As our climate changes and visitor numbers climb, Devil's Lake State Park's bluff trails see…
We’ve received a lot of questions about the status of Parfrey’s Glen & Pewit’s Nest State Natural Areas which were closed due to COVID early in 2020. Now that Gibraltar Rock & the Dells of the Wisconsin River SNAs have been open for a while, the summer crowds are gone and winter is upon us, have things changed? Certainly, I understand these perspectives so I checked.
In reaching out to the folks at the DNR, here’s what they told us;
“Nothing has changed regarding the pandemic that would lead us to open either property at this time. The DNR receives the most up-to-date information and will continue to evaluate the situation this winter.”
There you have it… Personally, while I miss the hikes and the winter views, I’m happy to see these radically overused spaces get a rest. My hope is that when they do re-open it will be under stronger management guidelines that take into account the number of visitors, with a serious view toward protecting these unique natural spaces.
What are your thoughts? Feel free to share them below.
Meanwhile…
While those of us who follow the rules, may debate them, it’s clear others are simply jumping the fences. (Photos: Jan 5, 2021)
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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Great Point ! What are the guidelines / procedures for re-evaluating the rules on traffic to these two areas ? They should be scaled back to help protect for the future.
Sadly, I don’t believe there are guidelines.
We’ve proposed a registration/permitting system in the past that would limit the number of people in pewits at any one time but that’s gone nowhere…
Couldn’t agree more about your thoughts on both places. Winter is my favorite time to visit both Pewit’s & Parfrey’s but the overuse in recent years is killing them (thanks Instagram!). A bit of a break will give both areas time to recover.
I so agree that as much as I miss being able to hike in those spaces, there is a critical need for a healing rest from overuse and the damage done to the areas.
I’m really glad to see Pewit’s closed for any reason right now. The major increase in use in the last 5 years or so has far exceeded what that little place can bear, imo. I feel like it needs much stricter management (or at least stricter enforcement of the plan). Swimming should be completely prohibited.