Cascade Falls

Cascade Falls - View of falls from small platform above

It was a chilly morning commute in the high 30’s as I left camp down in the canyon but I am not complaining. The sun is a fantastic golden blaze and skies are clear with a bit of haze offering a vivid glow to anything the light touches. I’m taking a short drive down state … Read more

Pipestone National Monument

Pipestone National Monument - Old Stone Face rock formation

Thus far on my road trip I’ve basically been making up plans as I go along. But my main goal for sticking around in this area was to visit Pipestone National Monument in Pipestone, Minnesota. I’ve had this on my “to do” list now for a few years and it never came together but happily … Read more

Devil’s Gulch

Devil's Gulch - Rocky parts of the trail require some creativity to find a path

Just down the road from Split Rock park is another local park called Devil’s Gulch. I didn’t know what to expect at first, but the attraction here is a large gulch (or ravine), a waterfall perhaps, and some Wild West history if you believe the stories. Not shown in this post is a small visitor … Read more

Split Rock Park

Split Rock Park - Wide angle view of the area near the dam

Today seems like “do everything interesting in Garretson, South Dakota” day but it wasn’t really by plan. As it often happens, I was freestyle cruising Google Maps and came across a couple parks not far away from camp. So I headed just a couple miles down the road and first stopped at Split Rock Park. … Read more

Palisades State Park

Palisades State Park - Views of Split Rock Creek looking downstream from the cliffs above

My first out-of-state camping stop on this journey was at Palisades State Park in Garretson, South Dakota. I arrived well after dark and mostly just went to sleep, but the next morning I did some quick exploring. There are a couple trails here the run along the Split Rock Creek. I considered hiking them but … Read more

Big Spring Creek (2022)

Big Spring Creek - Spring water cascading down the rocks

My turkey hunt was going nowhere fast today. After striking out at Governor Dodge State Park I fueled up, took a short midday nap, and drove around in search of new public lands with favorable terrain. Along the way I ended up at a familiar destination at Big Springs Fishery Area in Highland, Wisconsin. Here’s … Read more

Osceola Bedrock Glades Falls

Osceola Bedrock Glades Falls - Looking downstream standing next to main stretch of falls/rapids

Trying to squeeze in one last stop today as the sun was falling low on the horizon, I stopped at the trailhead for the Ridge View Trail: Osceola Loop in Osceola, Wisconsin. This is easy to find on River Road / County S and there is a small parking lot that holds maybe 10 vehicles. … Read more

Buttermilk Falls

Buttermilk Falls - Zoomed view through trees from a distance

After having little to no plan for the day, I found the winds of adventure carried me back to Osceola, Wisconsin with a chance to find a falls I missed in the past. That begins at the Standing Cedars Buffalo Skull Tract, part of the Standing Cedars Community Land Conservancy. Last visit I was concerned … Read more

Birch Creek Falls

Keil Birch Creek Preserve - Cascade style falls along Birch Creek

After visiting many falls across the state it isn’t often I get to see a new place without much detail about it found on the internet. Thanks to a tip from Bob at waterfallswisconsin.com I found myself at Kiel Birch Creek Nature Preserve & State Natural Area in Menomonie, Wisconsin. Supposedly there are some nice … Read more

Bayfield Waterfall

Bayfield Waterfall - View of the main falls from the trail

Strong overnight storms gave way to a colder, windy, and drizzling morning. This was a welcome change compared to the previous unseasonably warm temperatures. First stop of the morning was at a trail just east of the Bayfield Elementary School. There are no signs at this point but I think this is part of the … Read more