin. This intensively managed property is home to 270 species of birds and 600 species of plants. A wide variety of mammals,
reptiles, amphibians, and insects also reside
here. Originally part of the Northern
Wisconsin Pine Barrens, it is now the state's
largest remaining portion of this globally
endangered ecosystem. The rare sedge marsh
and brush prairie habitats make the area a
utopia for wildlife which, in turn, makes Crex a paradise for bird watchers, naturalists, botanists, hunters, trappers, and all the other hearty explorers who are interested in the great bounty that nature offers.
Various Activities Available
WILDLIFE WATCHING
Crex Meadows is one of the premier wildlife viewing places in Wisconsin and most visitors come just for that reason! It is one of 76 sites included in the Wisconsin Wildlife Viewing Guide and is marked with special signs to lead visitors here.
The extensive road system, including eighteen miles of dike roads, offers excellent access and great vantage points for wildlife viewing. More than 270 species of birds plus many species of mammals, reptiles, and amphibians can be seen on the property.
HUNTING AND TRAPPING
All of Crex Meadows, except for the refuge (see map of Crex Meadows), Fish Lake, and Amsterdam Sloughs Wildlife Areas are open to the public for hunting and trapping. The seasons and bag limits can be found in the Wisconsin hunting and trapping regulations.
All of Crex is closed to Canada goose hunting. Crex is included in the Burnett County Goose Management subzone, all of which is closed to Canada goose hunting. A map of the subzone is found in the Wisconsin Waterfowl regulations.
Crex offers some of the best deer, bear, and waterfowl hunting in Wisconsin.
GUIDED TOURS AND TALKS
Guided tours of Crex are available to organized groups (e.g. schools, clubs, organizations) upon request. Visitors will learn about the history and management of this unique area. Plenty of time is allowed for viewing and discussing plants and wildlife. Tours generally last one to two hours.
HIKING AND CROSS COUNTY SKIING
For a more intimate experience with the property, you may enjoy exploring on foot. Foot travel is allowed anywhere but on the refuge (see Crex Meadows map). Remember to "tread lightly".
Two trails were developed specifically for hiking or cross country skiing. Hiking and skiing are located on the Hay Creek Hiking Trail and Upper Phantom Cross Country Skiing & Hiking Trail.
The Hay Creek trail begins directly behind the Visitor Center and is approximately 1.5 miles long and winds through a forested area to the Hay Creek Flowage. An observation platform is located on the south shore of the flowage. From this view you may see ducks, geese, herons, and osprey which sometimes nest on the osprey platform on the east end of the flowage.
The Upper Phantom Trail contains four loops totaling 3.7 miles. The loops are color coded and a map of the trail system is located at the parking lot on East Refuge Road.
SHARP-TAIL GROUSE BLINDS
Few people have witnessed the elaborate, timeless display of the sharp-tail grouse. It is one of those obscure wildlife performances that most people are not even aware of. There are very few places in Wisconsin where sharp-tails still exist and even fewer where you can observe their display. The display is difficult to describe and can only be fully appreciated when viewed in person. Visitors to Crex Meadows have the rare opportunity to experience this unique display each spring on the vast brush prairies of Crex.
WILDLIFE EDUCATION & VISITOR CENTER
Every trip to Crex Meadows should include a stop at the Crex Meadows Wildlife Education and Visitor Center first! Here you can pick up pamphlets, get answers to your questions, view the displays, and get current details on the best places to go and the variety
of things to see.
The Visitor Center is located at the junction of County
Rd "D" and County Road "F". You will find exhibits, bird
and mammal displays, and a herbarium containing a wide
variety of local vegetation specimens. Here you can pick up a variety of pamphlets to help you better enjoy your visit. Souvenirs are also available at the Bog Shoe Gift
Shop. Items including caps, shirts, mugs, books and
postcards can be purchased here. The Friends of Crex sell
these items to help fund the wildlife interpretive program.
The Center is staffed by volunteers on weekends from late March into early November from 10 am to 4 pm. During the week the Center is generally open from 8 am to 4:30 pm. Pamphlets are always available from the rack outside the Center.
GETTING AROUND CREX
One of the reasons Crex is popular is because of the excellent access it provides visitors. More than forty miles of township roads wind through the interior of the property. A few roads are just sand, but most are gravel or paved. The gravel and paved roads are well maintained and suitable for all passenger vehicles. The sandy roads may be impassable for short periods in spring and during wet weather.
There are also several miles of trails open to licensed vehicles. These trails are marked by routed signs. Most are two-rut, sand trails which end at parking lots. Use caution on trails, they are narrow and may be muddy and rutted.
The self-guided auto tour route is a nice way to go if you are new to Crex. A pamphlet is available at the Visitor Center or on our website - Here is the link. It brings you through a wide variety of habitat past most of the must-see spots in the Wildlife Area.
PRAIRIE FLOWERS
The spring display of prairie flowers can be spectacular. Entire hillsides may be covered with brightly colored bird's-foot violet, lupine, and prairie phlox. Summer promises landscapes dominated by prairie larkspur, rough blazing star, new jersey tea, leadplant, prairie clovers, and milkweeds. Wet meadows are commonly filled with boneset, water hemlocks and bidens in the late summer. The asters are spectacular in the fall. The colors change continuously throughout the summer and fall as one species fades and another blooms.
WHERE TO FIND PRAIRIE FLOWERS
Prairie flowers are found throughout the seven thousand acres of restored brush-prairie habitat on Crex. Most of the brush-prairie is located on the northern half of the property. The area in and around the refuge is almost all brush-prairie and an excellent area to view prairie flowers.
REST AREAS
Picnicking - The rest area on North Refuge Road is a great place to have lunch or just stop for a break. It occupies a hillside overlooking Riesinger Lake and the vast Crex Refuge. Geese, sandhill cranes and deer are often seen from this vantage point. Picnic tables, benches, fire grates, grills, drinking water and pit toilets are available for you use.
Camping - Camping is permitted at the rest area from September through December. This is the only place on Crex where camping is permitted. Tents may be placed on the lawn and camping vehicles may be parked in the corners of the parking lots. Camping is free but campers must register at the Visitor Center or at the self registration station.
SPRING BIRDING FESTIVAL
One of the biggest attractions at Crex Meadows is the excellent birding opportunities. Over 270 species of birds have been identified within the properties, and spring and fall migrations are spectacular. In honor of the birds, we host a birding festival each May which includes several bus tours, walking tours and an "early-bird special" tour. More information can be found on our events page.
ANNUAL FALL WILDLIFE FESTIVAL
The Crex Meadows Fall Wildlife Festival is held each fall in early October. This event attracts several hundred people each year and coincides with the peak migration of eagles, geese, ducks, and sandhill cranes. It is designed to acquaint the general public with the wildlife and wildlife management activities of the area.
FRIENDS OF CREX, INC.
102 East Crex Avenue | Grantsburg, WI 54840
(715) 463-2739
