Sign Up  /  Login

Devil's Punchbowl LbNA #49003 (ARCHIVED)

Owner:cervidae
Plant date:Jul 19, 2009
Location:
City:Menomonie
County:Dunn
State:Wisconsin
Boxes:1
Found by: Optic
Last found:Nov 7, 2010
Status:FFFFFFFam
Last edited:Jul 19, 2009
"Oftenest in the dark woods I hear him sing
Dim, half-remembered things, where the old mosses cling
To the old trees, and the faint, wandering eddies bring
The phantom echoes of a phantom spring." ---Fiona Macleod

Here is a magical, mysterious place which is also a scientific study area of another of Wisconsin's great glacial landscape features. Be mindful of the fragile ecosystems here and also of the reported gnome sightings. Perhaps they were really glimpses of the ancient nature god Pan, patron of musicians and poets. Visitors have also reported seeing orbs of light and claim that the water flowing from the walls is enchanted.
From Menomonie, take State Highway 29 westward. After crossing the Red Cedar River, turn left onto the Rustic Road, then turn left again onto 410th Street (Paradise Valley Road.) Go two miles and you'll find the Devil's Punchbowl parking lot on the left. Follow the path from the parking lot to the wooden erosion stairs and take those down into the Punchbowl. (Feel the air grow markedly cooler as you descend!) At the bottom of the stairs, take the path 50 steps to the left. You'll go under one fallen tree and then you'll see another fallen tree, worn flat and serving as a footbridge over the narrow stream. Cross the stream here and you'll find Pan amid the gnarled roots of a tree that are almost directly in front of you at eye-level. Please rehide him well and don't forget to explore the rest of the area! Listen to the lovely music of the phantom springs!