Nestled in the Baraboo Bluffs near the Wisconsin River, a small ravine can be found as part of the historic Durward’s Glen, which includes a church, a grotto, residences, a barn, small cemetery, an outdoor way of the cross, religious statues, and walking trails.
The property was the home of Bernard Durward, a painter and poet, and his family from 1862 until 1932 when it was sold and became a seminary. The glen was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 7, 1978.
Falling water, a babbling brook, and the gentle breeze on a warm summer day is more appealing than falling temperatures, frigid wind chills and blowing snow this winter day. Nature sounds of the glen erases all the modern world sounds and remote waterfall is a nice place to spend the afternoon.
When thinking of waterfalls on the western side of Lake Superior, famous waterfalls like Gooseberry Falls or Baptism High Falls come to mind but sometimes you can find a gem hidden away from most people. With a two mile hike in the forest area of the Bayfield Peninsula, a little gem of a waterfall set in a sandstone glen can be found on Lost Creek Number One.
I’m glad Lost Creek was ‘found’ as it is a breathtaking view to see the small fifteen foot waterfall at one end of a glen with high cliff walls and the small stream running across flat rocks and little boulders. Moss and ferns cover some of the rocks but when a piece of sandstone breaks off, a bright reddish-orange color is revealed.
The thick trees and the glen cut off all sounds of man-made sounds and you hear the water plunging and flowing away, the wind in the tree tops and an occasional bird call like the pileated woodpecker. The sandstone has been eroded away behind the falls so you can walk behind and peer out down the ravine through the veil of water.
I guess I am a bit selfish, but I hope Lost Creek Falls stays ‘losted’ for a while longer as it was so peaceful not to have to share the view with anyone else and it was my tranquil spot, at least for a few minutes away.
