Aldo Leopold Foundation, Baraboo

Very clean and well maintained. The cranes were beautiful.

This is a great place to visit if you have an appreciation for nature, conservation, and native prairie restoration. You can walk the trails of the property of Aldo Leopold and visit his old shack where his family would stay. On occasion, Aldo's distant relatives are standing by the shack to give insight on the history of the place. The restored prairie area is beautiful and a joy to see if you have an interest in botany. Trails wind through the property and parallel the Wisconsin river. Overall very peaceful and lovely place to visit - a great combination of nature and history.

The buildings boast a rustic yet beautiful architectural style, and there are several forested walking trails that are absolutely lovely during all four seasons. The trails span an impressive stretch of the surrounding land, and their annual Art Discovery Day program is always a treat to participate in. We love visiting here!

The displays at the Foundation visitor center were especially interesting for their discussion of how Aldo Leopold's views of conservation changed over time. The roles that his family — especially his wife — played in the rehabilitation of this exhausted piece of land and later in the children's own research added a lot to the story. Still, the best part was the visit to the Shack and walking on the land itself — right on the shores of the Wisconsin River. The Foundation is closed on weekends, and road signs are few, so use GPS to get there. Parking at the Shack is $7, but everything else is free.

Be still my heart