Devil’s Lake State Park
Official 2018 Visitor Guide
PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER
Stickers & Reservations .... 3 Emergency Information .... 4 Campground Map ..... 56-57 Trail/Park Map ........... 60-61 Complete Index Located On Page 2
DEVIL’S LAKE STATE PARK • S5975 PARK ROAD • BARABOO, WI 53913 • (608) 356-8301 • www.WIPARKS.net GPS: 43 26.049, 89 44.025 WISCONSIN DEPT. OF NATURAL RESOURCES • PUB-PR-111 2018
2 | 2018 DEVIL’S LAKE STATE PARK GUIDE
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Devil’s Lake State Park Official 2018 Visitor Guide ADMISSION INFORMATION ............................................. 4 CAMPGROUND MAPS ............................................... 56-57 DRIVING TOUR ............................................................ 58-59 EMERGENCY INFORMATION ............................................ 4 GROUP CAMP MAP .......................................................... 53 NORTH SHORE & SOUTH SHORE MAPS............................ 46 PARK/TRAIL MAP ....................................................... 60-61 Bird Migration ....................................................................40 Boat Rentals .......................................................................38 CALENDAR OF EVENTS May ...................................................................................13 June, July & August ............................................... 15, 17, 19 September & October.......................................................21 Concessions ........................................................................39 Critter Cams .......................................................................36 Devil’s Lake Depth Map ..................................................... 47 Effigy Mounds ....................................................................32 Friends of Devil’s Lake State Park ......................................23 Geology of Devil’s Lake ..................................................... 26 Hunting & Trapping In State Parks ................................... 28 Kayak Tours........................................................................ 54 Kids! Become a Wisconsin Explorer! ..................................27 Memorial Bricks and Pavers .............................................. 20 Natural Bridge State Park...................................................48 Nature Center Activities .................................................... 41 Nearby State Natural Areas ................................................43 Parfrey’s Glen .................................................................... 11 Park Information in Spanish .................................................9 Pet Rules ...............................................................................4 Photo Contest .....................................................................33 Picnic Shelter Rentals ...........................................................8 Protect The Trees ............................................................... 29 Riding the Rails .............................................................34-35 Rowing Championships ......................................................31 Sauk Prairie State Recreation Area ...............................44-45 White Nose Syndrome ....................................................... 51 Who Walked Path Before You .............................................37
Published By:
Capital Newspapers, Baraboo, WI
Ad Directory:
Scott Zeinemann
Graphic Design:
Dusty Drew Baka
Cover Photo by:
Peter Arndt
Visit the
Leopold Center and Leopold Shack & Farm
Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm Saturday 10am-4pm (April 21st-October 27th, 2018)
View website for directions and a calendar of events! www.aldoleopold.org 608.355.0279
D how Aldo Leopold shaped conservation thinking and practices. L about sustainability in our green visitor center and the surrounding landscape. E your own connection to the natural world through tours, special events, workshops, and conferences. P
2018 DEVIL’S LAKE STATE PARK GUIDE | 3
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Welcome to Devil’s Lake State Park! The Devil’s Lake State Park staff would like to extend a warm welcome to all our visitors as you visit Devil’s Lake State Park. Devil’s Lake is Wisconsin’s largest and busiest state park. The park spans about 10,000 acres and in 2017 we saw an estimated 2.7 million visitors. While Devil’s Lake State Park has been a state park since 1911, it is clear that visitors and native cultures have been visiting and using the park for hundreds of years.
and now paddle boarders continues to grow. The Devil’s Lake Concession, which operates the Chateau on the North Shore and the South Shore concession, is a wonderful place to rent a boat, get a bite to eat, or pick up a great souvenir to remember your visit from the park. The ConcesFront row (l to r): Randy George, Richard Hesed, Sue JohansenMayoleth, Claire O’Connell, Pat Czieslewicz, Jim Carter. sion also conducts guided kayak Back row: Steve Schmelzer, Duane Hartwick, Aaron Loenhorst, tours throughout the summer. The Jonah Moline. Not pictured: Denise Stecher Devil’s Lake Concession Corporation is a nonprofit corporation the year. If you are interested in finding out that was founded in 1959 to provide services more information about the Friends or volunteerto park visitors and help the park. To date, the ing, please visit the Friends website at www. Devil’s Lake Concession Corporation has gifted devilslakefriends.org or stop by the North Shore to the park in excess of $3,000,000. When you Visitor for a volunteer application. patronize any of the three concession locations at Whether this is your first time visiting Devil’s Lake North Shore, South Shore, or the Ice Age Campor you and your family have been coming for ground store, you are also helping them provide years, you can always find something interesting for the park. or fun to do. Even on our busiest days, you can The park is also thankful for the wide range of venture out in the park and find areas where volunteers that help us manage the park and you can experience nature and all it has to offer. provide services to you the visitors. Volunteers Our mission is to provide you with a high quality provide services in the Nature Center and Visitor state park experience while protecting the area Center, help with routine maintenance and trail for future generations to come. Thanks for visiting repair, staff special events, and do special projects Devil’s Lake State Park and I will see you all at all around the park. The Friends of Devil’s Lake is the park. one of the main coordinators of these volunteers Steve Schmelzer, as well as sponsoring special events throughout Park Superintendent
One of the reasons that Devil’s Lake State Park is so popular is because of the true beauty of the lake, bluffs, and surrounding lands. The park has a wide range of recreational opportunities that many visitors take part in. Our most popular activity is hiking on the 29 miles of hiking trails that traverse the park. Many of these trails have been used for generations. In the 1930’s Devil’s Lake State Park was home to Camp Devil’s Lake. The camp was a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp that provided work for area youth during the trying times of the 1930’s. As you visit the park today, many of the trails, buildings, roads, and campsites you see and use were built by the CCC. Please stop by the Nature Center to see some historic pictures covering that period of time here at the park. Devil’s Lake State Park is also known for its other silent sports. Outboard motors were outlawed in the park in the 1960’s and the use of the lake by sail boaters, row boaters, windsurfers, kayakers,
DEVIL’S LAKE STATE PARK
Reservations are available for all outdoor group, and family campsites by calling our toll-free number, 1-888-WI-PARKS (1-888-947-2757) or by visiting our website www.wiparks.net. This centralized reservation system provides “one-stop shopping”for any reservable site in the Wisconsin State Park System. Campers may make site-specific reservations up to 11 months in advance and will receive immediate confirmation. Please have your major credit card ready when you place your call. (Checks accepted upon request.) Reservations can no longer be made by calling or stopping at individual parks. The reservation fee is $9.70/site. Campsites #1- #10 are non-reservable, first-come, first served.
Family Camping Rates Per Night
Spring/Fall
May 1 through Thursday before Memorial Day & Labor Day through October 31
Weekday Non-Electric Electric $20
$35
Weekend Non-Electric $20
$25
$40
$25
Weekend
Weekday & Weekend
Electric
Non-Electric
Electric
$20
$22
$37
$20
$35
$35
Weekend Non-Electric
Weekday
November 1 through April 30
Non-Electric
Spring/Fall
Non-Electric Electric
Winter
Friday before Memorial Day through Sunday before Labor Day
Electric Non-Electric Electric
May 1 through Thursday before Memorial Day & Labor Day through October 31
Weekday
WI RESIDENT RATES Summer
$35
NON-RESIDENT RATES Summer
Winter
Friday before Memorial Day through Sunday before Labor Day
Weekday
November 1 through April 30
Weekend
Weekday & Weekend
Electric Non-Electric Electric
Non-Electric
Electric
Non-Electric
Electric
$25
$27
$42
$25
$40
$40
$40
4 | 2018 DEVIL’S LAKE STATE PARK GUIDE
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EMERGENCY INFORMATION STAY CLEAR OF THE RAILROAD TRACKS!
