Caroline Lake Preserve

Caroline Lake Preserve is a 1,078-acre park located on Caroline Lake Road in Mellen, Wisconsin, United States. This preserve offers visitors a serene and beautiful experience in the wild, undeveloped lakes of Wisconsin's Northwoods. The lake itself contributes to the high water quality of the Bad River, as well as the Kakagon/Bad River Sloughs.

Visitors to Caroline Lake Preserve can enjoy a flat walking trail that leads to Twin Lakes, as well as opportunities for canoeing, cross-country skiing, hunting, and fishing. The preserve is enrolled in the Managed Forest Law, with a focus on sustainable forest management to protect natural processes, water quality, and biodiversity.

The Nature Conservancy purchased a majority of the shoreline around Caroline Lake and Twin Lakes to protect the area from development. The surrounding forests are home to a variety of tree species, while the wetlands provide important nesting and migratory habitat for birds.

Dogs are allowed on the preserve but must be kept on a leash from April 1 to August 1 to protect ground-nesting birds. The preserve also offers hunting opportunities for deer, turkey, pheasant, and other game species.

Caroline Lake Preserve is part of a long-term study of freshwater resources in the Penokee Range, with a focus on developing lake-specific management plans to protect and restore the lakes in the area. The preserve is committed to adapting forest management practices to ensure the health and productivity of the Great Lakes forests in the face of changing climate conditions.

Overall, Caroline Lake Preserve offers a unique opportunity to experience the natural beauty and tranquility of Wisconsin's Northwoods, while also contributing to the conservation and preservation of the area's natural resources.