Why You Should Visit
Remarkable for the large area of deep forest and the mountain-like creek that it protects, Baxter's Hollow is TNC's largest preserve in Wisconsin. Despite years of human habitation, this area still seems wild and untouched.
Spring is an especially good time to visit: the wildflowers are in bloom and the migratory songbirds have returned from their wintering grounds in Latin America.
Conditions
Some parcels of land within the preserve remain in private ownership — please do not trespass. The preserve boundaries are marked with small, yellow signs featuring TNC's logo.
Why TNC Selected This Site
TNC first came to the Baraboo Hills in the early 1960s at the request of local residents and university professors who recognized the unique nature of this area. They wanted TNC's help in protecting it.
Baxter's Hollow is an important site for at least two reasons: it contains a good portion of the Otter Creek watershed, and it provides the deep woods that forest songbirds need.
What TNC Has Done/Is Doing
Since 1969, TNC has steadily been acquiring parcels of land here. Private landowners in the Baraboo Hills have been important to TNC's preservation efforts at Baxter's Hollow, making cooperative conservation of this critical bird and wildlife habitat possible.