Photo By: Paul Swanson
The Wisconsin & Southern Railroad, which operates the railroad line that runs through Devil’s Lake State Park, would like us to remind visitors to please stay off of the tracks. Trains pass through the park several times a day and the folks at Wisconsin & Southern would like your visit to Devil’s Lake to be a safe one.
YOUR ATTENTIVENESS TO THIS REQUEST IS APPRECIATED.
For Emergencies
DIAL 911 An emergency phone is located on the outside of the Visitor Center to call directly to the Sauk County Sheriff’s Department.
Non-Emergency Numbers DNR Law Enforcement Hotline: 1-800-847-9367 Sauk County Sheriff’s Department: 608-356-4895 General Park Information 608-356-8301 #0 Park Visitor Center (North Shore) PARK HOURS:
ADMISSION STICKERS: Motor vehicles parked inside the park boundary must have an admission sticker attached to the inside of the windshield on the driver’s side before parking.
Resident Daily - $13.00
Resident Annual - $28.00
Non-Res. Daily - $16.00
Non-Res. Annual - $38.00
Senior Resident Daily - $3.00 Senior Resident Annual - $13.00 One Hour - $5.00
A second annual pass is available at a discount. Inquire at the Visitor Center.
PRICES MAY CHANGE
The park is open from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. daily. Only registered campers at or in route to their campsites are allowed in the park after 11:00 p.m.
• Pets must be leashed (8 feet or shorter) at all times and all places. • Leashed pets may go on any hiking trails except Parfrey’s Glen. • Pets may not go in buildings, playgrounds, beaches, or the main picnic areas. • Pets may picnic with their owners near the north shore boat landing and east of the railroad tracks near the northeast corner of the lake. • Pet owners must clean up after their pet. • Pets may camp.
PET RULES
• Pets must be attended. • Leashed pets may pass through picnic areas on the way to a trailhead if you remain on the paved walkways. • Leashed pets may swim near the north shore boat landing, and adjacent to the south shore boardwalk. • Unleashed pets may swim ONLY in the designated pet swim area near the south shore boat landing.
Experience
THE MAGIC OF DOWNTOWN BARABOO
*3 miles from Devils Lake State Park
2018 Calendar of Events Farmers Markets Wednesday & Saturday May - October
Sunday Market May - October
Concerts on the Square Thursday Evenings | June - August
Art June Saturday, June 16
Summer Brew Ha-ha Friday, June 22 *Advance ticket purchase required
Big Top Parade
Fall Art Tour October 19, 20, 21
Winter Wine Walk Friday, November 16 *Advance ticket purchase required
Christmas Light Parade
Saturday, July 21
Saturday, November 17
Friday, May 4th *Advance ticket purchase required
Savor the Taste of Baraboo
Fun & Festive Holiday Events
Saturday, August 11
November 24th - December 31st
Spring Fair on the Square
Fall Fair on the Square
The Very Merry Holiday Fair
Spring Wine Walk
Saturday, May 12
Saturday, October 13
December 7 & 8
For a full schedule of events & more information visit DowntownBaraboo.com
8 | 2018 DEVIL’S LAKE STATE PARK GUIDE
FACILITIES FOR THE DISABLED
Wisconsin State Parks are adding new facilities and upgrading some older facilities to accommodate people with disabilities. Devil’s Lake has many areas in the park that are accessible. Each area of the park has buildings that are accessible to our park visitors who use wheelchairs.
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Picnic Shelter Rentals
All campground toilet buildings have special shower/toilet facilities available to our visitors with disabilities. The paved pathways in the picnic areas along with the south shore sidewalk and boardwalk offer smooth and easy access for visitors with disabilities. Two wheelchairs are available for mobility-impaired visitors to use while in the park. They can be checked out at the north or south shore Visitor Center. Our north shore and south shore visitor stations are both accessible to visitors using wheelchairs. A handicapped accessible ramp and mat are available for acccess to the north shore beach. Please ask any of the park staff about our facilities and how we may better serve you.
Campground Hosts Here To Help You If you need help or would like information about the park or the local area, find one of our campground hosts in the campgrounds.
QUARTZITE Site 60 NORTHERN LIGHTS Site 150 ICE AGE Sites 345 & 437
Photo By: Gabriel Hesed
Devil’s Lake State Park has picnic shelters that are reservable and rented for family reunions, youth groups, company picnics, weddings and other events. There are both enclosed and open-sided shelters, with seating capacities from 40 to 100. All have water available nearby, and have a few electrical outlets.
For information or application forms go to www.wiparks.net
Reservations can be made up to 11 months in advance.
Information sheets about shelter rental and weddings are available from the north shore Visitor Center. Shelters are closed to rental use from November 1 to April 15. Bands, DJ’s, amplified music, overnight use, and pets are not allowed. All vehicles must display valid stickers.
Save BIG On Lunch, Fun, and More! Text or Call (608) 355-9970
DevilsLakeDeals.com
2018 DEVIL’S LAKE STATE PARK GUIDE | 9
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Españoles
Información Del Parque Estatal Lago Devil
TODOS LOS VEHÍCULOS PARQUEADOS DENTRO DEL LÍMITE DEL PARQUE ESTATAL DEBEN TENER UNA ESTAMPILLA DE ADMISION DE VEHICULO. PLACA DE WISCONSIN: 1 hora = $5 1 día = $13 1 año = $28 PLACA DE OTRO ESTADO: 1 hora = $5 1 día = $16 1 año = $38 Las estampillas se deben Pegar por dentro del parabrisas al lado del conductor en la esquina más baja. Las estampillas anuales son válidas del 1 de Enero al 31 de Diciembre. Usted puede conducir por el parque, parando solamente en los señalamientos de alto y peatonales, sin comprar una etiqueta engomada. Si usted para y sale de su coche, el vehículo debe tener una etiqueta engomada de admisión.
El IR DE EXCURSIÓN Hay 29 millas de Veredas para de excursión en el parque Estatal del Lago Devil’s. Éstos son marcados por diversos cuadrados coloreados a lo largo de las veredas. Algunas veredas son simples y accesibles para personas discapacitadas. Otros son muy escabrosos y se acercan a la parte alta del peñasco al borde del barranco.
EMERGENCIA?
Teléfono de emergencia para incendios, ambulancia o policía
911
ALGUNAS REGLAS IMPORTANTES: • No hay salvavidas brindando servicio en las playas. Por favor, no nade solo, y mantenga estrecha vigilancia sobre sus hijos. • El horario del parque del lago Devil es de 6 a.m. a 11 P.M. los 365 días del año. • Usted debe limpiar su propio espacio y botar su propia basura. • Se permite pescar en el lago. Todas las reglas estatales de pesca aplican. Toda persona igual o mayor a 16 años de edad require una licencia de pesca válida. • Todas las leyes usuales de tráfico para vehículos y bicicletas se aplican en todas las calles del parque. • Plantas, flores, rocas, y fauna no deben ser alterados, disturbados o recogidos. • El canotaje es permitido en el lago. No se permite ningún motor de gasolina o diesel. Todas las reglas de canotaje del estado aplican. • Los animales domésticos se permiten en el parque estatal siempre y cuando sean atendidos, y usen una correa de 8 pies o más corta. Los animales domésticos se prohiben dentro de edificios, en el área de la playa, o en las áreas designadas para comer. • Las horas reservadas en el parque son de 11 P.M. a 6 a.m. • Escalar rocas no es prohibido. Si escala, será bajo su propio riesgo. • Hay 6 millas de veredas para ciclismo de montaña. Todo ciclista igual o mayor a 16 años de edad deberá tener un pase para ciclistas de Wisconsin. • Las bebidas alcohólicas se permiten en el parque de acuerdo con la ley con respecto a edad, la distribución y al comportamiento. • El ruido y la música deben mantenerse a un nivel que no interfiera con el disfrute del parque por otras personas. • Se permite reservar refugios de picnic hasta 11 meses de anticipación. Si un refugio abierto por un lado no está reservado, se considera un área de uso público.
AL ACAMPAR Todo campamento se debe hacer en las areas designadas para acampar en el parque. Hay 414 areas para acampar familiares y 9 para grupos. Areas para incapacitados (necesidades especiales) estan disponibles. 154 sitios para acampar tienen electricidad; ningún sitio tiene conexiones del agua o alcantarillados. Hay un contenedor para basura y una estación de abastcimiento. Los baños de agua corriente, las duchas calientes, y la estación del vaciado serán cerrados cuando la temperatura ambiental llegue a nivel de congelación. Las reservaciones se pueden hacer 11 meses por adelantado llamando 1-888-947-2757 o en www.wiparks.net. El límite de persona por sitio es una familia (madre, padre, niños dependientes). Para las personas sin relación o la familia extendida, el límite es de 6 personas por sitio para acampar. Todos los huéspedes de los sitios para acampar deben salir del parque a las 11 P.M. Se permite solamente una caravana (RV) por sitio, y solamente dos vehículos por sitio. Todos los vehículos deben tener una estampilla válida de admisión al parque; la cuota por acampar no incluye la admisión del vehículo. Los generadores y los acondicionadores de aire no se permiten. El Centro de Visitantes generalmente tiene leña y hielo a la venta. La madera seca que se encuentra en el suelo puede ser utilizada como leña. Se puede construir fogatas solamente en los Anillos de metal para fogatas. Por favor no deje las fogatas desatendidas. El tiempo de salida es 3 P.M. La cuota por acampar comienza en $20 por noche, por sitio. Agregue $5 por la noche para No residentes del estado. Agregue $10 por la noche si requiere electricidad. Todos los campistas deben registrarse y pagar antes instalar su campamento.
10 | 2018 DEVIL’S LAKE STATE PARK GUIDE
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We’ve got you covered.
You Won’t Even Need to Thaw!
700 Lincoln Ave., Baraboo 608-356-5574
230 W Munroe Ave., Lake Delton 608-253-3303,
Mon., Tues., Thurs., Fri. 8-6, Sat. 8-5 • Closed Wednesday
Mon., Wed., Thurs., Fri. 9-6, Sat. 9-5, Sun. 10-2 • Closed Tuesday
www.meatmarketbaraboo.com
355-5080 844 8th Ave., Suite A
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Sun-Thurs 10:30am-11pm, Fri & Sat 10:30am-1am
PIZZAS
CHICKEN
DELICIOUS VARIETY
DELIVERY CHARGE $1.50 APPLIES.
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2018 DEVIL’S LAKE STATE PARK GUIDE | 11
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An Imaginative Creation of Matchless Wonder:
Parfrey’s Glen
Parfrey’s Glen has been known for over a century for its beauty and is a favorite hiking spot for many visitors each year. Being Wisconsin’s first State Natural Area, this 508 acre site was protected because of Parfrey’s fragile ecosystem. The moss-covered walls of the glen (a Scottish word for a narrow, rocky ravine) are often wet from the moisture that seeps from the rocks. It’s cool, shaded and a wonderful place to spend a hot summer’s day. The coolness in the glen is what creates a unique habitat where plants and trees, more typical of northern Wisconsin, can be found. This special habitat is almost a museum of rare and threatened plants, insects, and birds that are only found in places like Parfrey’s. It’s geology in unique too and different than other similar gorges in this area.
the walls. Can you imagine the roar and rattle of rocks being thrown against that wall, tumbling in the backwash of water as the waves pulled back to the sea? The gorge itself was not created during this time. Geologists believe that it was cut by meltwater from the glaciers and there are still signs in the walls of the gorge of when this event happened. On the east wall near the end of the gorge you can see two preserved potholes that were carved into the sandstone as the glacial meltwater was cutting and deepening the gorge. Now, the only water that flows through the glen is a small spring-fed creek that still gurgles today through the gorge.
The creek is what attracted settlers in the mid-1800’s to Parfrey’s and it became an ideal place for the operations of several saw mills (for lumber) and grist mills (for grindWhen you walk through the gorge ing grains). The creek was used at Parfrey’s Glen, you start to notice to generate the power for these that the sandstone walls look a mills. An earthen dam was built to little different. Rather than just block the stream in the lower end the yellows and browns of typical of the gorge. Water was carried sandstone, you start to see many from the dam to the mills on a bands of red colored stones of series of trestles to a waterwheel Baraboo quartzite. This is called a that generated the power. As you conglomerate; a coarse sedimenwalk through the beginning of the tary rock that can be made up of gorge, you can still see remnants pebbles, rocks, and boulders. Near of the mill and foundation of the the base of the gorge the bands dam in the vegetation. In1865, an of conglomerate contain small Englishman from New York, Robert pebbles. As you look higher up Parfrey, inherited the grist mill the wall, you’ll see larger rocks and land in the glen. This is who and boulders, embedded in the the glen is named after. Robert layers sand. When these walls closed his mill in 1876 and moved were formed, starting about 500 to Minnesota. It wasn’t long after million years ago, the area was that that all milling operations in covered by an ocean. During this Parfrey’s stopped. That didn’t stop time, North America lay along the visitors from coming. Many people, equator and Wisconsin was in the who had come to the mills for southern tropics. Tropical storms lumber and grains, were familiar attacked the area, tumbling rocks with the beauty of the glen and and boulders in its waves. As you thought of it as a recreation spot. stand at the bottom of Parfrey’s Because of its popularity and high 100-foot gorge, imagine a 25 foot visitation, even in the early 1900’s, high wall of water crashing against many conservationists sought a
Photo By: Laura Dierbeck
way to protect this fragile area and preserve the unique ecosystem there.
it is a very popular spot. With the flooding in 2008 and 2010, the area changed dramatically; the boardwalks were destroyed and It was Norman Fasset Carter, the damage was done to the habitat. curator of the herbarium at the Even though Parfrey’s has changed, University of Wisconsin, who began the work to preserve unique it’s still a fragile area that needs protection. When hiking in the habitats throughout Wisconsin. In area, please follow the posted February 1945, Fasset, along with rules. Even though the board walks Aldo Leopold and others from the state’s forest and parks department are long gone, please adhere to and the Milwaukee Public Museum hiking only within 20 feet of the formed the Natural Areas Commit- creek at all times and hikers are not tee and their focus was Parfrey’s. In allowed to walk past the waterfall; 1947, $2000 was allocated for the that is a closed area. You may also see signs that say “Hikers We Need purchase of 88.8 acres; basically Parfrey’s gorge area. The state was Your Help! Trail Rehabilitation Site. This trail has been recently closed not ready to purchase an area like and we are letting it regrow with this at this time. It wasn’t until native plants. Please stay on desig1951, when the State Board for Preservation of Scientific Areas was nated walking trails. Thank You!” Please avoid walking in the areas created by an act of state legislature that it was decided to preserve where you see these signs. With so many people visiting the Glen, it the Glen. In 1952, Parfrey’s Glen became the first State Natural Area doesn’t take long when people go off trail to destroy the plants and and is one of 681 State Natural the habitat. Parfrey’s was preserved Areas throughout the state. because it’s unique and you can Visitors love Parfrey’s Glen, and help keep it that way. Because it is a Wisconsin State Natural Area, rules are different in Parfrey’s Glen. • No carry in food or drink • Picnicking is allowed near the parking lot • Stay on the trail • No rock climbing, rappelling, or off-trail exploration • No picking any plants or collecting any objects • The area is closed from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. • No pets allowed • A park sticker is required on all parked vehicles
12 | 2018 DEVIL’S LAKE STATE PARK GUIDE
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BIG SKY DRIVE IN THEATRE 1 mile from Wis. Dells on Hwy. 16 East PH:
(608) 254-8025
bigskydrivein.com Open May thru September Photo By: Tim Green
Tell us yer favorite pizza the way you like it and we’ll put it on the buffet.
