Devil's Lake State Park
Baraboo, Wisconsin

Spectacular scenery, a full range of recreational activities, and a full-time naturalist make this a very popular park. The nearly-10,000-acre state park is 2 miles south of Baraboo and about 40 miles northwest of Madison.

The Devil's Lake valley is surrounded by purple quartzite bluffs.
DNR Photo

More people visit Devil’s Lake State Park annually—1.2 to 1.4 million—than any other state park in Wisconsin. Peak visitation is during the late spring, summer and fall, when visitors can swim in or boat on the clear, 360-acre spring-fed lake, hike or bike on over 29 miles of park trails.

The park is a unit of the Ice Age National Scientific Reserve. Federal passes [exit DNR] as well as Wisconsin state park admission stickers are honored. Holders of National Parks passports receive a waiver of the vehicle admission fees, but camping fees are not affected. Devil's Lake also has a segment of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail.

Each area of the park has many areas accessible for people with disabilities. The Ice Age campground has special shower/toilet facilities for campers with disabilities. Mobility-impaired visitors can check out a wheelchair at the north shore visitor station. The north 1,000 feet of Tumbled Rocks Trail, on the west side of the lake, is paved and accessible for wheelchair users.

Devil's Lake is open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. Visitor Center hours are from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily in the summer and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in other seasons.

All parked vehicles must have a valid vehicle admission sticker, and all campers must first register and pay before setting up. These requirements may be taken care of at the Visitor Center or at one of several self-pay stations.

The park is not maintained for rock climbing; do it at your own risk. Loose rocks may be encountered.

More Information

See the links to the left and below for more information about Devil's Lake State Park.

How to Get There

From the south or east on Interstate Highway 90/94, take State Highway 33 west about 15 miles to Baraboo. Turn left (south) on State Highway 123 and go 3 miles to the park.

From the northwest on I-90/94, go right (south) at exit 92. Take US Highway 12-East about 10 miles to State Highway 159. Turn left (east) on Highway 159 and go about 2 miles to the park.

From the south on US 12, turn right (east) on Highway 159 and go about 2 miles to the park.

From about April through November, the park can be reached via the Merrimac free ferry, State Highway 113 and County Highway DL.

Geographic coordinates are 43° 26' 2.8" N, 89° 44' 19.3" W.

In the Area

Department of Tourism Listings

Baraboo [exit DNR]—Accommodations, activities, dining, events, and more
Wisconsin Dells [exit DNR]—Accommodations, activities, dining, events, and more
Circus World Museum [exit DNR]— in Baraboo