unglaciated.
The tale of the Driftless Area is one of geologic rebellion. As glaciers marched across the continent, they left behind a signature: glacial drift, a mix of rock and sediment that smoothed the landscape like a giant’s hand. But the Driftless Area refused to conform, standing firm against the icy onslaught. It remained a landlocked island in a sea of ice, a testament to the enduring power of the land.
uncommon.
The Driftless Area’s complex geology created a patchwork of microclimates, each one a tiny world unto itself. Ancient bedrock formations, carved by time and water, rose like giants from the land. Coldwater streams, born from hidden springs, tumbled through the valleys, their waters teeming with trout.
undeterred.
For generations, indigenous peoples, including the Ho-Chunk, Sauk, and Meskwaki, understood the land’s power and its mysteries, and they wove them into their stories and traditions. The landscape became a part of them, a sacred trust passed down through the ages.
unrelenting.
As settlers arrived, they marveled at the rugged terrain, the steep valleys that seemed to defy the flatness of the surrounding plains. Settlers had to learn to read the landscape, to find the hidden springs and the sheltered hollows where life could take root.
unending.
Conservationists and landowners have come together to protect and restore the land’s hidden treasures. Indigenous communities to share knowledge, passed down through generations, of how to live in harmony with the landscape.
It’s a story of revelation and transformation, of a land that is finally being understood and celebrated. It was a land alive, a place where the past and the present intertwined.
It is the Driftless, and so are we.
