Drifltess Pathways

man mound and raddatz rockshelter

Nestled in the Baraboo Hills is the only remaining example of a human-shaped Effigy Mound. Built by Native people 1,000 years ago and preserved in a small town park, "Man Mound" became a National Historic Landmark in 2017 nearly 100 years after its initial preservation. A visit to this massive earthwork leaves you with an appreciation for the efforts, ingenuity, and life ways of the Native American builders. To the west, along the east flank of the Driftless Area is a sandstone rockshelter that Native people occupied seasonally for thousands of years. Learn how the careful excavation of stratigraphic layers and recovery of artifacts from the dirt floor of the "Raddatz Rockshelter" was crucial to developing an understanding  of Wisconsin's deep human history.