Devil's Lake State Park (Wisconsin)

Loess covers most of the hills and forms the parent material of a brown silt loam soil. The lake is surrounded by a mixed conifer-deciduous forest and the Baraboo Hills are also home to one of the largest contiguous hardwood forests in the Midwest.[4]

Several moraines are featured in the park, another side effect of glaciation. The North Glacial Moraine is well covered by the north shore developments. The parking lots, concession building and the picnic shelter all sit atop the moraine. This moraine forms the northern border of Devil's Lake.[13] This moraine is approximately 80 feet (24 m) thick.[14] The Southeast Glacial Moraine is located between the East Bluff-South Face and the South Bluff. The Group Camp is located atop the moraine. It is best seen from the Roznos Meadow parking area along State Route 113.[13] The moraine is approximately 130 feet (40 m) thick.[14]

Due to the long geological history of Devil's Lake and the Baraboo Range, the area has been used in geological research for years. The lake itself is rectangular in shape and is a little over a mile long from north to south and a half mile from east to west. It has many cliffs, unique rock formations and a variety of animal and plant species.[15] One of the most notable features of the park is the presence of large talus slopes on three sides of the lake.[16]

Nature Center, near the main entrance road

Lynx mound near the nature center

The state park includes many buildings on its land. The exhibits at the park's nature center focus on the geology and natural history of the area. Public nature programs are offered in the summer, as well as evening programs on Saturday nights in the Northern Lights Amphitheater. The nature center also has many historical photographs that come from as far back as the 1800s. They also have many displays of examples of the flora and fauna that can be found throughout the park.[4]

The park has several American Indian mounds. Across the parking lot from the nature center are effigy mounds built in stylized animal shapes, such as a lynx and a sparrow. In front of the concession building is a linear mound, one of several geometric mounds in the park. These mounds were used as ancient burial sites by early North Americans. The nature center offers courses on the history of the effigy mounds.[17][18]

There are 29 miles (47 km) of hiking trails in Devil's Lake State Park. There are trails ranging from handicapped-accessible paved trails, to steep, difficult hiking trails, to rigorous, off-trail routes. The highest point is at Prospect Point, on the West Bluff, 500 feet (150 m) above Devil's Lake.[19]

• Balanced Rock Trail (0.4 miles)
• C.C.C. Trail (0.3 miles)
• Devil's Doorway (0.1 miles)
• East Bluff Trail (1.7 miles)
• East Bluff Woods Trail (1.3 miles)
• Grottos Trail (0.7 miles)
• Group Camp Trail (0.5 miles)
• Ice Age National Scenic Trail (All parts - 13.7 miles)
• Johnson Moraine Loop Trail (2.8 miles)
• Parfrey's Glen Trail (0.7 miles)
• Potholes Trail (0.3 miles)
• Roznos Meadow Trail (1.8 miles)
• Sauk Point Trail (4.5 miles)
• Steinke Basin Loop Trail (2.4 miles)
• Tumbled Rocks Trail (1 mile)
• Upland Loop Trail (3.8 miles)
• West Bluff Trail (1.4 miles)

Devil's Lake State Park has four miles of off-road - the Upland Trail Loop. There are no official paved road-bike trails in the park, although many people enjoy riding several miles on all the paved campground roads.

There are four popular campgrounds at the park containing 407 campsites all together:

• Northern Lights Campground
• Quartzite Campground
• Ice Age Campground
• Group Campground

Northern Lights Campground features a decent sledding hill.[4]

Stereoscopic view of Devil's Doorway by Truman Ward Ingersoll

Devil's Lake, published 1914

The geology of the Baraboo Hills surrounding Devil's Lake makes it one of the premier rock climbing areas in the Midwest, with climbs of varying difficulty. The Baraboo Hills are primarily quartzite, which is solid enough to climb. Most outcroppings in the region, especially in the Driftless Area, are composed of sandstone or limestone, which are too brittle to climb safely.

Devil's Lake has enjoyed a history of rock climbing since early ascents in the 20th century. Climbers such as the Stettner Brothers, and members of the hard-climbing group "DLFA"[20] have frequented the park extensively. Guidebooks cover more than a lifetime's worth of unique "routes" and sub-areas of the park.[21] For climbers, unique names for each major bluff formation is important in finding specific climbs and areas. The climbing style and protection system at Devil's Lake is known for its difficult, glassy rock and traditional fall-protection methods and anchors.[21]

There have been occasional deaths, injuries, and emergency rescues among the rock climbers at Devil's Lake.[22][23]

The "East Bluff" refers to the Eastern outcroppings in the park, and includes many sub-areas for climbers, including "Doorway Mass" which are climbs surrounding the famous Devil's Doorway formation, "Balanced Rock Wall" near the famous Balanced rock, and an area off of the CCC trail known as the "East Ramparts" which is the most popular due to the high concentration of sheer, unbroken cliff faces to climb.[24]

The west side of the park features climbing areas such as "Stettner Rocks", The Cleo Amphitheatre, and the "Lost Face". The Cleo Amphitheatre features the classic climb of a 25 ft freestanding spire known as "Cleopatra's Needle"[21][25]