“Gorges, Trains, Beer and Mead, Pioneers, and Devils… all in less than 20 miles”
Quickie Summary: Wisconsin Highway 136 is a short but pretty ride in Sauk County, starting just east of Reedsburg near its charming Pioneer Village. It juts down to Rock Springs, threading through the beautiful (and highly studied) Ableman’s Gorge before heading east, skimming North Freedom and its famous train museum to arrive in West Baraboo, where it once ended at U.S. 12. In 2017, it was extended south along the former routes of U.S. 12 (which had moved to a new expressway bypass) and Highway 159, which it totally replaced, to head right to the entrance of Devil’s Lake State Park. Along the way you have a beautiful gorge to explore, a meadery, a craft brewery, a train museum, a lavender farm, and a lot of beautiful views. It runs a total of about 18 miles.
Wisconsin Highway 136 Road Trip
The Drive (West to East): State Trunk Highway 136 starts just east of Reedsburg along Highways 23 & 33. Highway 136 actually follows the original route of Highway 33 to Baraboo prior to 1934, and we’ll see Highway 33 again. If you’re a history buff and it’s a Saturday, we highly recommend Reedsburg Area Pioneer Log Village, which holds a cluster of real structures from the 19th century that served as homes and businesses in the area back then. You can tour the buildings, see and touch a variety of artifacts, and even explore the apothecary garden in the middle of the grounds to see how doctors made medicine for patients back then. The museum is seasonal, open Memorial Day weekend through September on Saturdays from 11am – 4pm. It’s just east of Highway 136 along Highways 23/33.
Heading south from the junction, you wind through the beautiful wooded and farming areas populating this portion of the rolling hills of Sauk County.
On this stretch, you make a crossing of the legendary “400” State Trail, named after the “400” train that once ran these tracks. The premise was that on this train route, passengers could cover the 400 miles between Chicago and the Twin Cities in just 400 minutes, making it an express route for the time before Interstate highways made that less impressive of a feat. The passenger trains ran from 1935 to 1963; today this segment of that route is a popular bike trail, one of the many successful “rail to trail” projects in Wisconsin.
Highway 136 runs over and along the Baraboo River numerous times during its length; one of the coolest stops along it is the Ableman’s Gorge State Natural Area, a beautiful gorge carved out by the Baraboo River with cliffs and rocky slopes rising as much as 200 feet. It runs for about a mile and a half, with a nearly 90-degree angle in the middle (it runs north-south and then abruptly east-west, not unlike the overall route of Highway 136.) The gorge ranges from fairly narrow to over 450 feet wide. Geologists love and study Ableman’s Gorge; Charles Van Hise, noted University of Wisconsin researcher who has the tallest building on campus named after him, developed some of his principles of structural deformation and metamorphism here. Van Hise Rock, right along Highway 136, is named after him and was commemorated with a plaque that dates back to 1923.
The legendary Van Hise Rock (left) is a “mecca of geology” that for well over a century has been used to teach and demonstrate principles of geology. It was named after University of Wisconsin geologist Charles R. Van Hise, who was first to regularly bring students ot the rock for study.
A solitary outcrop of Baraboo quartzite, it is considered by many scientists to be the single most famous geological feature in the Baraboo Hills, an impressive distinction in an area full of geologic wonders. The rock is literally roadside, with a historic marker explaining more right next to it.
And yes, you can lean on it for pictures. It won’t move.
Rock Springs
Just south of Ableman’s Gorge is the small village of Rock Springs (pop. 352), where Highway 136 meets Highway 154, which comes in from the west. It was founded in 1851 by Col. Stephen Van Rensselaer Ableman; if that last name sounds familiar, yes… he’s the one for whom the aforementioned gorge was named. The town was named after him too, until they changed it to Rock Springs in 1948.
There is an actual working spring in Rock Springs right along Highway 136, constantly running from a tap between the road and the Baraboo River. Another spring is about two blocks away. They were both from wells put in around 1885 that tapped into the spring. The water is cold, fresh, and delicious.
There’s actually a website on springs that offers more information on it here.
