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Pictured are some of the bluffs at Mill Bluff State Park.
Children play in the water at Mill Bluff State Park.
The sun sets over Mill Bluff State Park near Camp Douglas.
Pictured is the top of Mill Bluff.
Long before anyone still alive existed, the ice age helped form the landscape the region knows today.
Mill Bluff State Park, near Camp Douglas, Wisconsin, is a perfect example of some of the rock formations that the glaciers left behind and can be enjoyed thoroughly today.
Because of this, the state park is part of Wisconsin’s Ice Age National Scientific Reserve, which was formed in 1964 and contains nine units.
“The units protect different areas of scenic and scientific value and provide all kinds of opportunities, from studying Wisconsin’s natural history at one of the interpretive centers, to hiking, camping, sightseeing and wildlife viewing,” the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources shares.
Because of the glaciers, Mill Bluff State Park is home to large bluffs called mesas, smaller bluffs that are more abrupt called buttes and slender bluffs called pinnacles.
About Mill Bluff State Park specifically, the DNR shared, “Even though this park is in the driftless area, the area the glaciers missed, the geologic features are partially the result of the last (or Wisconsin) stage of glaciation.
“During this glacial advance, the Wisconsin River was plugged near Wisconsin Dells. The river spread out to form glacial Lake Wisconsin, covering most of what today are Adams, Juneau and other adjacent counties, including the Mill Bluff area. During this time, some of the mesa and buttes stood as islands in the glacial lake, while others were submerged,” the DNR said.
Waves helped form the sides of the rocks, as erosion took its toll on the formations, according to the DNR.
The DNR also explained, “Rocks and boulders of different compositions than local bedrock are erratics. They have been found on the sides of some of the buttes and mesas. These erratics are boulders that were embedded in icebergs that floated and lodged against the mesa and buttes. When the ice melted, the boulders remained lodged on the sandy flanks of the bluffs.”
Additionally, at the state park, the DNR said visitors can view “unique flat-topped, cliff-sided rock structures capped by layers of somewhat more resistant sandstone; and weathering tends to break the rock off in vertical fragments.”
It’s easy for people to view the bluffs from high above — at least, if visitors are willing to take a short hike up Mill Bluff.
The trail up is formed by 223 stairs, according to the DNR, which were built by the Work Progress Administration.
An area protected by fencing at the top — along with an observation deck on the north side — enables viewers to safely look over the edge of the bluff at the surrounding rock formations throughout the park.
“Mill Bluff State Park offers a spectacular view of picturesque rock formations,” the DNR shares on its website.
Overall the bluffs at the park — some of which served as landmarks for settlers — range in height from 80 to more than 200 feet, according to the DNR.
The DNR said about the bluffs, “The mesa and buttes are isolated ‘outliers’ of the continuous limestone-capped escarpments south of the park.”
Mill Bluff State Park, which was created in May 1971, isn’t just an opportunity to enjoy the bluffs though.
Visitors also have the chance to camp, hunt, trap, picnic, and enjoy outdoor activities.
If interested in trails, people don’t just have to take the stairs to the top of Mill Bluff, as there is also the opportunity to enjoy a nature trail that leads visitors around the bottom of the bluff.
Another top activity during the warm months at the park is swimming, as there is a pond available to enjoy near a playground and the park’s camp sites.
“This park makes for a great family road trip stopping point to have a quick picnic and stretch your legs,” the DNR shared.
Visitors of Mill Bluff State Park can also enjoy the nearby Omaha Bike Trail, which connects to both the Elroy-Sparta Trail and the 400 State Trail.
Mill Bluff State Park is open year round from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., enabling people to enjoy its beauty and opportunities whenever there’s a moment to stop by — no matter if it’s a 90 degree day or a snowy winter evening.
Children play in the water at Mill Bluff State Park.
Pictured is the top of Mill Bluff.
Pictured are some of the bluffs at Mill Bluff State Park.
The sun sets over Mill Bluff State Park near Camp Douglas.
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Pictured are some of the bluffs at Mill Bluff State Park.
Children play in the water at Mill Bluff State Park.
The sun sets over Mill Bluff State Park near Camp Douglas.
Pictured is the top of Mill Bluff.
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