Pewits Nest State Natural Area
| Pewits Nest State Natural Area | |
| Wisconsin State Natural Area | |
| Country |  United States |
|---|---|
| State |  Wisconsin |
| County | Sauk |
| Location | Baraboo |
| - elevation | 892 ft (272 m) [1] |
| - coordinates | 43°27′4″N 89°47′24″W / 43.45111°N 89.79000°W |
| Area | 36 acres (15 ha) |
| Founded | 1985 |
| Management | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources |
  Location of Pewits Nest State Natural Area in Wisconsin
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Pewits Nest State Natural Area is a nature reserve of Wisconsin, USA, that includes a deep gorge formed during the retreat of the last glacier. Pewits Nest is outside of Baraboo in Sauk County. At one time a waterwheel and mill were located on the site and "an individual lived in the solid sandstone, like a gnome in a cavern."[2] The name of the site was a result of early settlers calling it "Peewit's Nest" after the abode, ten feet above a deep pool of water, resembling the nest of a phoebe (or peewit, an earlier name for this bird).[2][3]
The water-wheel once turned lathes for repairing or manufacturing equipment, but no evidence of it remains. Pewits Nest is owned by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and was designated a State Natural Area in 1985.[2]
Prehistory[edit]
When Glacial Lake Baraboo drained, Skillet Creek cut a narrow canyon through the Cambrian sandstone, forming a number of potholes and waterfalls.[2] The creek that runs through the cliff is Skillet Creek. The layers of Cambrian sandstone show that finer-grained sediment was laid down by the Cambrian seas, Sandstones are found in layers. Forest cover includes red cedar, white pine, red pine, and yellow birch.
Description[edit]
The area includes red cedar, white pine, hemlock, and yellow birch trees as well as Skillet Creek, shaded cliffs, and a northern dry-mesic forest.[2] It is located 1.5 miles (2.4 km) off U.S. Highway 12 and County W in southwest Baraboo.
References[edit]
- ^ "Pewits Nest State Natural Area". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. 2006-01-03. Retrieved 2011-03-22.
- ^ a b c d e Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (2010-10-19). "Pewits Nest State Natural Area (No. 200)".
- ^ Wisconsin Historical Society. "Skillet Creek Falls [origin of place name]".