Seriously.
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OPEN
any Full Buffet
10am to 10pm
with purchase of soda Expires: 12/31/18 Code DL01
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701 Hwy 12 • 356-6313
Expires 12/31/18
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2018 DEVIL’S LAKE STATE PARK GUIDE | 13
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MAY 2018 Programs will meet at the Nature Center unless otherwise noted. Check for program updates and cancellations at the Nature Center and Visitor Center. * Preregistration is required for kayak tour.
FRIDAY
4
SATURDAY
5
SUNDAY
6
8:00 am - 10:00 am Lawn Chair Bird Watch Birds and Bagels Steinke Basin Parking Lot 7:30 - 9:00 pm Frog Safari Steinke Basin Parking Lot
11
12
13
6:30 pm - Dusk Lawn Chair Bird Watch Birds and Brats Steinke Basin Parking Lot
18
19
20
8:30 am - 10:30 pm Explore the Night Sky Madison Astronomy Soc. North Shore Boat Launch
Photo By: Peter Arndt
10:00 am - 2:00 pm Carving Demo
25
26
6:00 - 8:00 pm Kayak Tour* Meet at the Chateau
MONDAY
28 11:00 am - 12:00 pm Walk on the Wildside
9:00 am - 10:00 am Find a Trail Drop in between 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Exploration Station - Bees Starting at 11:00 am Animal Feeding Day Drop in between 1:00 - 3:00 pm Drop in Discovery Station - Rocks Outside Chateau 6:00 - 8:00 pm Kayak Tour* Meet at the Chateau
27 Drop in between 10:00 - 12:00 Exploration Station - Night Sky Drop in between 1:00 - 3:00 pm Drop in Discovery Station Deer Outside the Chateau
2018 DEVIL’S LAKE STATE PARK GUIDE | 15
■ * Preregistration is required for kayak tour.
Programs will meet at the Nature Center unless otherwise noted. Check for program updates and cancellations at the Nature Center and Visitor Center.
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
JUNE 2018
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
1
2
Free Fun for Everyone 9:00 - 10:00 am Find a Trail 6:30 - 8:30 pm Kayak Tour* Meet at the Chateau
3 Free Fun for Everyone Drop in between 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Exploration Station Butterflies
4 11:00 am - 12:00 pm Wakl on the Wildside
5
6
Starting at 12:30 pm Animal Feeding Day
Drop in between 1:00 - 3:00 pm Drop in Discovery Station Raccoons Outside the Chateau
10 Drop in between 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Exploration Station - Birds
11 11:00 am - 12:00 pm Walk on the Wildside
12 Starting at 12:30 pm Animal Feeding Day
Drop in between 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Exploration Station - Bees
6:30 - 8:30 pm Kayak Tour* Meet at the Chateau Friday Fish Fry 9:00 - 10:00 am Find a Trail 11:00 am - 12:00 pm Under the Water North Shore Boat Launch Drop in between 1:30 - 3:30 pm Nature Play Station 6:30 - 8:30 pm Kayak Tour* Meet at the Chateau 8:30 - 10:00 pm Park After Dark Hike Roznows Meadow Parking Lot Hwy 113
Drop in between 9:00 - 10:00 am Find a Trail Drop in between 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Exploration Station - Night Sky Starting at 11:00 am Animal Feeding Day Drop In Between 12:30 - 3:00 pm Try Some Archery North Shore Boat Launch 6:30 - 8:30 pm Kayak Tour* Meet at the Chateau
9
Drop in between 9:00 - 10:00 am Find a Trail
Friday Fish Fry
8:30-10:00 pm Fireside Fun - Fireflies Steinke Basin Parking Lot
11:00 am - 12:00 pm Over, Under, and Through the Woods
14
Drop in between 9:00 - 10:00 am Find a Trail
11:00 am - 12:00 pm Go on a Scavenger Hunt Drop in between 1:30 - 3:30 pm Nature Play Station 8:30 - 10:00 pm Fireside Fun - Fireflies Steinke Basin Parking Lot
18 11:00 am - 12:00 pm Walk on the Wildside
19 Starting at 12:30 pm Animal Feeding Day
20 11:00 am - 12:00 pm Mini BioBlitz Race 1:00 - 3:00 pm Nature’s Trading Post
24 Drop in between 25 Drop in between 1:00 - 3:00 pm Drop in Discovery Station - Pond Critters Outside the Chateau 6:00 - 8:00 pm Music in the Park Swing Crew Outside the Chateau
11:00 am - 12:00 pm Mini BioBlitz Race 1:00 - 3:00 pm Nature’s Trading Post
Drop in between 12:30 - 3:00 pm Try Some Archery North Shore Boat Launch
10:00 am - 12:00 pm Exploration Station Spiders
13
11:00 am - 12:00 pm Walk on the Wildside
26 Starting at 12:30 pm Animal Feeding Day
27 11:00 am - 12:00 pm Mini BioBlitz Race 1:00 - 3:00 pm Nature’s Trading Post 8:30 - 10:00 pm Park After Dark Hike Roznows Meadow Parking Lot Hwy 113
21 Drop in between 9:00 - 10:00 am Find a Trail 9:00 am - 11:00 am Learn to Fish North Shore Boat Launch
9:00 - 10:00 am Find a Trail
15
22 Friday Fish Fry Drop in between 9:00 - 10:00 am Find a Trail 11:00 am - 12:00 pm Nature Spies Drop in between 1:30 - 3:30 pm Nature Play Station
8:30 - 10:00 pm Fireside Fun - Fireflies Steinke Basin Parking Lot
6:30 - 8:30 pm Kayak Tour* Meet at the Chateau
29
Friday Fish Fry
Drop in between 9:00 - 10:00 am Find a Trail
Drop in between 9:00 - 10:00 am Find a Trail
11:00 am - 12:00 pm Beautiful Birds
11:00 am - 12:00 pm Over, Under, and Through the Woods
Drop in between 1:30 - 3:30 pm Nature Play Station 8:30 - 10:00 pm Fireside Fun - Fireflies Steinke Basin Parking Lot
16
9:00 - 10:00 am Find a Trail Drop in between 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Exploration Station - Butterflies Starting at 11:00 am Animal Feeding Day Drop In Between 1:00 - 3:00 pm Drop in Discovery Station - Deer Outside the Chateau 6:30 - 8:30 pm Kayak Tour* Meet at the Chateau 7:30 - 8:30 pm Stuck on the Rocks Outside the Chateau 7:30 - 10:30 pm Big Band Dance Chateau (Cost $10)
23
Drop in between 1:30 - 3:30 pm Nature Play Station
28
Free Fun for Everyone 9:00 - 10:00 am Find a Trail Drop in between 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Exploration Station - Spiders Starting at 11:00 am Animal Feeding Day Drop In Between 1:00 - 3:00 pm Drop in Discovery Station - Pond Critters Outside the Chateau 6:30 - 8:30 pm Kayak Tour* Meet at the Chateau Drop in between 9:00 - 10:00 am Find a Trail Drop in between 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Exploration Station Outdoor Challenge Starting at 11:00 am Animal Feeding Day Drop In Between 1:00 - 3:00 pm Drop in Discovery Station - Natural Art Outside the Chateau 6:30 - 8:30 pm Kayak Tour* Meet at the Chateau 9:00 -10:00 pm Universe in the Park Northern Lights Amphitheater
8
Drop in between 1:30 - 3:30 pm Nature Play Station
Drop in between 1:00 - 3:00 pm Drop in Discovery Station - Deer Outside the Chateau
17
7
SATURDAY
Drop in between 1:30 - 3:30 pm Nature Play Station 6:30 - 8:30 pm Kayak Tour* Meet at the Chateau
30
9:00 - 10:00 am Find a Trail Drop in between 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Exploration Station - Outdoor Challenge Starting at 11:00 am Animal Feeding Day Drop In Between 1:00 - 3:00 pm Drop in Discovery Station Raccoons Outside the Chateau 5:30 - 6:30 pm “Playing with Shakespeare: Get Outside with Will” Children’s Workshop Northern Lights Amphitheater 6:30 - 8:30 pm Kayak Tour* Meet at the Chateau 7:00 - 8:15 pm Shakespeare in the Park “Twelfth Night” Northern Lights Amphitheater
16 | 2018 DEVIL’S LAKE STATE PARK GUIDE
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Peking Buffet
Music The Entire Family Will Love
GREAT FOOD & Children’s Discount Full Service Buffet for Lunch & Dinner
www.997maxfm.com
Seafood Buffet Dinner Friday & Saturday 30 Item Buffet plus Dessert/Salad Bar
Fresh Sushi
rst
Delivery of $17.00 or more in Baraboo area 1204 8th St, Baraboo, WI 53913 Mon-Sat; Lunch 11-3:30; Dinner 4-8:30
608-356-9909
shop
L CAL fi • Kitchen Gadgets & Cookware • Gourmet Foods & Wine • Home Accents • Baby & Children’s Gifts Find cooking classes & events at BekahKates.com
117 Third Street • Downtown Baraboo • 608 356 3133
OPEN YEAR ROUND
JUST 20 MINUTES FROM DEVILS LAKE STATE PARK E9120 Terrytown Rd Baraboo, WI www.baraboobluffwinery.com 608.237.1379
2018 DEVIL’S LAKE STATE PARK GUIDE | 17
■ * Preregistration is required for kayak tour.
Programs will meet at the Nature Center unless otherwise noted. Check for program updates and cancellations at the Nature Center and Visitor Center.
SUNDAY
1 Drop in between 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Exploration Station - Bees
MONDAY
2 11:00 am - 12:00 pm Walk on the Wildside
TUESDAY
3 Starting at 12:30 pm Animal Feeding Day
Drop in between 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Exploration Station Night Sky
9 11:00 am - 12:00 pm Walk on the Wildside
10 Starting at 12:30 pm Animal Feeding Day
Drop in between 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Exploration Station Butterflies
11:00 am - 12:00 pm Mini BioBlitz Race
11 11:00 am - 12:00 pm Mini BioBlitz Race 1:00 - 3:00 pm Nature’s Trading Post
Drop in between 12:30 - 3:00 pm Drop in Discovery Station - Deer Outside the Chateau
15
4 1:00 - 3:00 pm Nature’s Trading Post
Drop in between 1:00 - 3:00 pm Drop in Discovery Station - Rocks Outside the Chateau
8
WEDNESDAY
JULY 2018
THURSDAY
5 Drop in between 9:00 am - 10:00 am Find a Trail
11:00 am - 12:00 pm Walk on the Wildside
Starting at 12:30 pm Animal Feeding Day
18 11:00 am - 12:00 pm Mini BioBlitz Race 1:00 - 3:00 pm Nature’s Trading Post
Drop in between 12:30 - 3:00 pm Try Some Archery North Shore Boat Launch
Drop in between 1:30 - 3:30 pm Nature Play Station
8:30 - 10:00 pm Fireside Fun - Night Sky North Shore Boat Launch
6:30 - 8:30 pm Kayak Tour* Meet at the Chateau
12 Drop in between 9:00 - 10:00 am Find a Trail 11:00 am - 12:00 pm Nature Spies
19 Drop in between 9:00 - 10:00 am Find a Trail 9:00 am - 11:00 am Learn to Fish North Shore Boat Launch
8:30 - 10:00 pm Fireside Fun - Night Sky North Shore Boat Launch
23
Drop in between 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Exploration Station - Birds
11:00 am - 12:00 pm Walk on the Wildside
24 Starting at 12:30 pm Animal Feeding Day
Drop in between 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Exploration Station Night Sky Drop in between 1:00 - 3:00 pm Drop in Discovery Station - Nature Art Outside the Chateau 6:00 - 8:00 pm Music in the Park Mad City Radiators Outside the Chateau
11:00 am - 12:00 pm Mini BioBlitz Race 1:00 - 3:00 pm Nature’s Trading Post
Drop in between 1:00 - 3:00 pm Drop in Discovery Station - Raccoons Outside the Chateau
29
25
8:30-10:00 pm Park After Dark Hike Roznos Meadow Parking Lot Hwy 113
30 11:00 am - 12:00 pm Walk on the Wildside
31 Starting at 12:30 pm Animal Feeding Day
Drop in between 9:00 - 10:00 am Find a Trail
Drop in between 1:30 - 3:30 pm Nature Play Station
Drop in between 1:30 - 3:30 pm Nature Play Station
22
Friday Fish Fry
11:00 am - 12:00 pm Under the Water North Shore Boat Launch
8:30 - 10:00 pm Fireside Fun - Night Sky North Shore Boat Launch
17
6
11:00 am - 12:00 pm Go on a Scavenger Hunt
Drop in between 1:30 - 3:30 pm Nature Play Station
16
FRIDAY
26 Drop in between 9:00 - 10:00 am Find a Trail 11:00 am - 12:00 pm Go on a Scavenger Hunt Drop in between 1:30 - 3:30 pm Nature Play Station 8:30 - 10:00 pm Fireside Fun - Night Sky North Shore Boat Launch
Friday Fish Fry Drop in between 9:00 - 10:00 am Find a Trail
13
11:00 am - 12:00 pm Beautiful Birds Drop in between 1:30 - 3:30 pm Nature Play Station 6:30 - 8:30 pm Kayak Tour* Meet at the Chateau 9:00 - 10:00 pm Universe in the Park Northern Lights Amphitheater
20
Friday Fish Fry
Drop in between 9:00 - 10:00 am
Find a Trail 11:00 am - 12:00 pm Over, Under, and Through the Woods Drop in between 12:00 pm - Dusk Fur Trade Encampment North Shore Boat Launch Drop in between 1:30 - 3:30 pm Nature Play Station 6:30 - 8:30 pm Kayak Tour* Meet at the Chateau
Friday Fish Fry Drop in between 9:00 - 10:00 am Find a Trail
27
11:00 am - 12:00 pm Under the Water North Shore Boat Launch Drop in between 1:30 - 3:30 pm Nature Play Station 6:30 - 8:30 pm Kayak Tour* Meet at the Chateau 8:30 - 10:30 pm Full Moon Paddle North Shore Boat Launch
SATURDAY
Drop in between 9:00 - 10:00 am Find a Trail Drop in between 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Exploration Station - Birds Starting at 11:00 am Animal Feeding Day Drop In Between 1:00 - 3:00 pm Drop in Discovery Station Nature Art Outside the Chateau 6:30 - 8:30 pm Kayak Tour* Meet at the Chateau 8:30 - 10:00 pm Park After Dark Hike Meet at Roznos Meadow Parking Lot Hwy 113
7
Dances with Dirt Race Drop in between 9:00 - 10:00 am Find a Trail Drop in between 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Exploration Station - Spiders Starting at 11:00 am Animal Feeding Day Drop In between 12:30 - 3:00 pm Try Some Archery North Shore Boat Launch 6:30 - 8:30 pm Kayak Tour* Meet at the Chateau 7:30 - 8:30 pm Stuck on the Rocks Outside the Chateau
14
21
Drop in between 8:00 am - Dusk Fur Trade Encampment North Shore Boat Launch Drop in between 9:00 - 10:00 am Find a Trail Drop in between 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Exploration Station - Outdoor Challenge Starting at 11:00 am Animal Feeding Day Drop In Between 1:00 - 3:00 pm Drop in Discovery Station - Pond Critters Outside the Chateau 6:30 - 8:30 pm Kayak Tour* Meet at the Chateau 7:30 - 10:30 pm Big Band Dance Chateau (Cost $10) 8:30 - 11:00 pm Explore the Night Sky Madison Astronomy Soc. North Shore Boat Launch
28
Drop in between 9:00 - 10:00 am Find a Trail Drop in between 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Exploration Station - Bees Starting at 11:00 am Animal Feeding Day Drop In between 1:00 - 3:00 pm Drop in Discovery Station Rocks Outside the Chateau 6:30 - 8:30 pm Kayak Tour* Meet at the Chateau 7:30 - 8:30 pm Aldo Leopold was for the Birds Northern Lights Amphitheater
18 | 2018 DEVIL’S LAKE STATE PARK GUIDE
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YOUR HOMETOWN LIQUOR STORE
• Come in and check out our wide selection of craft and domestic beers, fine wines and liquors.
• Gifts • Jewelry • Prints • Rugs • Lamps • Candles • & much more!
• Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @ BaraBrewLiquor Also on Beer menus @ BaraBrew Wine and Spirits
$10 OFF REG PRICE $30 PURCHASE
503 South Blvd, Baraboo 608-448-4747
Located at S3949 County BD (Business 12) Just 2 Miles South of Ho-Chunk Casino, Baraboo, WI www.PapaBearsNorthwoods.com
www.BaraBrew.com
866-235-9371 • 608-355-9488
EXCAVATING TING & PLUMBING LLC
850 19th Street Prairie du Sac, WI 53578
Complete Plumbing Needs • Residential • Commerical • Agricultural • Basements • Bulldozing • Driveways • Septic Systems • Trucking - Gravel • Topsoil
608.643.2881 MP#1020435
24/7 24 7 EMERGENCY EMERGENC CARE URGENT CARE Monda through Friday: Monday 5 pm – 10:30 pm eekends & Holidays: Weekends Holida 9 am – 9 pm
608-643-3311 608-643-
260 26th St, Pr Prairie du Sac, WI SaukPrairieHealthcare.org SaukPrairieHealthcar
Accepting A epting most commercial insurances insur and HMOs, including Unity, Dean Care, he Alliance, -SC Physicians Plus, and Blue Cross & Blue Shield. Phy The Alliance GHC-SCW,
2018 DEVIL’S LAKE STATE PARK GUIDE | 19
■ * Preregistration is required for kayak tour.
Programs will meet at the Nature Center unless otherwise noted. Check for program updates and cancellations at the Nature Center and Visitor Center.
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
AUGUST 2018
WEDNESDAY
1 11:00 am - 12:00 pm Mini BioBlitz Race 1:00 - 3:00 pm Nature’s Trading Post
5 Drop in between 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Exploration Station Spiders
6 11:00 am - 12:00 pm Walk on the Wildside
7 Starting at 12:30 pm Animal Feeding Day
Drop in between 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Exploration Station - Bees
11:00 am - 12:00 pm Mini BioBlitz Race 1:00 - 3:00 pm Nature’s Trading Post
Drop in between 1:00 - 3:00 pm Drop in Discovery Station Pond Critters Outside the Chateau
12
8
13 11:00 am - 12:00 pm Walk on the Wildside
14 Starting at 12:30 pm Animal Feeding Day
15 11:00 am - 12:00 pm Mini BioBlitz Race 1:00 - 3:00 pm Nature’s Trading Post
11:00 am - 12:00 pm Walk on the Wildside
21 Starting at 12:30 pm Animal Feeding Day
Drop in between 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Exploration Station Butterflies Drop in between 1:00 - 3:00 pm Drop in Discovery Station - Deer Outside the Chateau 5:00 - 7:00 pm Music in the Park Sparetime Bluegrass Outside the Chateau
11:00 am - 12:00 pm Mini BioBlitz Race 1:00 - 3:00 pm Nature’s Trading Post
Drop in between 12:30 - 3:00 pm Try Some Archery North Shore Boat Launch
26
22
Drop in between 9:00 - 10:00 am Find a Trail
11:00 am - 12:00 pm Nature Spies
11:00 am - 12:00 pm Beautiful Birds
Drop in between 1:30 - 3:30 pm Nature Play Station
Drop in between 1:30 - 3:30 pm Nature Play Station
8:30 - 10:00 pm Fireside Fun - Night Sky North Shore Boat Launch
6:30 - 8:30 pm Kayak Tour* Meet at the Chateau
9
Drop in between 9:00 am - 10:00 am Find a Trail
11:00 am - 12:00 pm Over, Under, and Through the Woods
16
Drop in between 9:00 am - 10:00 am Find a Trail
9:00 - 11:00 am Learn to Fish North Shore Boat Launch Drop in between 1:30 - 3:30 pm Nature Play Station
23
Drop in between 9:00 am - 10:00 am Find a Trail 11:00 am - 12:00 pm Nature Spies Drop in between 1:30 - 3:30 pm Nature Play Station 8:00 - 9:30 pm Fireside Fun - Night Exploration Outside the Rock Elm Shelter
27 11:00 am - 12:00 pm Walk on the Wildside
28 Starting at 12:30 pm Animal Feeding Day
29 11:00 am - 12:00 pm Mini BioBlitz Race 1:00 - 3:00 pm Nature’s Trading Post 7:30 - 9:00 pm Park After Dark Hike Roznos Meadow Parking Lot Hwy 113
Friday Fish Fry
Drop in between 9:00 am - 10:00 am Find a Trail
8:00 - 9:30 pm Fireside Fun - Night Exploration Outside the Rock Elm Shelter
20
FRIDAY
3
8:00 - 9:30 pm Fireside Fun - Night Exploration Outside the Rock Elm Shelter
8:30 - 10:30 pm S’more’s & Perseids - Meet at the North Shore Boat Launch
Drop in between 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Exploration Station Spiders
2
Drop in between 1:30 - 3:30 pm Nature Play Station
Drop in between 12:30 - 3:00 pm Drop in Discovery Station - Rocks Outside the Chateau
19
THURSDAY
30
Drop in between 9:00 am - 10:00 am Find a Trail 11:00 am - 12:00 pm Over, Under, and Through The Woods Drop in between 1:30 - 3:30 pm Nature Play Station 7:30 - 9:00 pm Fireside Fun - Night Outside the Rock Elm Shelter
10
4
Drop in between 9:00 - 10:00 am Find a Trail Drop in between 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Exploration Station - Butterflies Starting at 11:00 am Animal Feeding Day Drop in between 1:00 - 3:00 pm Drop in Discovery Station - Deer Outside the Chateau 6:30 - 8:30 pm Kayak Tour* Meet at the Chateau Drop in between 9:00 - 10:00 am Find a Trail Drop in between 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Exploration Station - Outdoor Challenge Starting at 11:00 am Animal Feeding Day Drop in between 1:00 - 3:00 pm Drop in Discovery Station Raccoons Outside the Chateau 6:30 - 8:30 pm Kayak Tour* Meet at the Chateau 7:30 - 10:30 pm Big Band Dance Chateau (Cost $10) 8:30 - 10:30 pm S’more’s & Perseids - Meet at the North Shore Boat Launch
11
Friday Fish Fry Drop in between 9:00 - 10:00 am Find a Trail 11:00 am - 12:00 pm Go on a Scavenger Hunt Drop in between 1:30 - 3:30 pm Nature Play Station 6:30 - 8:30 pm Kayak Tour* Meet at the Chateau
17
SATURDAY
Drop in between 9:00 - 10:00 am Find a Trail
11:00 am - 12:00 pm Under the Water North Shore Boat Launch Drop in between 1:30 - 3:30 pm Nature Play Station 6:00 - 8:00 pm Kayak Tour* Meet at the Chateau 8:00 - 9:30 pm Park After Dark Hike Roznows Meadow Parking Lot Hwy 113
24 Friday Fish Fry
Drop in between 9:00 - 10:00 am Find a Trail 11:00 am - 12:00 pm Beautiful Birds Drop in between 1:30 - 3:30 pm Nature Play Station 5:30 - 7:30 pm Kayak Tour* Meet at the Chateau
31 Friday Fish Fry
Drop in between 9:00 - 10:00 am Find a Trail 11:00 am - 12:00 pm Go on a Scavenger Hunt Drop in between 1:30 - 3:30 pm Nature Play Station 5:30 - 7:30 pm Kayak Tour* Meet at the Chateau
Drop in between 9:00 - 10:00 am Find a Trail Drop in between 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Exploration Station - Birds Starting at 11:00 am Animal Feeding Day Drop in between 12:30 - 3:00 pm
18
Try Some Archery
North Shore Boat Launch 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Kayak Tour* Meet at the Chateau 9:00 - 10:00 pm Universe in the Park Northern Lights Amphitheater
25
Drop in between 9:00 - 10:00 am
Find a Trail
Drop in between 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Exploration Station - Night Sky Starting at 11:00 am
Animal Feeding Day
Drop in between 1:00 - 3:00 pm
Drop in Discovery Station Nature Art Outside the Chateau 5:30 - 7:30 pm
Kayak Tour* Meet at the Chateau Drop in between 6:30 - 7:30 pm
Stuck on the Rocks Outside the Chateau 7:30 - 10:30 pm
Big Band Dance Chateau (Cost $10)
20 | 2018 DEVIL’S LAKE STATE PARK GUIDE
Devil’s Lake State Park Memorial Bricks and Pavers You can request a personalized memorial brick or paver to be prominently placed in the most popular area in Devil’s Lake State Park. You decide what you want to say, and we’ll do the rest. Your personalized memorial brick or paver will be positioned in front of the historic north shore Chateau, the hub of activity along the lakeshore. The memorial brick program is sponsored by the Friends of Devil’s Lake State Park, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. All money raised by the memorial walkway goes to support Devil’s Lake State Park - nature programs, upkeep of vistas, facility maintenance, replacement of equipment - it helps keep the park running well, protects the park, keeps people safe,and serves visitors like you. Ask for an information sheet at the Chateau or at the Devil’s Lake Visitor Center. You’ll get details about pricing, size, placement, and other choices.
■
new, used, & vintage books cards, journals, calendars free Friday night events
The
Village Booksmith Downtown Baraboo 608-355-1001
On the Square
www.villagebooksmith.com
8 Games of Bowling, 4 Shoe Rentals
Fantastic 16” 2 Topping Pizza, 1 Pitcher Soda
49
$
Only a few minutes away
99
Expires 3/1/2019 No Photo Copies
DL
1117 Eight Street Baraboo (608)356-9111 Join us on facebook
E11329 State Rd.136 Baraboo Wi 608-356-4877 www.wheelerscampground.com
2018 DEVIL’S LAKE STATE PARK GUIDE | 21
■
OCTOBER 2018
SEPTEMBER 2018
Programs will meet at the Nature Center unless otherwise noted. Check for program updates and cancellations at the Nature Center and Visitor Center.
Programs will meet at the Nature Center unless otherwise noted. Check for program updates and cancellations at the Nature Center and Visitor Center.
* Preregistration is required for kayak tours.
* Preregistration is required for kayak tours.
FRIDAY
SATURDAY Drop in between 9:00 - 10:00 am Find a Trail Drop in between 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Exploration Station - Outdoor Challenge Starting at 11:00 am Animal Feeding Day 1:00 - 3:00 pm Monarch Tagging Steinke Basin Parking Log 5:30 - 7:30 pm Kayak Tour* Meet at the Chateau
1
7
8
2
Drop in between 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Exploration Station Butterflies
1:00 - 3:00 pm Monarch Tagging Steinke Basin Parking Lot
5
Drop in between 1:00 - 3:00 pm Drop in Discovery Station Raccoons Outside the Chateau
SATURDAY
6
SUNDAY
7
11:00 am - 1:00 pm Nature’s Trading Post
Drop in between 11:00 am - 1:00 pm Exploration Station - Birds
13
14
MONDAY
3
11:00 am - 12:00 pm Walk on the Wildside
12
9
Starting at 11 am Animal Feeding Day
FRIDAY
SUNDAY
11:00 am - 1:00 pm Nature’s Trading Post
Drop in between 11:00 am - 1:00 pm Exploration Station Night Sky
9:00 - 10:00 pm Universe in the Park Northern Lights Amphitheater
14
15
21
Starting at 11 am Animal Feeding Day
Devil’s Challenge Triathlon
1:00 - 3:00 pm Monarch Tagging Steinke Basin Parking Lot
Drop in between 11:00 am - 1:00 pm Exploration Station Spiders
22
Badger Trails Weekend
29
Badger Trails Weekend
11:00 am - 1:00 pm Nature’s Trading Post
Drop in between 11:00 am - 1:00 pm Exploration Station - Birds
30
Badger Trails Weekend
Drop in between 11:00 am - 1:00 pm Exploration Station - Night Sky
20
21
6:00 - 8:30 pm Candlelight Halloween Hike
26
23
11:00 am - 1:00 pm Nature’s Trading Post
28
19
16
27 6:30-8:30 pm Creepy, Crawly Critter Campfire
28
22 | 2018 DEVIL’S LAKE STATE PARK GUIDE
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Join us at Leatherberry Acres We provide a fun family Experience that will surely Create Lasting Memories Springtime we offer indoor Petting Zoo, Interact with Baby farm animals. End of summer, get lost in our 7-acre Sunflower Maze and mystery Game. Kids can get wild playing in our park and flying down our giant slide. Autumn Season – 12-acre Corn Maze is sure to have you lost searching for treasure. We also feature a smaller corn maze, created just for the young Adventurers, and they’re very own mystery game.
R-A S4067 C consin o, Wis Barabo rberryAcres e @Leath ) 963-1120 8 0 6 ( ll Ca
Devise a plan on top of our Bale Pyramid to conquer the Straw Maze. Climb aboard our Barrel Train ride and take in all the sights around the Acres Don’t forget to stop in and visit the Animals in the Petting Zoo, Ride Down our Giant Slide to Tired Park, Buzz the Bee line on your way to the Pumpkin Patch Wagon Ride, and Don’t Miss the Pumpkin Cannon! General admission covers all activities with exception of the pumpkin cannon during corn maze season. Private campfires by the pond *available with reservation. Concessions are available. School tours with advance reservation are available. For more info check us out on Facebook or at leatherberryacres.com
2 OFF
$
General Admission Ticket This offer expires Oct 31st 2018
DL18
6.00 BUFFET
$
One per person per visit. Expires 12/31/18
Family crafted
wine and spirits in a historic setting overlooking the Wisconsin River. 20 min. south of Devil’s Lake State Park
PRAIRIE DU SAC, WI
wollersheim.com
Hwy. 12, West Baraboo • 356-9500 Dine In, Carry Out, Delivery
2018 DEVIL’S LAKE STATE PARK GUIDE | 23
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The Friends of Devil’s Lake is a non-profit group who wants to ensure the park remains an unspoiled jewel of nature by contributing their minds, muscle, and financial support.
