Skillet Creek
Gasser Road to CTH.W (1.8 miles)
| Difficulty | III-IV |
| Length | 1.9 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 50 fpm |
| Gauge | Devils Lake Near Baraboo, Wi |
| Flow Rate as of 6 hours | 9 cfs |
| Reach Info Last Updated | November 18, 2024 |
River Description
This area was known almost exclusively by locals until it was named as a State Natural Area. Popularity blossomed, and abuse followed. A few major injuries (to cliff jumpers by the rocks of the dells, and to the rocks of the dells by cliff jumpers and others scrambiling all through the dells) has led to fences and signs restricting access to be anywhere but very limited viewing areas. Despite that, there are reports of people continuing to cliff jump and otherwise violate the present restricitons in this area.
What follows is description from before all the restrictions were put in place.
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This unbelievable run starts out passing through a cow yard (this is Wisconsin!), where you'll have to negotiate two fences crossing the stream. Not long thereafter you'll encounter the opening sequence of drops which wouldn't be out of place in the U.P. (Michigan), followed by a 'middle stretch' of swiftwater (littered with numerous snags to be negotiated), followed by a little sandstone gorge (Pewit's Nest) which contains a sweet set of drops.
Do not take these drops too lightly. Your only view of the drops is from well overhead (climbing on or jumping from rocks is prohibited). From that high-overhead vantage point, it is nearly impossible to get an accurate perspective as to what the drops are actually like at river level. If all goes well (on your run), it's just a quick flush rush! (A piece-of-cake.) If anything goes amiss, you are in a nasty spot. There is almost no way for any other boaters to provide much assistance if you have an 'out of boat experience'.
The creek is narrow enough through the two largest drops that there is no 'choice of a line'. You can choose your angle, choose your technique (try to boof, or just drop over and go deep), choose your boat (I recommend something not too short), but the only choice of a line is 'down the falls' or 'around the
...River Features
Put In
Skillet Falls
From the listed put-in, you pass through a cow pasture (probably encountering and having to deal with two fences), before a sharp bend to the left as you enter wooded banks and rocky bottom and shores. A short distance downstream, you pass under a private driveway bridge, and the river turns sharply right (westerly), then sharply right again (northerly). At this point, you will see a horizon line, and a house and yard beyond. You will probably want to get out to scout (river-left).
The first pitch is a wide and stepped, sliding drop. A very brief pool, and a twist to the left, and the river drops across a short uniform ledge into another brief pool. (The photo shows this ledge, not the main first pitch.) At some high flows, this one might become playable, or could develop a bit of a hydraulic. Last in this sequence, there is a sweet low-angle slide (like an off-ramp) before this stretch of gradient eases back.
Pewits Nest
After a long, uneventful middle section of the creek (that is, no real drops . . . you may have to contend with deadfall, meanders, and other obstructions), you will see on river-right some open field areas. Not far beyond, you'll see the banks rise ahead, and come to a horizon line. This is the start of the Pewits Nest sequence. Get out and scout from river-right (if you did not do so before putting on . . . and perhaps even if you did!).
The first two drops are fairly short ledges, fairly wide, with decent pools beyond. The next two drops are narrow (barely more than paddle-width across), and drop quite steeply into swirling boiling pools. If you had enough water for the Skillet Falls sequence to be anything more than bump-and-scrape, the last two falls in Pewitt's Nest will be considerably 'meaty'. If you don't run them 'clean' (if your boat gets sucked back into the falls), you will be in quite a predicament, as there is not really any good way for anyone to set safety to help you! Do not take these drops lightly! They may look pretty simple from high overhead when you scout them, but they have caught a number of boaters who have tried this run.
The following YouTube video is a fine solitude of the falls at low water, giving a great view of the topology of the third drop:
Take Out
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportLarge log submerged roughly 12 to 18 inches below surface (during normal summer flow). Sitting at a shallow angle (rising from river right to river left). The log ends about two feet from the left canyon wall. There is no possibility of negotiating around the log, your bow will get stuck under it and you will be trapped. Ouch! Uppon close inspection by swimming up to the log, it appears that it is lodged very well and will take very heavy flows to clear it from the pool. Major bummer!
This is the 2nd drop in a sequence of 3 drops that make up skillet falls. Opposite from the gorge section, the drops in Skillet falls are largest to smallest from upstream to downstream.
This photo shows the last and largest (about 10-12 feet) of 4 drops in Pewitt's nest with the 2nd (5 feet) and 3rd drop (about 8-10 feet) in the background. There are no eddies between drops 3 and 4, so don't get caught in the sticky hole at the botom of drop #3!!!