Turtles Crossing Roads in Wisconsin: How to Help Safely- Devil's Lake State Park Area Visitor's Guide

Every year from late May through June, Wisconsin’s turtles are on the move. Females are leaving the lakes, rivers, and wetlands where they spend most of their lives and heading overland to find nesting sites, usually in sandy or gravelly soil, often right along the edge of a road. Which means a lot of them end up in traffic.

Road mortality is one of the leading causes of turtle population decline in Wisconsin. The good news is that a passing driver with two minutes and a little nerve can make a real difference.

Here’s what you need to know.

Turtle laying eggs on the trail at Parfrey's Glen State Natural Area. — Turtle laying eggs on the trail at Parfrey’s Glen State Natural Area.

When Are Turtles Crossing Roads in Wisconsin?

Late May through June is the peak window, though activity can continue into July. If you’re driving near wetlands, rivers, or low areas during that stretch, slow down and pay attention. Turtles are slow enough that by the time one perceives a car coming, it often can’t get out of the way in time.

Near Devil’s Lake State Park, watch especially on roads that cross between wetland areas and higher ground. Turtles have been using these routes far longer than the roads have existed.

Turtles You’re Likely to See Near Devil’s Lake

Painted Turtle — The most commonly spotted species in this area. Smaller, colorful markings on the shell edges and head. Easy to handle gently from the sides of the shell.

Snapping Turtle — Larger, prehistoric-looking, and not shy about defending themselves when on land. Common in the wetlands throughout the Baraboo Hills. Requires a different approach (more on that below).

Blanding’s Turtle — Less common and worth noting. This is a protected species in Wisconsin. Distinctive yellow chin and throat. If you encounter one, move it to safety and consider reporting it to the Wisconsin Turtle Conservation Program.

Wood Turtle — Also a protected species. Reddish-orange coloring on the neck and legs. Rare enough that a sighting is worth reporting.

How to Help Most Turtles Cross the Road

First: make sure it’s safe for you. Pull over completely, turn on your hazard lights, and check traffic in both directions before stepping out.

Pick the turtle up gently from both sides of the shell near the midpoint of the body. Move it to the side of the road it was already heading toward, not back where it came from. This part matters. If you return it to the side it started on, it’s just going to try again.

Don’t move the turtle more than a few feet off the road. It knows where it’s going, and relocating it further won’t help. Some turtles have been returning to the same nesting areas for decades. Disrupting that route entirely does more harm than good.

They may scratch. They may relieve themselves on you. Both are entirely expected for a turtle that didn’t ask for your help. Wash your hands afterward.

Snapping Turtles: A Different Situation

Snapping turtles are not aggressive animals by nature; in the water, they’ll almost always swim away. On land, during nesting season, they’re stressed and defensive. Their shell doesn’t fully protect them the way a painted turtle’s does, so they compensate with a neck that’s longer than you’d expect and a jaw that means business.

Do not pick up a snapping turtle by the tail. It can injure their spine. This is a common instinct and a bad one.

Naturalist Moving Snapper from the parking lot.

Using a small rug to "drag" the turtle without injury. — Naturalist Moving Snapper from the parking lot.

Instead, grab the back of the shell firmly near the rear legs with both hands. Keep your fingers on top of the shell, not underneath near the sides where the head can reach. Fair warning even from back there: those hind feet have claws, and they’ll use them. If the turtle just came out of the water, it’s also going to be slippery and potentially carrying whatever the pond had going on that day. Keeping a pair of work gloves and some wet wipes in your car is not a bad idea during nesting season.

Alternative methods that work well:

The wheelbarrow method — grip the rear of the shell, lift the back end, and let the turtle walk forward on its front legs toward the shoulder.

A car floor mat — slide it under the turtle and drag it across. Pavement won’t hurt them.

A shovel — slide it under and carry the turtle across. Keep it low to the ground; snappers will move around on it.

What Happens After Nesting?

The female lays her eggs in a shallow buried nest and leaves. The eggs develop on their own through the summer. Hatchlings typically emerge in late summer or fall and make their way toward water — which means a second, smaller wave of turtles near roads later in the season.

Nests are vulnerable to predation from raccoons, skunks, and coyotes. If you find a nest on your property and want to protect it, the Wisconsin DNR has instructions for building a simple nest cage that keeps predators out while allowing hatchlings to exit on their own.

The Part That’s Hard to Read

A Clemson University study placed a realistic rubber turtle in the road and observed what drivers did. In one hour, seven drivers deliberately swerved to hit it. The researcher was a student who had heard anecdotal accounts of this behavior and wanted to document it. He documented it.

Intentionally hitting a turtle is illegal in Wisconsin. It’s also a meaningful blow to a population that’s already under significant pressure from habitat loss and road mortality. Some turtle species, including the Blanding’s turtle, can take 12 to 20 years to reach reproductive age. Losing a single adult female has an outsized effect on the population.

Most drivers aren’t doing this. But it’s more common than most people realize, and it’s worth knowing.

Report What You See

The Wisconsin DNR runs the Wisconsin Turtle Conservation Program, a citizen science effort that tracks turtle sightings, crossing locations, and road mortality across the state. Reports help identify high-risk crossing areas and guide conservation efforts.

If you see a turtle crossing or one that didn’t make it, it takes about two minutes to report. The data adds up.

Resources

Clemson University / Nathan Weaver study via Reptiles Magazine.

Derrick Mayoleth

For nearly 30 years, the Skillet Creek blog has focused on 3 main goals; To inspire you to visit and explore the Devil’s Lake region, to help you get the most out of your visit by sharing tips, events, and other helpful information. Lastly, to advocate for our environment & wildlife and talk about how we can keep our natural areas amazing now and into the future! That last goal can sometimes cause controversy, but it’s the only way we can accomplish the first two. – Derrick Mayoleth, Owner.

Turtles Are Crossing Roads Right Now — Here’s How to Help

When Are Turtles Crossing Roads in Wisconsin?