Another not-so-hidden treasure of a hike in Wisconsin is Parfrey's Glen. This hike has been floating around the world of Pinterest the past few months as well. It is located in a similar area to Pewits Nest ... just on the other end of Devil's Lake State Park.
This is another fantastically beautiful hike to take that is totally worth the two hours we spent in the car to get there. It is another family friendly hike that we took with a baby as young as 4 months old to a very young grandma!
Parfrey's Glen is Wisconsin's very first State Natural Area and is located right outside of Devil's Lake State Park and right next to the Ice Age Trail. At most, the glen reaches a height of 100 feet and has a mountain like (chilly) creek flowing through its floor.
The trail takes you from the parking lot to the start of the glen. The path is pretty flat until this point and very easy walking. This portion would be pretty stroller friendly but once you reach the entry of the glen ... the stroller would need to be left behind.
From here you can continue to trek through the glen and enjoy the babbling creek and huge sandstone walls. The walls are sandstone embedded with boulders, pebbles and quartzite. Resist the urge to climb the walls of the canyon and protect the variety of flora that surrounds you.
The whole family enjoyed walking through the creek, scrambling over rocks and fallen logs and going on an adventure! My 6 year old niece exclaimed that "this is the best day of my whole life"!
DO:
-Wear shoes that you don't mind getting wet! Due to flooding and destruction of bridges the past twenty years, there are some areas that you must go in the water to get across and your feet will get wet despite your best intentions.
-Bring a towel and dry shoes.
-Try to stay on the trail ...
-Go on a warm day! The water is quite chilly and you may appreciate the warmer temps!
-Clean up after yourself ... don't leave anything behind! Help keep this area beautiful for future generations.
DON'T:
-Bring food or drink into the park other than water.
-Bring your animals.
This is another fantastically beautiful hike to take that is totally worth the two hours we spent in the car to get there. It is another family friendly hike that we took with a baby as young as 4 months old to a very young grandma!
Parfrey's Glen is Wisconsin's very first State Natural Area and is located right outside of Devil's Lake State Park and right next to the Ice Age Trail. At most, the glen reaches a height of 100 feet and has a mountain like (chilly) creek flowing through its floor.
The trail takes you from the parking lot to the start of the glen. The path is pretty flat until this point and very easy walking. This portion would be pretty stroller friendly but once you reach the entry of the glen ... the stroller would need to be left behind.
From here you can continue to trek through the glen and enjoy the babbling creek and huge sandstone walls. The walls are sandstone embedded with boulders, pebbles and quartzite. Resist the urge to climb the walls of the canyon and protect the variety of flora that surrounds you.
The whole family enjoyed walking through the creek, scrambling over rocks and fallen logs and going on an adventure! My 6 year old niece exclaimed that "this is the best day of my whole life"!
DO:
-Wear shoes that you don't mind getting wet! Due to flooding and destruction of bridges the past twenty years, there are some areas that you must go in the water to get across and your feet will get wet despite your best intentions.
-Bring a towel and dry shoes.
-Try to stay on the trail ...
-Go on a warm day! The water is quite chilly and you may appreciate the warmer temps!
-Clean up after yourself ... don't leave anything behind! Help keep this area beautiful for future generations.
DON'T:
-Bring food or drink into the park other than water.
-Bring your animals.
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