Mirror Lake State Park
Encyclopedia
Mirror Lake State Park is a 2179 acres (881.8 ha) Wisconsin
state park in the Wisconsin Dells
region. It contains Mirror Lake, a narrow reservoir
with steep sandstone sides up to 50 feet (15 m) tall. The lake has a surface area of 137 acres (55.4 ha) and an average depth of 10 to 14 ft (3 to 4.3 ). Recessed out of the wind, the water of Mirror Lake is usually calm and often as glassy-smooth as a mirror. Situated in a major tourist area, the state park has an extensive campground and other visitor amenities. Also located within the park is the Seth Peterson Cottage
, a Frank Lloyd Wright
-designed building available for public rental.
sandstone
deposited 500 million years ago at the bottom of shallow inland seas. During the Wisconsin glaciation
between 20,000 and 10,000 years ago a glacial lobe passed just east of the park. Dell Creek
, a tributary of the Wisconsin River
is believed to have been blocked by outwash sediments and diverted northeast. Over time it cut a deep, narrow ravine
into the easily-eroded sandstone. The steep cliffs indicate that this section of Dell Creek is much younger geologically than upstream, where the banks have eroded longer and are more gently sloping.
The lakeshore is covered in a pine-oak forest. Eastern white pines
are dominant, with red pines
clustered atop the sandstone cliffs along the water's edge. The hardwoods are a mix of white, red, and black oaks.
was first dam
med in 1860 to power a watermill
owned by Horace LaBar, and early maps call the impoundment "LaBar's Pond". The mill, which produced chiefly flour
, had a succession of owners until the Timme family acquired it in 1893. The original wood dam was replaced with concrete in 1925. The Timme Mill became known for its self-rising pancake
flour. The Timmes sold the mill in 1947, and new owners continued to produce pancake flour for another decade, but when the mill burned down in 1957, the owners declared bankruptcy
.
The state park was created in 1962. Eight years later the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
found the 1925 dam to be in poor condition. Repair or removal became necessary, so the dam was transferred to Sauk County
from its private owners. The state park and the other property owners on Mirror Lake paid into a fund out of which the dam was repaired.
The northwest corner of the park was added to the Wisconsin State Natural Areas Program
in 2003 because of its botanical quality. It is listed as the Mirror Lake Pine Oak Forest State Natural Area.
s, 47 of those with electrical hookups. There are also seven group campsites that each accommodate up to 20 people in tents. The Seth Peterson Cottage on park land is also available for rental.
Mirror Lake is a strictly no-wake
zone. Not only is the lake too small and narrow to accommodate speedboats, but the sandstone sides would be easily undercut by wave action. A concessionaire
rents several types of watercraft near the boat ramp. There is also a 200 feet (61 m) swimming beach with an adjacent picnic ground.
The park contains 28.4 miles (45.7 km) of hiking
trails, 17.4 miles (28 km) of cross-country skiing
trails, 9.2 miles (14.8 km) of mountain biking
trails, and 1.2 miles (1.9 km) of snowshoe
ing trail.
Several amenities are designed for visitors in wheelchairs, including the first accessible camper cabin in the Wisconsin state park system, built in 1991. There is also a half-mile trail, a fishing pier, and a picnic shelter that are wheelchair-friendly.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
state park in the Wisconsin Dells
Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin
Wisconsin Dells is a city in south-central Wisconsin, with a population of 2,418 as of the 2000 census. It straddles four counties: Adams, Columbia, Juneau, and Sauk. The city takes its name from the dells of the Wisconsin River, a scenic, glacially formed gorge that features striking sandstone...
region. It contains Mirror Lake, a narrow reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
with steep sandstone sides up to 50 feet (15 m) tall. The lake has a surface area of 137 acres (55.4 ha) and an average depth of 10 to 14 ft (3 to 4.3 ). Recessed out of the wind, the water of Mirror Lake is usually calm and often as glassy-smooth as a mirror. Situated in a major tourist area, the state park has an extensive campground and other visitor amenities. Also located within the park is the Seth Peterson Cottage
Seth Peterson Cottage
The Seth Peterson Cottage is a two-room lakeside cottage located in Mirror Lake State Park outside Lake Delton, Wisconsin It was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1958.-History:...
, a Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures and completed 500 works. Wright believed in designing structures which were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture...
-designed building available for public rental.
Natural history
The region is formed from Late CambrianCambrian
The Cambrian is the first geological period of the Paleozoic Era, lasting from Mya ; it is succeeded by the Ordovician. Its subdivisions, and indeed its base, are somewhat in flux. The period was established by Adam Sedgwick, who named it after Cambria, the Latin name for Wales, where Britain's...
sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
deposited 500 million years ago at the bottom of shallow inland seas. During the Wisconsin glaciation
Wisconsin glaciation
The last glacial period was the most recent glacial period within the current ice age occurring during the last years of the Pleistocene, from approximately 110,000 to 10,000 years ago....
between 20,000 and 10,000 years ago a glacial lobe passed just east of the park. Dell Creek
Dell Creek
Dell Creek is a warm freshwater stream that lies in northeastern Sauk County and southern Juneau County in central Wisconsin. The area along the stream is...
