Wildest of Them All
Compared with the other glens of the region, Parfrey's is by far the wildest. The south wall of this ancient cleft in the bluff is almost perpendicular. Only occasionally does an overhanging ledge afford a footing for wood creature or habitation for shrub or fern. High above pines, birches, oaks and other small timber crowd the brink. The cut shows a mass of sandstone and quartzite conglomerate which have been exposed through a long period of erosion. The north slope is clothed in green. Rugged rocks lie along the purling stream, as if cast there by giant hands to impede the pathway. Between them flourish ferns, mosses and an interesting number of native plants. Looking down from the top of the opening the water winds in and out among the moss-clad stones like a translucent ribbon, making soft music whose melody is lost as the stream finds its way to the grass-land. Many birds haunt the Glen; the indigo bunting, the oriole, and scarlet tanager with their brilliant coloring contrast sharply with the grey of the rocks. The note of the song sparrow, the trill of the thrush, and the less marked twitter of many other varieties are heard with delightful frequency.
This cool retreat, so prodigal in charm and comparatively easy of access, should be more widely known than it is to visitors to the Baraboo region.