"People were always the limiters of happiness except for the very few that were as good as spring itself."
― Ernest Hemingway
"Yes, I deserve a spring―I owe nobody nothing."
― Virginia Woolf
Baxter's Hollow in the Baraboo Hills is one of my favorite spots to visit in early spring. The rich woodland floor comes alive with ephemeral wildflowers—Bloodroot, Hepatica, Trout Lilies—and the birds are just as rewarding. Eastern Phoebes, Winter Wrens, and the occasional Louisiana Waterthrush lend their voices to the season. I've found Six-spotted Tiger Beetles here too, though it's never been one of my regular insect haunts.
By summer, though, it loses a bit of its charm for me. The poison ivy gets thick, and the black flies along Otter Creek can be relentless. Still, in those few fleeting weeks of spring, Baxter’s Hollow is about as close to perfection as a natural area can get.
Its scenery reminds me of northern Wisconsin, but a lot closer to home—same rugged terrain, same sense of quiet and remoteness, just without the long drive. That makes those early spring visits even more satisfying, knowing you can slip into a place that feels so wild without needing to pack for a weekend.
At first there were only a few, but over the course of an hour, Round-lobed Hepatica began blooming—small bursts of lavender and white gradually opening under the filtered light. It felt like the forest was waking up in real time, one blossom at a time.
Nearby, the crazy-shaped forms of emerging Skunk Cabbage added a surreal, almost prehistoric vibe to the scene ...
Throughout the hike, Otter Creek rendered a constant murmur, its water trickling over rocks, weaving in and out of the quiet woodlands. I heard the distant call of a Pileated Woodpecker, adding it to my mental avian year list. The croaky calls of Wood Frogs added a rhythmic layer, punctuated by the occasional trill of Brown Creeper. Similarly voiced, the flitting calls of Golden-crowned Kinglets created a bright, energetic soundtrack, their sharp notes cutting through the stillness like tiny sparks of sound. It's a symphony of life, rich in texture and filled with the kind of quiet energy that defines spring's early days.
Often concealed by dense vegetation from the trail, here's the dedication plaque along the creek ...
All images © 2025 Mike McDowell