Parfreys Glen - Again

The glen narrows before opening
to the waterfall. 8/1/19 dwm photo

It is Wisconsin's oldest "State Natural Area," receiving the designation in 1952.

Parfreys Glen is near Devil's Lake State Park, but is an incredible place to visit on its own.

I was there in 2016, but didn't get to the back of the gorge.  This time we made it.

The glen - a Scottish word for narrow, rocky ravine - has sandstone walls with embedded pebbles and boulders of quartzite.  It looks unusual.  Thousands of baseball-size rocks dot darker slabs of stone like chips in a cookie.

The deeper you walk into the glen, the area looks less like south Wisconsin.  The walls are covered with moss.  Water seeps from the walls and the gorge is cool and shaded.

On a very warm day - the temperature around the spring-fed waterfalls was easily 15 or 20 degrees cooler than where our walk began.

The falls of Parfrey's Glen.  8/1/19 dwm photo

The plants are the kind you expect to find in north Wisconsin; yellow birch, mountain maple, and red elder trees plus several rare species of plants.

The trail crosses the stream with a bridge, then stepping stones before becoming a test of which rocks to climb to reach the apex of the prairie gorge.

Truck sized boulders
block the path down
stream. 8/1/19 (dwm)

According to a website by friends of the glen, powerful floods and too many visitors ruined the original trail, bridges, and overlook that used to exist.

That's why we pulled ourselves through tight fits and over large rocks to reach the pool below the waterfall.  Once your feet are on solid ground a feeling of calm arrives.  It's cool as the sun splashes through the trees on the ground amidst a steady rush of water.

We listened and peered into pools.  My nephew saw a frog in the middle of the stream, his head just above the water.

A pair of baby raccoons hide in
plain sight. 8/1/19 (dwm)

As we retraced our steps on the way, we walked across two logs parallel to each other.  They were the only things keeping our feet dry.

On the other side, a pair of small raccoons were drinking from the stream and washing their hands.  There was no sign of Mama raccoon nearby.  The babies were cute.  In another three months, no one will call them adorable.

With only a parking lot, this is a no-frills park.

Parfreys Glen Creek far downstream from the falls - near
the entrance to the ravine.  8/1/19 dwm photo

It's natural beauty is the attraction.

While it separated by a few miles from Devil's Lake, as two parks go they couldn't be more different.

Devil's Lake makes a splash with eye-popping beauty and recreational opportunities.

Parfreys Glen changes and adapts incrementally - one day, one rainfall, one visit - at a time.  If you go, leave only your footprints.