In mid-October my wife and I were in the Madison, Wisconsin area. I the fall there is no better place to visit than Pewit’s Nest. Pewit’s Nest is located just outside Baraboo, Wisconsin and is one of the 653 Wisconsin State Natural Areas. It isn’t very large but I think it is one of the most beautiful of the Natural Areas particularly in the fall.
The main feature of the Natural Area is a 40 foot deep gorge with Skillet creek running flowing through the bottom of it. At one time there was a crude mill at the mouth of the gorge. Apparently before the mill was built a man lived in the walls of the canyon in a home resembling a phoebe (peewit, an earlier name for the bird) hence the name Pewit’s Nest.
The area surrounding the area consists of a hardwood forest and when the leaves are tuning this small area becomes a dream location for photographers. the parking area is very small and during the peak leaf season it is usually full of cars.
We lucked out this year because the leaves were near their peak color. We were lucky that it was an overcast day which made for good shooting conditions without harsh light in the gorge.
More Pewit’s Nest photos on my website
Philip Schwarz Photography Blog 