Devil's Lake State Park (Wisconsin)
Devil's Lake State Park is a state park located in the Baraboo Range in eastern Sauk County, just south of Baraboo, Wisconsin, USA. This 9,217-acre (3,730 ha) 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 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. However, the Baraboo Hills are much older; they are approximately 1.6 billion years old and were once part of the Baraboo Range which is thought to have been taller than the Rocky Mountains. Loess covers most of the hills and forms the parent material of a brown silt loam soil. During the autumn, the park's brilliant foliage makes it a popular attraction. The lake is surrounded by a mixed conifer-deciduous forest. Its scenic beauty along with its proximity to the Wisconsin Dells has made it one of the most popular of Wisconsin's state parks for both day use and overnight camping; the park receives over 1.2 million visitors annually.
Both the north and south shores have food courts and modern restroom facilities. The park has trails ranging from handicapped accessible paved trails to difficult hiking or bouldering trails. There are also designated climbing areas for all levels of experienced rock climbers. There are three popular campgrounds at the park. 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 twelve miles of the 1,200-mile (1,900 km) Ice Age Trail.
Parfrey's Glen, Wisconsin's first state natural area, is managed by the Devil's Lake State Park and located just east of the park.
Nearby attractions include Devil's Head Resort, Cascade Mountain Resort, and the Circus World Museum.
Read more about Devil's Lake State Park (Wisconsin): Nature Center, Glacial Features, Mounds, Baraboo Range, Hiking Trails, Rock Climbing
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“A lake is the landscape’s most beautiful and expressive feature. It is earth’s eye; looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature. The fluviatile trees next the shore are the slender eyelashes which fringe it, and the wooded hills and cliffs around are its overhanging brows.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
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