The lake is 12,000 years old. The bliffs above it are 1.6 billion. Devil’s Lake, Wisconsin wins.

Devil’s Lake State Park isn’t what you’d expect

Devil’s Lake State Park sits just south of Baraboo, about 35 miles northwest of Madison, and the first thing that catches you off guard is the scale.

Five-hundred-foot quartzite bluffs rise straight out of the water on both sides of a 360-acre lake. The rock is 1.6 billion years old.

The lake itself is only 12,000 years old, a child by comparison.

Close to three million people come here every year, and once you see the bluffs from the shoreline, the number makes sense.

The lake’s name got lost in translation

The Ho-Chunk people called this place Tee Wakącąk, meaning Sacred Lake or Spirit Lake. When European settlers arrived, they heard the name and got it wrong.

“Devil’s Lake” stuck, even though nothing about what the Ho-Chunk believed here was dark or evil.

Between 700 and 1100 CE, mound-building peoples shaped ceremonial earthworks around the lake into birds, bears, lynx and water spirits.

Ten to 11 of those effigy mounds survive in the park today, and they remain sacred sites for the Ho-Chunk Nation and 19 other culturally affiliated Native nations. Stay off the mounds.

Twenty-nine miles of trails cover every skill level

The park’s trail system runs 29 miles, and you can match almost any fitness level to a route here.

The Tumbled Rocks Trail is the most popular: about a mile of paved path along the western lakeshore, weaving through fields of massive boulders.

The East Bluff Trail follows the ridgeline past Elephant Rock and Elephant Cave. Head to the West Bluff Trail if you want the highest point in the park.

Prospect Point sits at the top, and the lake stretches out below you on both sides of the ridge. About 1.5 miles of trails are accessible for visitors with mobility needs.

Devil’s Doorway and Balanced Rock will stop you cold

Two rock formations draw most of the cameras in the park.

Devil’s Doorway is a natural stone arch perched on the East Bluff, and you reach it by a short but steep side trail with stone steps cut into the quartzite.

Balanced Rock is exactly what it sounds like: a massive boulder tipped on the edge of a cliff, reached by a 0.4-mile steep climb. Both took millions of years to form.

Water worked its way into cracks in the rock, froze, expanded and split the stone apart. What looks precarious has actually been standing longer than recorded history.

Part of a trail that runs the length of Wisconsin

A section of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail cuts through the park, following the East Bluff, West Bluff, Johnson Moraine and several other routes.

The full trail stretches about 1,200 miles across Wisconsin and counts as one of only 11 National Scenic Trails in the country. In 2023, it became a unit of the National Park System.

The Devil’s Lake section ranks among the most-traveled stretches of the entire trail, which makes sense once you walk the bluff routes and see what the glaciers left behind.

Two beaches, one lake, zero motorized boats

The park has swimming beaches on both the north and south shores. The north shore beach draws the biggest crowds and has the finest sand.

If you want more space and sun later in the afternoon, the south shore tends to be quieter. Neither beach has lifeguards on duty.

Gasoline engines are banned from the lake entirely, which keeps the water calm enough that you can hear yourself think.

The south shore also has a designated swimming area for dogs, which means your four-legged travel companion isn’t left out.

Rent a kayak or drop a line from the shore

Canoe, kayak and stand-up paddleboard rentals run at both beaches during the warmer months. If fishing is your thing, the lake holds bass, walleye, northern pike, trout, panfish and bluegill.

The water is clear enough and deep enough, running 45 to 50 feet at its lowest points, that scuba divers come here too. Only non-motorized boats and electric trolling motors are allowed on the water.

Picnic areas with charcoal grills line both shorelines, so you can make a full day of it without going anywhere else.

More than 1,600 climbing routes on billion-year-old rock

Devil’s Lake is the top rock climbing destination in the Midwest, and the numbers back that up: more than 1,600 established routes run up the quartzite bluffs.

All climbing here is traditional style, meaning climbers place their own protection rather than relying on permanent bolts drilled into the rock.

That keeps the bluffs in better shape and raises the skill bar a bit. Routes run from beginner slabs to expert cracks and overhangs.

The East Rampart on the East Bluff draws the most climbers. If you’re new to it, local outfitters offer guided instruction.

Young men built these trails by hand in the 1930s

The park opened in 1911, but the trails and stonework you walk on today came later. From 1934 to 1941, about 200 members of the Civilian Conservation Corps lived in a work camp here.

Park rules at the time banned explosives and mechanical equipment, so the CCC workers moved boulders by hand. They cut stone stairways into the bluffs, laid out trails, and put up buildings that are still standing.

The stone bathhouse at Northern Lights Campground, built during those years, is considered one of the best-looking campground buildings in the state.

Winter turns the park into a different place entirely

Snow changes everything here. Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing take over the trails, and the frozen lake opens up for ice fishing. There’s a sledding hill that draws families throughout the colder months.

But the most dramatic seasonal shift actually comes in fall, before the snow arrives.

The Baraboo Hills contain one of the largest unbroken hardwood forests in the Midwest, and when those trees turn, the bluffs go red, orange and yellow all the way to the waterline.

The crowds that come for summer swimming come back in October just for this.

Free programs run year-round at the nature center

The park’s nature center runs free programs throughout the year on topics that range from owls and bats to geology and astronomy.

Inside, exhibits walk you through the park’s natural history and geology, with historic photographs going back to the 1800s. Summer Saturday evenings bring programs to the Northern Lights Amphitheater.

Kayak tours and nature art programs fill out the seasonal calendar.

The center also covers Ho-Chunk history and the meaning of the effigy mounds, which gives you a lot more context for what you’re looking at when you walk the park.

One of conservation’s most recognized wild landscapes

In 1974, the National Park Service declared the southern Baraboo Hills a National Natural Landmark. The Nature Conservancy put the Baraboo Hills on its list of Last Great Places conservation landscapes.

Just to the east of the park, Parfrey’s Glen sits quietly as Wisconsin’s first state natural area, managed by Devil’s Lake.

It’s a narrow gorge with moss-covered sandstone walls and a small stream running through it, and it feels nothing like the open bluffs.

Sauk County, where the park sits, holds 24 state natural areas, more than any other county in Wisconsin.

Visit Devil’s Lake State Park in Baraboo, Wisconsin

To get there, head to S5975 Park Road, Baraboo, WI 53913.

The park sits about 35 miles northwest of Madison and a short drive from the Wisconsin Dells area, so it fits well into a longer Wisconsin trip.

You’ll need a Wisconsin vehicle admission sticker to get in.

If you want to stay overnight, the park has 423 individual campsites spread across four campgrounds, plus a group campground.

Check the official website for current sticker prices, campsite availability and program schedules before you go.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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