** Meadery Alert **
Just east of the quiet main intersection of Highways 136 & 154 and a crossing of the Baraboo River (again and again), you’ll find Mead King (110 E. Broadway Street/Highway 136, (608) 844-0616), a meadery that opened in town in 2019. It’s in the old village hall, and founder Brad Allen is in there letting fermentation do its thing. Their Tap Room is generally open Friday Noon-6pm and Saturday & Sunday Noon-5pm – possibly other times by appointment.
There’s also a restaurant called Station 136 Kitchen & Cocktails, and any place naming itself after a State Trunk Highway in Wisconsin gets a shout-out!
Heading east from Rock Springs, Highway 136 tumbles over and around the topography that marks this edge of the state’s Driftless Area.
North Freedom
A quick side trip on County I brings you to North Freedom (pop. 701), home to the Mid-Continent Railway Museum (E8948 Museum Road, (608) 522-4261.) This museum, located in a former working train station and yard, offers a fantastic look at trains and the history of the rails. It’s an indoor/outdoor museum, and the trains offer scenic seven-mile rides through the gorgeous Baraboo Hills on select dates and times. They are open from May through early December when they close the season with several “Santa Express” rides.
Also in North Freedom, Baraboo River Canoe & Kayak Rentals (106 Freedom Street, (608) 737-1100) offers some recreation opportunities on the Baraboo River you’ve been driving near during this time, and it is indeed one of the best rivers in the state for paddling. They’re open for individual or large group rentals from mid- to late-May through Labor Day weekend. Another great stop is Four Elements Herbals, a shop featuring homegrown, handcrafted products for wellness (while showing reverence to nature) with products straight from their nearby farm. They’ve been at it since 1987.
West Baraboo
The trip further east along Highway 136 brings in some great views of farmland and the Baraboo Hills in the distance; between that vista and rock outcroppings here and there, it’s a great area for pictures. A few miles further, and you find yourself entering West Baraboo (pop. 1,414), a commercial and residential village on the western edge of Baraboo itself. It’s here where Highway 136 ended from 1934 until 2017. However, it now extends south along a commercial corridor that used to be U.S. 12 before the freeway bypass opened. You’ll find plenty of shops and restaurants, but if you keep going – and follow the 90-degree jog east a few miles south – you’ll get to some real gems… both newer and older.
When Highway 136 cuts to the east again, it’s replacing the former Highway 159, which one connected U.S. 12 with the Devil’s Lake area. With the new bypass moving Highway 12 west slightly, the state decomissioned Highway 159 and just let Highway 136 replace it. After the relatively short jog east, you’ll hit County DL, which heads south and brings Highway 136 along with it to get it to a state park entrance. But first…
*** Brewery Alert ***
Right on the corner where Highway 136 meets up with County DL, you’ll find Tumbled Rock Brewery & Kitchen (S5718 State Road 136, 608-448-4340). Plenty of rocks have tumbled in the Baraboo Bluffs, one of which sits right by one of the patios. Yes, patios in plural – because Tumbled Rock offers an indoor dining area, an outdoor patio next to it, then an elevated middle area with fake grass, Adirondack Chairs, tables, bonfire pits, and a stage for live music, then a smaller brewery tap room. There’s room to roam at Tumbled Rock!
Wisconsin Highway 136 comes to its eastern terminus at the main entrance to Devil’s Lake State Park, the busiest park in the system. The highway literally brings to you the park’s front door; direct access to a world of trails, hills, bluffs, rock formations, water, and facilities that make it such a big draw.
From here, you can go into the park or head either way on County DL to go explore Baraboo or head towards Highway 113 for accessing Devil’s Head Resort & Ski Area, Parfrey’s Glen, the Merrimac Ferry, and more.
Highway 136 is such a great 20 mile road trip that showcases so much of what make Sauk County so beautiful and fascinating. Enjoy!
CONNECTIONS:
West Terminus
Can connect immediately to: Highways 23/33
Can connect nearby to: Highway 154, about 5 miles south
East Terminus:
Can connect immediately to: Devil’s Lake State Park
Can connect nearby to: U.S. 12, about 3 miles west; Highway 113, about 2 miles east via County DL
Back to StateTrunkTour.com
