Gullickson's Glen

State Natural Area (No. 133)

Location: Jackson County. T20N-R5W, Section 5 SE¼NE¼. 4 acres.

Access: From Black River Falls, go south on State Hwy. 54, then west on County Hwy. H 3 miles, then northwest on County Hwy. X 3.2 miles to the natural area.

Description: Gullickson's Glen preserves the best known assemblage of petroglyphs in Wisconsin. This small wooded site is dissected by Trout Run Creek, which has cut through the soft sandstone forming steep banks, vertical cliffs, and overhangs. Under the main overhang are numerous carvings in the sandstone-- petroglyphs depicting birds, deer, elk, fish, and one of a missionary. Natural erosion of rock chunks and defacing by people have destroyed some of the carvings. The rockshelter was completely excavated in the 1950’s, which recovered deer, elk, bear, fish, turkey, and mountain lion bones. Although use of the rockshelter dates back some 11,000 years, the petroglyphs date to the middle Woodland or Upper Mississippi period (1100-1150 A.D.). Numerous spring seeps emanate from the bases of the southern rock wall before it enters Trout Run Creek, a clear medium hard-water creek that harbors a diversity of aquatic invertebrates. The seeps contain many rare species including a water scavenger beetle (Cymbiodyta blachardi), a predaceous diving beetle, (Sanfilippodytes pseudovilis) and a species of cranefly previously unknown in Wisconsin (Ulomorpha sp.). In all, there are about 40 species of aquatic insects known from this small area. Vegetation in the glen is not unique but is quite rich in species diversity. Oaks, maples, and butternut are common, while the woods above the glen contains red and white pine. The site is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Gullickson’s Glen is owned by the DNR and was designated a State Natural Area in 1976.