Overview
A brief introduction to Devil's Lake State Park
Devil's Lake State Park is a state park located in the Baraboo Range in eastern Sauk County, just south of Baraboo, Wisconsin. It is around thirty-five miles northwest of Madison, and is on the western edge of the last ice-sheet deposited during the Wisconsin glaciation. The state park encompasses 9,217 acres (3,730 ha), making it the largest in Wisconsin. The state park is known for its 500-foot-high (150 m) quartzite bluffs along the 360-acre (150 ha) Devil's Lake, which was created by a glacier depositing terminal moraines that plugged the north and south ends of the gap in the bluffs during the last ice age approximately 12,000 years ago. The sand at the bottom of Devil's Lake is thought to be deposited by glaciers.
There are many quartzite rock formations, such as Balanced Rock and Devil's Doorway, throughout the park. Effigy mounds are also located throughout the park. The park contains approximately eleven miles of the 1,200-mile (1,900 km) Ice Age Trail. Its scenery, along with its proximity to the Wisconsin Dells, has made it one of the most visited of Wisconsin's state parks for both day use and overnight camping; the park receives over three million visitors annually. During the fall, the park's brilliant foliage makes it a popular attraction. Parfrey's Glen, Wisconsin's first state natural area, is managed by Devil's Lake State Park and located just east of the park.
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Scan for cancellationsContact Devil's Lake State Park
- Wisconsin State Parks
- Booking site: https://wisconsin.goingtocamp.com
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Other nearby parks
Open to camping at other nearby parks? Here are a few other parks you'll find in the vicinity.
Reviews
Camper reviews for Devil's Lake State Park
Great Beaches and Hiking
Devils lake has two very nice beaches at the end lake. The water is pretty clean and they don't allow motors on the lake so it great for kayaking and SUPS. It is 5 miles around so makes for a great paddle. The trails along the lake are also great. The east side has the famous Devils door and Balanced rock. The west side has two paths. The easy one is right at the lake level, and the other west path hikes the bluff.
2nd Favorite State Park in Wisconsin
Yes, it is also one of the most busy and hard to get sites, but it has so much to offer for your adventures. Hiking, Biking, and Swimming. There are also great spots outside the park to visit. The showers are clean most of the time and Northern Lights has a beautiful layout for our camping. We use7 sites for the full 14 days.
Map
View a map of Devil's Lake State Park
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