Bed and Breakfast Wisconsin, Inn at Lonesome Hollow

Wisconsin Driftless Area

The "driftless area" of the Upper Midwest derives its name from the fact that it was unglaciated during the most recent glacial event about 12,000 years ago. Glaciers surrounded but did not pass over this land.

The landscape of the Driftless area is as unique as it is beautiful. The area's defining features are a seemingly endless series of ridges and valleys. Ridge tops typically rise 300 to 500 ft above the valley floor. Hillsides are very steep and mostly wooded with a  first generation oak/hickory forest that is gradually changing to a maple dominated woodland. Sandstone and limestone outcroppings add a rugged look to the terrain and offer opportunities for thousands of springs to flow year round in the region. The flow from these springs combine to form hundreds of crystal clear, cold water streams, perfect habitat for brown, rainbow, and brook trout.

The Driftless Area is rich in wildlife. Whitetail deer, wild turkey, and fox are commonly sited. Less common but still present in reasonable numbers are river otter, mink, and bobcat. Black bear visits are becoming increasingly common as the Wisconsin black bear population moves southward, expanding their territory into the perfect woodland environs of the Driftless Area. Ducks, geese, heron, egrets, and sandhill cranes are usually present. Bird watchers enjoy a vast array of song birds, owls, hawks, vultures, and an occasional bald eagle that wanders east from the Mississippi River.   

The unique environment of the region is also inhabited by many endangered species of flora and fauna such as the Lapland Rosebay and the Kentucky Warbler. Ice caves are a surprising find on many hikes along north facing slopes. The porous stone underlayment of the hills produce small trickles of water which freeze into large ice formations during winter; when this occurs in a protected, north-facing cave, the ice can persist all year long.

Today farming is still a major industry in the Driftless Area. Broad valleys and ridge tops hold more modern, larger scale farms; smaller, tighter valleys are home to the old family size dairy farms; and the most rugged farmland is fruitfully farmed by industrious Amish. Orchards continue to grow along some of the area's ridge tops, and vineyards are a developing business. Organic farming has become a very profitable business for many of the area's farms, and the Driftless Area is home to Organic Valley, the nation's largest organic farm cooperative.

Whether you are birding, hiking, or taking a weekend day trip in your car, Lonesome Hollow Bed and Breakfast Inn is the perfect jumping off place for exploring the unique terrain and ecology of the Driftless Area.