Baraboo RangeEdit
The Baraboo Range is a rugged, ancient ridge system in southwestern Wisconsin that helps define the landscape, economy, and culture of the region around Baraboo. Composed largely of hard quartzite and set within the driftless portion of the state, the range rises above the surrounding farmland, forests, and streams, giving the area a distinctive topography that has shaped settlement patterns, land use, and outdoor recreation for generations. The name Baraboo is tied to the town of Baraboo and the Baraboo River, but the terrain—its cliffs, bluffs, and long, narrow spurs—is what anchors regional identity and informs how people live and work in the country around it. The Baraboo Range is intertwined with the history of the surrounding counties, including Sauk County and nearby communities, and it is a cornerstone of the state’s natural heritage celebrated in places like Devil's Lake State Park.
Geologically, the Baraboo Range is notable for its very old bedrock, dominated by quartzite that formed from ancient sands and were later metamorphosed. The Baraboo Group underlies the range, and the landscape today preserves the scars and features left by hundreds of millions of years of geologic history. Because the region lies in the driftless area, it was largely bypassed by the last glaciation, leaving a terrain carved by rivers and wind rather than by continental ice sheets. That nonglaciated history helps explain the range’s steep escarpments, deep ravines, and isolated rock outcrops that stand in contrast to the surrounding gently rolling farmland. The range runs roughly north to south and hosts a suite of conspicuous landmarks, including cliffs and rock formations such as Gibraltar Rock and, in some places, the iconic rock towers and balancing formations that draw hikers and climbers to the area. The Baraboo Hills and surrounding features are integral to understanding the regional hydrology, and they play host to microhabitats that support a diversity of plant and animal life. More about the broader setting can be found in articles on the Driftless Area and on the local water systems that drain through the Baraboo River and adjacent streams.
Geography and Geology
Location and topography
- The Baraboo Range sits in the driftless portion of Wisconsin and is centered around the community of Baraboo, Wisconsin in Sauk County.
- The ridges rise above a mosaic of farmland, woodlands, and valley floors, creating a distinctive contrast with the flatter surrounding lands.
- The range includes notable rock outcrops and scenic overlooks that have long attracted visitors and settlers.
Bedrock and formation
- The core bedrock of the range is dominated by quartzite from the Baraboo Group, formed in the late Precambrian to early Paleozoic eras and later hardened by metamorphism.
- Erosion over hundreds of millions of years produced the current ridges, cliffs, and spires.
- Because the driftless landscape was not overridden by the last ice sheets, the Baraboo Range preserves morphological features that glaciated areas do not.
Notable features and landmarks
- Gibraltar Rock and other prominent outcrops along the ridgeline offer long-standing vistas of the surrounding countryside.
- The region contains rock formations that have become symbols of local outdoor recreation and tourism, including places popular with hikers and climbers.
- Devil's Lake State Park is the most recognizable public landscape associated with the Baraboo Range, offering dramatic escarpments, hiking trails, and a lake that serves as a focal point for both recreation and conservation.
Ecology and natural heritage
The Baraboo Range supports a mix of habitats that reflect Wisconsin’s broader ecological diversity, including oak savannas, dry prairie remnants, woodlands, and riverine corridors. This mosaic supports a range of native plants and wildlife, and the area has long been a site of interest for conservation-minded residents and visitors alike. The range also lies at the interface between prairies of the broader Midwest and the forested communities that dominate the more sheltered zones, making it a critical corridor for biodiversity in the region. Efforts to maintain and restore native plant communities—such as fire-dependent oak savannas and prairie remnants—have been a continuing feature of land management in and around the Baraboo Hills. Protected areas, Devil's Lake State Park, and other public lands help safeguard these ecosystems while also supporting outdoor recreation.
Indigenous use of the landscape is part of the region’s long history. The area around the Baraboo Range lies within traditional territories of the Ho-Chunk Nation and neighboring communities, and archaeological and oral histories attest to the range's significance as a landmark, resource base, and place of seasonal activity long before large-scale settlement. Modern land management blends public stewardship with private property interests to balance recreation, habitat protection, and sustainable use of natural resources.
History and culture
Humans have inhabited the Baraboo region for centuries, and the range has functioned as a guide and resource for residents and travelers alike. Prior to European settlement, Ho-Chunk Nation communities used the land for hunting, gathering, and ceremonial purposes, integrating the landscape into a broader network of trails and campsites that crisscrossed the driftless region. With the arrival of settlers in the 19th century, the Baraboo area developed a local economy built on agriculture, small-scale quarrying, and timber. The presence of hard quartzite and other bedrock made the area a source for building stone in the region, helping to supply nearby towns and cities with durable materials.
Public recreation and conservation arrived in earnest in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The establishment of Devil's Lake State Park and other protected areas created a framework for outdoor recreation and tourism that remains central to the region’s economy. The nearby town of Baraboo also became known for cultural institutions, including the Circus World Museum—a reflection of Baraboo’s historical role in American circus culture—which ties into the broader story of tourism and regional identity.
As with many rural areas, debates over land use have accompanied economic change. Local residents have often weighed the benefits of private property rights and community weatherproofing against calls for broader environmental protections and land preservation. These debates touch on topics such as quarry operations, timber and land management, fire regimes for habitat restoration, and the balance between conservation and development that sustains local schools, services, and employment.
Recreation, conservation, and contemporary debates
The Baraboo Range remains a magnet for outdoor recreation. Hiking, rock climbing, bird-watching, and scenic driving draw visitors to the Baraboo Hills and Devil's Lake area. Public lands, particularly Devil's Lake State Park, provide access to dramatic cliff faces and scenic overlooks while also serving as guardians of habitat for native species. The region’s landscape supports both the preservation of ecologically important communities and the local economies that rely on visitors, lodging, restaurants, and guide services.
Conversations about land use in the Baraboo Range often revolve around the tension between conservation goals and private-development interests. Proponents of restricted development emphasize protecting fragile habitats, water quality, and the long-term viability of outdoor recreation as a cornerstone of the local economy. Critics—often echoing a perspective that emphasizes private property rights, local governance, and economically sensible stewardship—argue that well-regulated resource development and careful, site-specific planning can coexist with conservation. They contend that overregulation or inflexible state mandates can stifle jobs, limit tax revenue for schools and municipalities, and hamper local decision-making in areas where communities are best positioned to balance needs and opportunities.
From a practical standpoint, supporters of a more restrained regulatory approach argue for policies that encourage responsible land use, investment in tourism infrastructure, and preservation of the Baraboo Range’s character for future generations. They stress that the best outcomes arise when local stakeholders—property owners, county authorities, park managers, and tribal nations Ho-Chunk Nation—work together to design solutions that protect critical habitats while enabling sustainable economic activity. Critics of aggressive environmental rhetoric may argue that such debates sometimes veer into unproductive hyperbole and politicized rhetoric, which can distract from concrete steps that improve livelihoods and preserve heritage. In this view, the region’s strength lies in a pragmatic mix of protection, responsible development, and local autonomy.
See the driftless region for broader context on why the Baraboo Range’s current form is so distinctive, and explore how nearby communities have built a shared approach to land use that preserves scenic beauty while sustaining productive rural economies.