As we start talking about changing leaves, it's good to note that fall colors are…
While the ice caves of the Apostle Islands can’t be beat, Mirror Lake State Park’s Fern Dell Gorge puts on a pretty impressive show right here at home. Well, for folks willing to strap on the snowshoes and hike their way in!
Fern Dell Gorge is a Wisconsin State Natural Area located within Mirror Lake State Park, just a few minutes north of Devil’s Lake State Park near Wisconsin Dells. Fern Dell gets its name from the amazing varieties of ferns that grow in this small but pretty impressive, sandstone gorge during the summer months. In the summer, it’s also wet and loaded with mosquitoes!! In winter however, everything changes. Once the gorge fills with snow and everything freezes, water begins to seep from the sandstone walls. These seeps slowly form colorful ice floes creating walls of ice 10 feet tall or slightly more. Not the sort of ice you’d want to climb, but certainly amazing to look at!
Getting into the gorge has become easier since 2016. The park, with support of the Friends of Mirror Lake State Park put in a parking area right beside the gorge. To get to the park you simply get off highway 12 at Fern Dell Road. Follow Fern Dell Rd west for about 2 miles and the park entrance will be on your right. To get to gorge, just continue on Fern Dell Rd., past the park entrance about another mile and look for the small parking area (Again on your right.) You can download driving directions to Mirror Lake here.
If you’re not one to snowshoe off into a gorge on your own, the Friends of Mirror Lake State Park offer guided hikes each winter. Just keep an eye out for postings.
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For nearly 2 decades 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 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.
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