GPS 92.9063 W 45.0039 N

This location is on the Inner Loop in the Oak / Maple forest area of Sunfish Lake Park, east of the central un-named pond. The trail to the West takes you along the southern shore of the pond to Sign 17, watch for waterfowl such as ducks in the pond. The trail to the North takes you along the northeastern side of the pond (watch for the wood duck house) to Sign 18. The trail eastward takes you to Sign 21 and then back to the parking lot via Signs 14 and 13.

Sign #20 All Around the Pond

In 2015, a Forest Management Plan was completed by Steven J. Kunde as an addendum to a 2011 Natural Resource Plan for Sunfish Lake Park. According to the 2015 plan report, the forest cover type surrounding the majority of the park is mixed oak. You may wonder if this is the case, why are there so many aspen trees surrounding the pond? In his report, Kunde noted that these small pockets of aspen and birch on the lower ground exist because of fluctuating water levels. During drought times, soil is exposed around the edges of wetlands and ponds. Young aspen seedlings prefer open areas with lots of light so they take advantage of the open spaces around these bodies of water. When the water levels rise again, the trees can die. There are other pockets of aspen and birch in the park, and Kunde noted that due to the history of the park, they most probably developed in more open areas that had been grazed in the past. Both trembling and bigtooth aspen exist in the park. Here is a link to both plan reports: