Devil's Lake State Park (Wisconsin)

Devil's Lake State Park
Devil's Lake from the West Bluff
Map showing the location of Devil's Lake State Park
Map showing the location of Devil's Lake State Park
Location of Devil's Lake State Park in Wisconsin
Map showing the location of Devil's Lake State Park
Map showing the location of Devil's Lake State Park
Devil's Lake State Park (Wisconsin) (the United States)
LocationSauk County, Wisconsin, United States
Coordinates43°24′53″N 89°42′47″W / 43.41472°N 89.71306°W / 43.41472; -89.71306
Area9,217 acres (37.30 km2)
Elevation1,329 ft (405 m)[1]
Established1911
Governing bodyWisconsin Department of Natural Resources

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.[2] The state park encompasses 9,217 acres (3,730 ha),[3] making it the largest in Wisconsin.[4] 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.[5] 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.[6] 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 the Devil's Lake State Park and located just east of the park.

  1. ^ "Devils Lake State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. August 29, 1980. Retrieved March 18, 2011.
  2. ^ Salisbury, Rollin; Wallace Walter Atwood (1897). "Drift Phenomena in the Vicinity of Devil's Lake and Baraboo, Wisconsin". The Journal of Geology. 5 (2): 131–147. Bibcode:1897JG......5..131S. doi:10.1086/607730.
  3. ^ "Pick a Park – WDNR". Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Archived from the original on May 10, 2009. Retrieved January 25, 2009.
  4. ^ "Regional & Property Analysis: Sauk Prairie Recreation Area". July 2012: 1–67. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  5. ^ "Ice Age Trail: Devil's Lake Segment Hiking Trail, Baraboo, Wisconsin". Hiking Project. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  6. ^ [Devil's Lake - What Do I Need to Know?] Devil's Lake State Park Area Visitor's Guide. Accessed 19 Sept 2019.[not specific enough to verify]