Devil's Lake State Park

In Baraboo, Wisconsin, Devil’s Lake State Park resides which offers several different trails, as well as a lake. I want to talk about this state park because not only is it a great place for hiking, but because I have actually been hiking it since I was a little girl.

Devil’s lake is pretty big, offering about 30 miles of trails throughout the park, and has cabins in case any of you were interested in making a trip out of coming here.

You can either come into the park on the north shore or the south shore, and each shore has different trails to hike. My preference is coming in on the south shore, because it provides an immediate access to the scenery of the lake, as well as quick access to the hiking trails.

My favorite trails to do here at Devil’s lake include the potholes trail, balanced rock trail, and the devil’s doorway trail.

Potholes trail is very challenging in my opinion, because this trail takes you straight up to the top. The trail is vertical rocks that are shaped like stairs, so this trail it literally taking you to the top of the bluff. While it only takes about 30 to 40 minutes to get to the top, it’s a pretty challenging 30 to 40 minutes. The steps are high by themselves, so it sort of feels like you’re lunging all the way to the top. Although it is challenging, the views at the top do not disappoint!

This is the view from the top!

Devil’s doorway is another one of my favorite trails, because devil’s doorway is the iconic focal point of the East Bluff. It’s very popular to tourists and those who hike frequently at Devil’s Lake, and it is a very cool sight to see after a tough hike.

Balanced rock is another one of my favorite trails, because it leads you to a giant rock that is literally balancing on other rocks. It’s an amazing sight to see and I would recommend this hike to everybody. 

There are many other trails to hike here, but the ones I included here are my personal favorite, and I recommend each and every one to those of you who are interested in devil's lake.

While some of the trails are challenging, there are trails that easier such as trails that do require much climbing or steep inclines. It's a friendly place to hike for people of all ages and all fitness levels, which is what I love about this park so much.