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.

Directions: From Baileys Harbor, go south on State Highway 57 about 1 mile, then west on County Highway E 1 mile to a small parking area on the north side of the road. To access the western part of the natural area, go west on Highway E another 0.9 mile to the intersection of Logerquist Road, then continue north on E 0.25 mile. Park along the road. A trail leads east into the site. The wetlands are best viewed by canoe. Put in at the east end of the Highway E. See the TNC website for hunting opportunities: The Nature Conservancy

Toft Point contains several outstanding native plant communities concentrated on a 1-mile-wide peninsula along Door County's Lake Michigan coast. The natural area is bordered on the north by Moonlight Bay, and on the south by Baileys Harbor. There are more than two miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, with areas of wave-cut dolomite cliffs. Stretches of limestone cobble beach, mixed with marly soil, are exposed during periods of low lake levels. The vegetation of the eastern shoreline, influenced by the cooling effects of Lake Michigan, consists of a narrow strip of relict boreal forest dominated by balsam fir and white spruce. The majority of the peninsula is wooded with a mesic forest of sugar maple, yellow birch, hemlock, balsam fir, and scattered white pine. To the north, along Moonlight Bay, is an extensive calcareous sedge meadow that grades into shrub-carr and wet-mesic forest dominated by white cedar with occasional paper birch and black ash. Pockets of tamarack swamp and alder thicket are imbedded in the wetland. Extensive stands of hard-stemmed bulrush grow offshore in 1 to 4 feet of water offering cover and spawning sites for a variety of fish. The natural area provides habitat for more than 440 vascular plant species and one of the most diverse bryophyte (mosses and liverworts) floras in the state. Several orchid taxa and many rare plant species find refuge here. Toft Point, along with the adjacent Ridges Sanctuary, contains many area-sensitive bird species including seventeen species of nesting warblers. The site is named for Kersten Toft who received the land as compensation for his work at a limestone quarry nearby. Remaining on site is an historic kiln, which is the state’s best intact example of the early circular kilns that once dotted parts of the Niagara escarpment. Toft Point is owned by the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and the Wisconsin Chapter of The Nature Conservancy. The site is recognized by the National Park Service as a National Natural Landmark and was designated a State Natural Area in 1967.

Directions: From the intersection of State Highway 57 and Ridges Road on the north end of Baileys Harbor, go east on Ridges Road about 1.4 miles, then north on an access lane at fire number 8380 to a parking area. Or, continue southeast on Ridges Road 1.1 miles, then east on Point Drive 1.2 miles to its end. For available hunting opportunities, visit The Nature Conservancy's website: The Nature Conservancy