Door County Land Trust
Ephraim Preserve at Anderson Pond
In the heart of a busy village, the Ephraim Preserve at Anderson Pond is a quiet refuge of wetlands, fields, forest and escarpment. The history of this preserve is intimately connected with that of Ephraim.
In 1853, Rev. Andreas Iverson, a Norwegian missionary, arrived at Eagle Harbor with his small congregation. Struck by the beauty of the densely forested wilderness, Iverson and his congregation established a tiny village named Ephraim. Despite sickness, crop failure, isolation and bitterly cold winters, the villagers persevered. Others joined them, including a hard-working Norwegian named Aslag Anderson.
In 1858, Iverson and Anderson entered into an agreement that Anderson would build a deep-water pier for the village. In exchange, Iverson sold him 110 acres of land at its original cost—$1.15 per acre.
Anderson completed the pier the next year as well as a house, barn, and general store. He then cleared land around a pond for farming. That pond and its surroundings are now the Ephraim Preserve at Anderson Pond. What was once a farm now provides shelter for migrating and nesting birds. Wildflowers bloom in the spring, and magnificent trees stand on portions of the land that were never cleared. A craggy section of the Niagara Escarpment cuts across the eastern edge. As a nature preserve, this historic land retains its connection with the Anderson family name and will forever remain a place of beauty and solitude.
Help us continue to protect Door County’s special places. Door County Land Trust nature preserves were established to protect fragile ecological resources and provide habitat for plants and wildlife. You can help maintain the health of the forest, meadows, and wetlands by respecting the nature preserves in the following ways:
Stay on the trails. Hiking off-trail disturbs vegetation and wildlife, and increases your chances of encountering poison-ivy, other natural hazards, or trespassing outside of preserve boundaries.
Clean your boots or shoes. You can reduce the spread of invasive plants by brushing your boots or shoes where a boot brush station is provided.
Pets are welcome. Please keep your pets on a leash at all times and pick up after your pets.
Collecting is not allowed. Collecting of any vegetation, wildlife, or other material is not allowed.
Leave no trace. Please carry out everything that you carry in, including garbage.
Some activities are not allowed. Horseback riding, ATVs, bicycles, snowmobiles and other motorized recreational equipment is not allowed on the preserves.
Camping in parking lots or on Land Trust protected properties is not allowed. Use of the nature preserves is allowed from dawn until dusk.
Fires are not allowed on Land Trust protected properties.
Wear brightly colored clothing during hunting seasons. Hunting, trapping, and fishing may be allowed at some Door County Land Trust nature preserves. For more detailed information about hunting on Door County Land Trust preserves, please visit our Hunting Program page.
- 26 protected acres
- 1-mile looped hiking trail over fairly level terrain
- Ancient cobblestone beach ridge; wetlands, including Anderson Pond; Niagara escarpment; old fields; hemlock, white cedar and hardwood forest
- Remnants of the historic Anderson Family farmstead
- Impressive diversity of waterfowl and other bird species, particularly in springtime
