The shrub layer is dominated by serviceberry, dewberry, blueberry, sweetfern, hazel, honeysuckle, and sand cherry, and the groundlayer has an abundance of bracken fern, large-leaved aster, Canada mayflower, wintergreen, and pearly everlasting. Breeding bird surveys have shown a gradual change from open barrens species through successional forest species to the closed-forest preference species now present. Group Use, Research Use, Hunting, Individual Nature Study. Land Control - U.S.D.A. Forest Service. Park Falls, WI 54552.
Fire suppression is the only management in the area.
The original timber was cut in the early 1900's. The Forest Service set aside this mile-square area in the early 1930's to determine what would naturally take place if afforded fire protection only. The site was designated a state natural area in July 1970 and a Research Natural Area by the Forest Service in 1975. Photographic points are established. Plant lists, breeding bird surveys, and research reports are on file.