, a tributary of the Wisconsin River
Wisconsin River
-External links:* * * , Wisconsin Historical Society* * * *...
is believed to have been blocked by outwash sediments and diverted northeast. Over time it cut a deep, narrow ravine
Ravine
A ravine is a landform narrower than a canyon and is often the product of streamcutting erosion. Ravines are typically classified as larger in scale than gullies, although smaller than valleys. A ravine is generally a fluvial slope landform of relatively steep sides, on the order of twenty to...
into the easily-eroded sandstone. The steep cliffs indicate that this section of Dell Creek is much younger geologically than upstream, where the banks have eroded longer and are more gently sloping.
The lakeshore is covered in a pine-oak forest. Eastern white pines
Eastern White Pine
Pinus strobus, commonly known as the eastern white pine, is a large pine native to eastern North America, occurring from Newfoundland west to Minnesota and southeastern Manitoba, and south along the Appalachian Mountains to the northern edge of Georgia.It is occasionally known as simply white pine,...
are dominant, with red pines
Red Pine
Pinus resinosa, commonly known as the red pine or Norway pine, is pine native to North America. The Red Pine occurs from Newfoundland west to Manitoba, and south to Pennsylvania, with several smaller, disjunct populations occurring in the Appalachian Mountains in Virginia and West Virginia, as well...
clustered atop the sandstone cliffs along the water's edge. The hardwoods are a mix of white, red, and black oaks.
Cultural history
Dell CreekDell Creek
Dell Creek is a warm freshwater stream that lies in northeastern Sauk County and southern Juneau County in central Wisconsin. The area along the stream is...
was first dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
med in 1860 to power a watermill
Watermill
A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
owned by Horace LaBar, and early maps call the impoundment "LaBar's Pond". The mill, which produced chiefly flour
Flour
Flour is a powder which is made by grinding cereal grains, other seeds or roots . It is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many cultures, making the availability of adequate supplies of flour a major economic and political issue at various times throughout history...
, had a succession of owners until the Timme family acquired it in 1893. The original wood dam was replaced with concrete in 1925. The Timme Mill became known for its self-rising pancake
Pancake
A pancake is a thin, flat, round cake prepared from a batter, and cooked on a hot griddle or frying pan. Most pancakes are quick breads; some use a yeast-raised or fermented batter. Most pancakes are cooked one side on a griddle and flipped partway through to cook the other side...
flour. The Timmes sold the mill in 1947, and new owners continued to produce pancake flour for another decade, but when the mill burned down in 1957, the owners declared bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
.
The state park was created in 1962. Eight years later the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is an agency of the state of Wisconsin. Its purpose is to preserve, protect, manage and maintain the natural resources of the state. The WDNR has the authority to set policy for itself and to recommend regulations for approval by the State Legislature...
found the 1925 dam to be in poor condition. Repair or removal became necessary, so the dam was transferred to Sauk County
Sauk County, Wisconsin
Sauk County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 55,225. Its county seat and largest city is Baraboo. Sauk County is included in the Baraboo Micropolitan Statistical Area and in the Madison Combined Statistical Area....
from its private owners. The state park and the other property owners on Mirror Lake paid into a fund out of which the dam was repaired.
The northwest corner of the park was added to the Wisconsin State Natural Areas Program
Wisconsin State Natural Areas Program
The Wisconsin State Natural Areas Program is a conservation program created to highlight and protect areas with outstanding natural or archaeological resources in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. There are currently 609 State Natural Areas encompassing a total of more than...
in 2003 because of its botanical quality. It is listed as the Mirror Lake Pine Oak Forest State Natural Area.
Recreation
Mirror Lake State Park has 151 campsiteCampsite
A campsite or camping pitch is a place used for overnight stay in the outdoors. In British English a campsite is an area, usually divided into a number of pitches, where people can camp overnight using tents or camper vans or caravans; this British English use of the word is synonymous with the...
s, 47 of those with electrical hookups. There are also seven group campsites that each accommodate up to 20 people in tents. The Seth Peterson Cottage on park land is also available for rental.
Mirror Lake is a strictly no-wake
Wake
A wake is the region of recirculating flow immediately behind a moving or stationary solid body, caused by the flow of surrounding fluid around the body.-Fluid dynamics:...
zone. Not only is the lake too small and narrow to accommodate speedboats, but the sandstone sides would be easily undercut by wave action. A concessionaire
Concession (contract)
A concession is a business operated under a contract or license associated with a degree of exclusivity in business within a certain geographical area. For example, sports arenas or public parks may have concession stands. Many department stores contain numerous concessions operated by other...
rents several types of watercraft near the boat ramp. There is also a 200 feet (61 m) swimming beach with an adjacent picnic ground.
The park contains 28.4 miles (45.7 km) of hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
trails, 17.4 miles (28 km) of cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
trails, 9.2 miles (14.8 km) of mountain biking
Mountain biking
Mountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.Mountain biking can...
trails, and 1.2 miles (1.9 km) of snowshoe
Snowshoe
A snowshoe is footwear for walking over the snow. Snowshoes work by distributing the weight of the person over a larger area so that the person's foot does not sink completely into the snow, a quality called "flotation"....
ing trail.
Several amenities are designed for visitors in wheelchairs, including the first accessible camper cabin in the Wisconsin state park system, built in 1991. There is also a half-mile trail, a fishing pier, and a picnic shelter that are wheelchair-friendly.
External links
- Mirror Lake State Park official website
- Mirror Lake Pine Oak Forest State Natural Area official website