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Barneveld Prairie
A Remnant of a Once-Widespread Habitat

Barneveld prairie

Barneveld Prairie
© Gerald H. Emmerich, Jr.

Why You Should Visit
This is a great place to see a remnant of the vast tallgrass prairies and savannas that once covered most of southern Wisconsin. Surrounded by an agricultural landscape, the hilltops and valleys at Barneveld Prairie provide habitat for colorful butterflies and uncommon birds that thrive in large, open, treeless landscapes.

Location
Southwest Wisconsin: near Barneveld in Iowa County - about 30 miles from Madison

Hours
Open year-round, dawn to dusk

Conditions
The primitive, unmarked trail traverses steep terrain.

How to Prepare for Your Visit
Good hiking shoes are an absolute must.

Note that hunting for white-tailed deer, wild turkey, and pheasant is allowed at Barneveld Prairie during the regular posted seasons, with no prior permission from the Conservancy required.  Dogs are allowed off-leash for pheasant hunting during pheasant season.  Dogs must be on-leash the rest of the year, especially during the breeding bird season.  Click here to go to the DNR's hunting season date website. 

Please see our Preserve Visitation Guidelines webpage for more information on visiting Conservancy preserves.

Directions to the 79 acre Thomas tract
From Madison:

  • Drive west on US Hwy 18/151 for about 28 miles.
  • Go through the village of Barneveld, and go 1 mile to County Highway T.
  • Go south (left) on T approximately 0.75 mile, then look for The Nature Conservancy sign.
  • Park along the eastern side of the road near the sign.
  • Check out the informational kiosk at the preserve's entrance.

Directions to the 892 acre Muehllehner Addition
From Barneveld:

  • Take Cty Hwy K south. 
  • Cross US Highway 18/151 and travel 1.5 miles to the junction of Cnty Hwy K and Langberry Rd.
  • Go west on Langberry 0.5 miles to the junction of Lee and Langberry.
  • Visitors should pull their vehicles off to the side of the road at the junction of Langberry and Lee Roads.  There is a small parking lot along Cty Hwy K that will be improved in the fall of 2004.
  • Walk north to the area of the preserve that is not in row crops or being grazed.  (Much of the preserve is currently being rented for row crops or pasture.)
  • There is a long mowed trail on the Muehllehner Addition.  The trail is not marked but is pretty easy to follow.

What to See: Plants
Several rare plants: woolly milkweed, Hill's thistle, prairie bush clover, Indian plantain

Others: prairie dropseed, shooting stars, violets

What to See: Birds & Butterflies
Uncommon birds that need large, open, treeless landscapes to thrive do well here. The upland sandpiper and bobolink are two examples.

Why the Conservancy Selected This Site
Once common throughout southern Wisconsin, prairies are very rare today. The Conservancy is working to conserve and restore some of the few remaining remnants.

In October 2002, the Conservancy bought an additional 892 acres at Barneveld Prairie from Dr. Richard and Margaret Botham.  Located in the Town of Brigham, the property contains a diverse mix of prairie remnants, prairie pastures*, CRP lands, oak savanna, alfalfa fields, wetlands, row crop fields, and wooded draws. It provides important habitat for grassland birds like meadowlarks, bobolinks, vesper and grasshopper sparrows, dickcissels, and upland sandpipers, whose populations are declining worldwide.  Loss of suitable habitat and the fragmentation of surviving grasslands are two of the major reasons for these declines. This parcel of land has been named the Muehllehner Addition to Barneveld Prairie in honor of Ursula and Gerd Muehllehner who made a generous donation to cover almost half of the acquisition cost.

Like much of the remaining prairie remnants, the absence of fire at Barneveld has allowed non-native plants and native shrubs to overtake native grasses and flowers. Conservancy volunteers are helping restore the prairie by:

  • removing buckthorn, honeysuckle, prickly ash, and other invading trees and shrubs;
  • mending and removing old fences; and
  • collecting the seeds of native wildflowers for use in future prairie plantings.

* Two of these pastures are still being actively grazed.  For your own safety please do not scale fences or open gates, and stay out of pastures that are currently being grazed.