15-16 November 2003
Parfrey's Glen is a quarter-mile long sandstone gorge cut into the Baraboo Hills near Devil's Lake State Park. The glen reaches a maximum height of almost 100 feet, and the walls are studded with quartzite rocks, which range in size from pebbles to boulders.
The glen was designated as Wisconsin's first State Natural Area, due to its rare plants. The moist and cool shade allows many trees to thrive that are normally found much farther north. White pines and yellow birch and mountain maple all make their home in the glen.
We had spent the weekend camping and scrambling over rocks at Devil's Lake, and on Sunday morning, we set off to hike the four miles from the lake to the glen. We followed along the Ice Age Trail, which stretches across the length of the state, tracing the geological reminders of the last Ice Age.
The trail itself was well-maintained and fairly broad, as it rambled up and down gentle slopes and snuck in and out of the wooded groves. Almost lost along the side of the trail was an old stone fence, straight and true, but covered in moss and with many of the stones missing. Since it ran from nowhere to somewhere else, it couldn't have seen use for many, many years.
Eventually, the Ice Age Trail reaches the parking lot and trailhead that most people use to access Parfrey's Glen. From there, it's a short hike of less than a mile to the end of the glen. The trail leads first across an open field, and into woods that steadily thicken. The trail reaches the first of several footbridges that cross Parfrey's Glen Creek. Copses of pine along the creek bank create inviting groves padded with pine needles. From here, the trail climbs a few stone steps, and enters the heart of the glen.
The parks department has built a boardwark continues to the end of the glen, designed to keep the protected environment safe from the constant tramping of the many people who visit the area throughout the year. The rocks call out for scrambling and climbing, but we resisted their siren song and stayed on the trail, like the good, environmentally-conscious hikers we are.
At the end of the trail is another surprise, a viewing area fenced in stone that fronts a waterfall that ripples down from the upper end of the gorge. Even in November, there was enough of a water flow to bring out the cameras. We spent several minutes trying to use the various signs and stones as stablizers to get those cool "water is blurry" photos with the long shutter speed. But alas, none of our "water is blurry" photos turned out this time.
Finally, after exhausting the photographic opportunites of water, we turned and headed back to the Ice Age Trail, where we retraced our steps back to the cars, and, with a good weekend of hiking and camping and smoking cigars in the bag, headed back towards civilization. We made sure to stop at the Cheese Chalet on the way back.