Pewit’s Nest State Natural Area

Pewit’s might be the quickest hike for a good reward. The Pewit’s gorge is roughly a half mile from the parking lot but the trail east and down by the Skillet Creek adds to the visit. The funny thing about Pewit’s is, you’d probably never guess something like this was back here. Surrounded by corn fields north and south of the gorge, the area is pretty condensed. Total trail time might be a 2 – 3 miles (less any trail pursued west of the gorge by the creek). The gorge itself is a thing of beauty. but it’s just.small. The large rock formation that you see once you approach the creek isn’t to be taken lightly. Bad footing or stupidity will send you over a cliff, so respect the area (and signage). I’m glad I ventured back but this park left me yearning for more.

Beautiful place. Easily the best swimming hole in Wisconsin — and it offers a unique geography that is extremely rare to find anywhere else in this state. I absolutely recommend checking it out. If you do, however, take some precaution.
The locals are pretty butt-​hurt about this place. They like to whine and moan about the increase in traffic and how it is «ruining» it. Yes — if you go on a weekend in the middle of summer, it will be pretty crowded. Frankly — I don’t think the increase in people ruin the place. If anything, having a larger crowd makes it more fun. It’s nice to sit by the waterfall and watch the dumb kids jump 20 – 30 feet off the cliff walls into the deep water below. It’s also nice to have more people around so if you DO get hurt on accident (there are no railings near the cliffs), there are plenty of people around to call 911. I went on a scorching hot Sunday afternoon and there were a lot of folks there, but not enough to «ruin» it. If you want to go when there are fewer people, go during a weekday. I once went and practically had the whole thing to myself.
However, if you do dive, take note: it is REALLY REALLY dangerous and actually illegal (if you are caught, it’s a $ 600 fine). When we were there, some kid hit the rocks after diving and broke his leg pretty bad — fire rescue was called out and apparently it happens all of the time. I’ve never jumped off the cliffs and I still manage to have fun every time I go.
So if you do go out there, be extremely careful. Don’t do anything stupid. You can enjoy the place without jumping off the edge — no matter what your idiot friends are telling you.
Also, be respectful of the land. A lot of people were smoking (cigarettes, pot), playing music, throwing trash around, and my sister was even attacked by someone’s dog. Some redneck hippie chick brought her newborn baby to the place — stupid idea. Don’t trespass on the nearby cornfield — be respectful. Don’t litter. Don’t throw your cigarette butts in the water. Don’t bring glass beer bottles. Just be nice — you may think you’re cool by getting plastered and jumping off the dangerous cliffs, but you’re actually NOT.
Also, be warned. Baraboo has a pretty unfriendly way of deterring tourism from their town. If you park along the road, or even park anywhere that is NOT the parking lot (which only holds 7 – 8 cars), you will be towed. It’s $ 200-​$ 350 towing bill depending on the towing company. Apparently, as of two weeks ago, they didn’t enforce the parking laws that often. It was only a $ 10 ticket and they never towed anyone. Now they tow cars left and right. Jerks.
Anyway — have fun! Be safe! And for the love of Pete, don’t litter. Channel your inner tree-​hugger and leave only footsteps.

Pewit’s Nest is one of my favorite hidden gems in this part of the state. It’s unassuming from the road — and with the Dells close by, why bother hiking back to see a tiny gorge and stream? Trust me; it’s worth it.
From Hwy 12 & Cty W in southwest Baraboo, go southwest on Cty W about 1.5 miles. There will be a small parking area south of the road. On busy days, people will park along the road. Do so with caution; you may get ticketed.
The hike back from the road usually takes me anywhere from 45 – 60 minutes (more, if I’m feeling *super*-leisurely.)
Now, some caveats: RESPECT MA NATURE. As others have noted, there are no railings, and the wet and mossy rocks get VERY slippery. Some of the best viewing areas are from INSIDE the creek, so if you don’t mind getting wet, you’re golden. (Or, if you’re feeling adventurous, wait until winter and the water has frozen over enough to walk on!)
Also, when hiking the trails along the top of the gorge, WATCH WHERE YOU PUT YOUR FEET. It’s VERY easy to take a nasty fall, and no one likes taking a 50 foot swan dive they weren’t expecting.
Don’t let these things scare you away from visiting though; it’s really just about paying attention to what you’re doing to make sure you can *enjoy* yourself and not *injure* yourself.
Enjoy!

I was here once as a kid and I didn’t remember much about it. It’s crazy what a narrow strip of land this really is surrounding the stream, but that narrow strip is some beautiful scenery, that’s for sure. It’s just crazy though how closely it’s hugged by huge open corn fields.
Most people might shy away from this sort of place in the Winter, but I wanted to walk out on the ice and see some of the falls up close and personally. Once that ice is thick enough to walk on you can get a perspective that you just can’t get for the rest of the year.
The standard hike is pretty short. This can easily be less than 45 minutes killed if you wanted it to be. Since the ice gave us access to the other side of the stream (otherwise you’d have to hop rock to rock, not un-​doable but you’ll get wet) we decided to explore the side of the area that’s less traveled. It’s a little treacherous (bring a walking stick) and you’ll be hugging private property (and a barbed wire fence) most of the way, but you’ll get a perspective most don’t see. I particularly like the tree whose giant root system crawls down the side of the cliff like a huge snake.

Pewit’s Nest is a gorgoues gorge state natural area (no pun intended). The hike back is pretty easy and the gorge is absolutely stunning. If you really want to experience it, wear a swimsuit and watersocks… it’s best viewed from inside by hiking, climbing, swimming in the creek. Along the top, there are numerous trails. Be warned — it can be VERY dangerous! There are no railings and the rocks/​soil can be slippery. If you screw around, there is a really good chance you will fall over the cliffs, down anywhere from 20 to 50+ feet, break numerous bones, if you don’t outright die, and it will take ages to rescue you!
So, wear your hiking shoes, bring a camera, bring some friends, and please, the soils here are very erodible, tread gently so we may all enjoy it!
Hint: do NOT bring dogs. If they get off leash, they may very easily run right off the edge of a cliff. Much of the cliff edge is obscured from above — you can’t see it from the trail, so if you crash through the brush, you’ll suddenly realize you’ve run out of land, are standing in mid-​air and you can’t fly. OUCH!
Hint: Hint: Driving directions (no street address) Access: From the intersection of U.S. Highway 12 and County W in southwest Baraboo, go west and south on W 1.5 miles to a small parking area south of the road.