The Upper Dells in Winter

 

Upper Dell Canyon in Winter

Matthiessen State Park's canyons are referred to as Dells; there are upper dells and lower dells. If you look up the term "dell" it means a grassy hollow or dried stream bed, often covered in trees. The landforms of Matthiessen are nothing like dells! They're certainly more like canyons, steep walls of rock, flowing streams and waterfalls, not small "u" shaped valleys formed by long gone streams. I suspect the terminology was carried down from Wisconsin's own Dells, where steep rock walls line the river. 

Whatever you call them, they're spectacular to visit at any time of year - especially when the weather is cold enough to freeze the waterfalls flowing over the canyon walls.

  Giant's Bathtub 

 My unofficial count of waterfalls in Matthiessen is 9, including the popular falls everyone sees, and some that are off the beaten path (a couple on no paths whatsoever that take a bit of climbing to view). I've been unable to find any document listing all of the names of the waterfalls and canyons, even looking at historic items from when the park was called Deer Park. Lake Falls, Giant's Bathtub, Cascade Falls, Devil's Paintbox are commonly viewed and well known, but if anyone knows the names of the other falls throughout the park, let me know.

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