There’s more foul weather in the forecast next week, so how could we pass up on all this sunshine today? Amanda, Sophie, and I packed up the dogs, the cameras, and a picnic lunch and headed over to Pheasant Branch Creek Conservancy.

The diverse topography of this 160-acre site provides a panoramic view of the Capitol Building, the downtown Madison skyline, and Lake Mendota. Native Americans were first to appreciate these vistas from this high-point as they chose this site for burial mounds. Below this hill to the south are the Pheasant Branch Creek wetlands and several predominant springs that provide fresh water for Lake Mendota. Opportunities for hiking, bird watching and interpretation will be provided in the future.