Abelman's Gorge State Natural Area
Abelman's Gorge State Natural Area
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Ableman's Gorge is a classic gorge cut by the Baraboo River through Baraboo quartzite, Cambrian sandstone, and conglomerate. The cliffs and rocky slopes rise about 200 feet above the river to form a wall nearly three-fourths of a mile long, oriented east-west, which then abruptly turns south for a similar distance. The site tells a fascinating geological story of changing conditions in an ancient sea that first rose quietly against a cliff of quartzite and then, as layers of sediments gradually decreased the relief between sea floor and land, surged against the top of the cliff, wearing away quartzite and depositing a layer of cobbles and boulders across its upturned edge. Erosional forces and a former quarrying operation in the southern part of the natural area have re-exposed these long buried layers.
What's Nearby
Events
Places To Stay
Dining
1
Mid-Continent Railway Santa Express
11/30/2024 - 12/01/2024
North Freedom - 2.91 miles away
2
Mid-Continent Railway Holiday Flyer
12/07/2024
North Freedom - 2.91 miles away
3
Mollie B Christmas Show
12/07/2024
Reedsburg - 5.75 miles away
4
Baraboo Community Christmas Market
11/23/2024
Baraboo - 8.83 miles away
5
Downtown Baraboo Christmas Light Parade
11/23/2024
Baraboo - 8.83 miles away
6
Holiday Light Parade
11/29/2024
Portage - 23.18 miles away
7
Portage Cookie Walk
12/07/2024
Portage - 23.18 miles away
8
Portage Small Business Saturday
11/30/2024
Portage, WI - 23.19 miles away