Devil’s Lake State Park – Camping/Hiking

Situated along the Ice Age National Scenic Trail, Devil's Lake State Park offers magnificent views from 500-foot quartzite bluffs overlooking a 360-acre lake. Visitors enjoy nearly 30 miles of hiking trails, four miles of off-road bike trails, lakeshore picnic areas, swimming beaches, scuba diving, paddling opportunities, campsites, concession stands, picnic shelters and picnic sites, fishing, hunting, rock climbing and year-round naturalist programs.

The Nature Center at Devil’s Lake State Park invites visitors to explore what makes Devil’s Lake unique. Interactive exhibits introduce visitors to the park’s wildlife, geology and history, with hands-on displays, live reptiles and amphibians, a vast collection of historical photos and a play area for families. The center also serves as a hub for year-round interpretive programs, including guided hikes, wildlife programs and family-friendly activities led by the park naturalist, you can also check out snowshoes in the wintertime.

We will be camping at group site G5 on Friday and Saturday night. There will be picnic tables, a fire pit and a vault toilet nearby. Water will still be off, so please bring plenty for yourself. Friendly dogs are always welcomed. If anyone would like to bring their kayak or paddleboard to go out on the lake that option is also available. Due to how cold the water will be, that will be an individual personal preference and not listed as a group activity. If you have never camped in winter before, this would be a great opportunity for you to try it out in a group setting, plus your car will be close to keep extra items nearby if you get cold.

Weather
This is a late winter early spring outing, please check the weather forecast and come prepared for various temperatures. Typically late March high temps range from the 40’s to 50’s. The evenings usually the mid 30’s.

Friday
Arrive any time after 3pm. Get your tent set up, go on a short hike, relax and have dinner. We can also discuss going into Baraboo for a Friday night fish fry.

Saturday
Have breakfast and we can discuss what trails we would like to do. Depending on the weather at the time, we may need to stay off the rocks/bluff as there may be some ice/snow and they will be slippery. There are lots of other trails we can do in the open fields around Devil’s if that is the case. In the evening there could be an optional night hike if anybody is interested in that, so make sure and bring your headlight, or we can just sit around the cozy campfire.

Sunday
Have breakfast, do some more exploring of the park on your own or we can plan another group hike. We need to leave the campsite at 1pm, but you can still spend the day at the park hiking and exploring. You can also explore the Nature Center, it’s open from 10am to 4pm on Sunday. If you are new to the area, you can also head into Baraboo and check out the city. There are also a couple of wineries down the road.

Fees
Your $25.00 meetup fee covers $20 in 2 nights of camping costs, $3 in Meetup fees and $2 in firewood. The fee DOES NOT cover personal equipment, food or a WI State Parks vehicle sticker which is required for parking in Devil’s Lake State Park. Payment is due 48 hours after signing up. Full refunds will be honored if notified by March 20th. Please send your fee by Venmo @Sherri-Lockwood or by Zelle at 414-759-6317.

Directions to the group site:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/JD5gNQv3EhqJcqmw8