Towns near Wisconsin Dells (Necedah, Forest: live, safe, park)

[cheese plate]

Originally Posted by dirtydan57

I went to high school in Rapids with a woman that was murdered in AF in 1978.

It's crazy, I believe it was the national per-capita murder leader for a couple different years from the 70s-90s.

There was a home (mobile home?) where a guy killed his whole family...I knew someone who'd had to deliver something to the family, and he said all the women were dressed like it was the Victorian era, and they sort of "scurried" excitedly around in the shadows while a freaky dude (the murderer) took care of the delivery. This one I believe happened in the late 80s?

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[dirtydan57]

But driving through it looks like a great place.

[Sean33]

I hate to pile on, but Adams-Friendship always gave me the creeps too. There is something about that place. Haven't been up that way for 15 or 20 years now, so not sure what it's like now. I grew up southwest of the Dells, in the Driftless Area outside a little village called Leland (about 30 miles from the Dells). That area is a little slice of heaven in my book. I never particularly liked the Dells though. Baraboo, Sauk Prairie, and Spring Green are all nice little towns near the Dells with beautiful countryside (Spring Green might be getting a bit far).

[timberline742]

It is a weird area. I love looking for critters there, especially Necedah, which may be outside of this area technically, but it is an odd one.

[Sean33]

I love Nechedah too! Great birdlife. Yeah, the Central Sands is strange. I've always thought the weirdness started in the Dells and went north through Wisconsin Rapids. I think the countryside lends itself to the strangeness too; the flat sandy jack pine forests broken up by the sandstone buttes. Some of the little towns always seemed a bit isolated, but it's not far enough north to have that Northwoods charm. Some cool areas to explore though.

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by Sean33

I love Nechedah too! Great birdlife. Yeah, the Central Sands is strange. I've always thought the weirdness started in the Dells and went north through Wisconsin Rapids. I think the countryside lends itself to the strangeness too; the flat sandy jack pine forests broken up by the sandstone buttes. Some of the little towns always seemed a bit isolated, but it's not far enough north to have that Northwoods charm. Some cool areas to explore though.

Yeah, unfortunately, a bunch of the places I love have been decimated by cranberry bog operations and a good chunk of the species are gone or near gone at these sites. Yay capitalism.

[ccjarider]

Originally Posted by timberline742

Yeah, unfortunately, a bunch of the places I love have been decimated by cranberry bog operations and a good chunk of the species are gone or near gone at these sites. Yay capitalism.

What species are gone?

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by ccjarider

What species are gone?

Massasaugas are near disappeared from the region. A road kill pops every few years in Necedah, but the lowlands there used to have very healthy populations even in the early 90s. I saw site after site extirpated as bog operations expanded (water level fluctuations and water quality issues really affect this species due to their overwintering / hibernation biology). I don't know anyone that has been able to locate western slender glass lizards at a number of the historic sites in many years as well. Those are two examples.

[cheese plate]

Originally Posted by timberline742

It is a weird area. I love looking for critters there, especially Necedah, which may be outside of this area technically, but it is an odd one.

Necedah has its own weirdness - check out the Mediatrix of Peace Shrine if you don't believe me. Something I'd try to describe but is best experienced. I loved it, but the lady was terrified, as it was off-hours and some cult members in long dresses drove up and watched us from behind structures/from their cars throughout. Luckily it was fairly chilly out, because there are tight restrictions on how much skin women can show. Very, very creepy place. Very, very creepy people. The creepiest grottos and figures (blood and bruises Jesus statue was particularly gross). It was awesome.

So yeah, Adams-Friendship has a weird creepout murderin' vibe, Plainfield has Gein, Necedah has a bizarre Christian cult, and the infamous Wisconsin Death Trip was mostly Jackson County just to the west.

I think the Central Sands is an unfortunately overlooked beauty in terms of nature and geology. It's the only collection of buttes and mesas east of the Mississippi, and many are stunning. Most of the world's cranberries are grown there. But there really is something "off" about a higher than usual % the natives.

[timberline742]

Ooh, gotta check that out next visit!

My latest visit was subpar. Didn't eat and hydrate right so I crashed early. Not enough cheese curd eating either.