Friends Sponsored Events
Music in the Park events outside the Chateau
2018 April 28– Earth *Play* Workday May 19 - Geology Field Trip Fundraiser June 18 – 24 – Volunteer Vacation June 24 - Music in the Park - Swing Crew July 20 & 21 - Fur Trade Encampment July 29 - Music in the Park—Mad City Radiators August 21—Friends Members Only Kayak Tour August 26 - Music in the Park—Sparetime Bluegrass October 20 - Candlelight Halloween Hike 2019 February 9 - Candlelight Snowshoe Check the events calendar in the newspaper or online for specific times
Fur Trade encampment and Voyageur canoe paddle event
Become a member of the Friends of Devil’s Lake Name ___________________________________________________________________________________ Address ________________________________________________________________________________ City _________________________ State, Zip _____________________________ Phone ______________________________________ Email ___________________________________________________________________________________ All memberships include newsletter & 10% discount on food and boat rentals at the Park’s Concessions (some exclusions apply) ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
1-year Individual Membership (WI Resident) $48 1-year Individual Membership (Non-Resident) $58 1-year Individual Membership (Senior Resident) $33 Above memberships include an annual park sticker 1-year Individual Membership $20 3-year Individual Membership $55 1-year Student Membership $10 Enclosed is an additional gift of $ _______________ All memberships and additional donations are tax deductible
Please make checks payable to and mail this form to: Friends of Devil’s Lake P.O. Box 209 Baraboo, WI 53913-0209
You can also sign up and pay online with a credit card at www.friendsofdevilslake.org
24 | 2018 DEVIL’S LAKE STATE PARK GUIDE
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The
Barn Restaurant & Bar
Area’s largest deck looking out over the Baraboo Bluffs Open Tuesday-Sunday at 11am
Live Weekly Entertainment Call for Band Schedule Full Lunch and Dinner Menus • Salad Bar
Over 200 micro brews available
608-356-2161 S5566 Hwy DL Baraboo Located less than 1 mi from Devils lake
EDUCATIONAL RETRE AT C E N T E R SLEEPING AND MEETING ROOMS IN OUR HISTORIC LODGE, ARTIST’S COTTAGE AND HERMITAGE
More info and online reservations at http://durwardsglen.org/ (608) 356-8113 • theglen150@gmail.com • W11876 McLeisch Rd., Baraboo 53913
TM
Great eats served up fresh inside an authentically restored 1954 original Silk City diner! Breakfast Served All Day! BREAKFAST • LUNCH • DINNER (608)356-EATS On Business 12 at 304 Broadway in Baraboo
( 3 2 8 7 )
www.broadwaydinerEATS.com
2018 DEVIL’S LAKE STATE PARK GUIDE | 25
■
20% Off
1st 18 holes of Golf
Holes! 5 Courses ic- &91Play land Large Picn
BARABOO
Devil’s Lake
FISH FRY On-site Outdoor Fish Fry Fri. Nites June 8th - August 31st
At intersection of Hwy. 12-13-16-23 608-254-7500
5:00 – 7:30 pm
Baraboo’s Full Service Caterer
coffee bean connection LIKE us on
downtown baraboo
1150
$
per person
Al. Ringling Theatre Live ve Performances Cultural Events Theatre Tours
Hot and iced coffee drinks • Coffeehouse fare Loose leaf teas • Whole and ground coffee beans Free high speed Wi-Fi • www.cbeanc.com 608-355-9999 Mon- Fri 6:30 to 5:30 Sat 6:30 to 5 | Sun 8:00 to 2
2pc. Fish & 1pc. Chicken Dinner with 3 Sides
608-355-2456 DLG
North Shore Chateau Rain or Shine
(608) 3566 -8864 8864 alringling.org 136 4th Avenue, Downtown Baraboo
26 BEERS ON TAP!!! Enjoy your favorite ice cold CRAFT BEER with a great meal.
Fuel Your Healthy Lifestyle!
GLACIER ROCK FEATURES
Enjoy one of our many Fantastic Hand Made Pizza’s - fresh out of our Woodstone Ovens. Also serving Steaks, Seafood, Pasta, Salads and Sandwiches.
OPEN DAILY
AT 4PM Receive
10% OFF
Your entire purchase with this ad Not valid with any other offer. Exp 12/31/18
Closed Sundays
ENJOY OUR NIGHTLY SPECIALS which includeWednesdayWing Night, Friday Fish Fry and Saturday Prime Rib.
630 West Pine St., Baraboo, WI 53913 608-356-4869 • cindy@glacierrockbaraboo.com
26 | 2018 DEVIL’S LAKE STATE PARK GUIDE
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We Rock!
Geology of Devil’s Lake Devil’s Lake is a unique place for many reasons, but especially for its geology. When you stand on the beach at the north shore, you are surrounded on both sides by 500 foot bluffs that tower over the lake. When you ask people how the bluffs were formed, the typical answer is “by the glaciers”. Although the glaciers were definitely a part of the geologic timeline that helped shape Devil’s Lake the way it looks today, the bluffs were formed much earlier than that. To start looking at when the bluffs were formed, you need to go back about 1 billion years. Before the Baraboo Bluffs existed, this area was once covered by an expansive blanket of quartz sand that accumulated under the bottom of an ancient ocean. This ocean covered the area between what is now South Dakota and Lake Michigan. The pressure and weight of the accumulating sand cemented the grains into sandstone. Sometime between 1.4 and 1.6 billion years ago, the sandstone in this area crumpled into a series of folds that became the bluffs we still see today. Imagine the rocks you are hiking on are over 1 billion years old – long before there were even dinosaurs roaming the earth! The Baraboo Bluffs were formed into a canoe-shaped ellipse about 25 miles long and 5 miles wide that we still see today. During the folding of the rocks, the sandstone was metamorphosed into the quartzite. Quartzite is pretty tough stuff and is one of the hardest rocks on earth. You won’t find fossils at Devil’s Lake State Park, but you will find the floor of the ancient ocean preserved in these ancient rocks. Look for rocks that have a “wrinkled” or “washboard” appearance to them. The wrinkled pattern is the wave/
Balanced Rock
ripple marks that were preserved in the sandstone that became the quartzite you see today. If you hike up the East bluff (from the north end) or walk through Parfrey’s Glen, you’ll see the next era in the Devil’s Lake geology timeline. As you walk through these areas, you’ll find Cambrian sandstone that was created when an ocean flooded Wisconsin for a second time. About 500 million years ago, when this ocean started flooding the area, North America was rotated 90 degrees clockwise from its present position and lay along the equator. Wisconsin was now in the southern tropics. As the sea started to cover Wisconsin, the Baraboo Bluffs became islands. Powerful waves from tropical storms attacked the bluffs during this time, tearing blocks of quartzite from them. Strong undertows from the waves swept the boulders a short distance away from the cliffs. When calmer seas returned, these boulders were buried under sand. You can still see where the powerful waves deposited these boulders in layers of rock, called conglomerates or “puddingstone”, along the East Bluff Trail and in the gorge at Parfrey’s Glen. From
Photo By: Susan Johansen-Mayoleth
the north end of the east bluff trail, if you look just above what’s known as Elephant Cave, you’ll see this conglomerate - red quartzite boulders interstratified with tan sandstone. The conglomerate is some of the only rock left during the span of 400 million years when the oceans covered this area. Erosion has stripped away most of the rock that filled the Devil’s Lake gorge and covered the bluffs. As the seas receded, ancient rivers began to flow through the area, removing the softer rock that was deposited by the Cambrian ocean. These rivers cut 3 main gaps through the Baraboo Bluffs; one of which recut the gorge that now holds the Devil’s Lake. These rivers continued to flow until the last ice age began, about 18,000 years ago. Glaciers made their way south into Wisconsin. Slowly moving walls of ice, close to a mile high, bulldozed their way from the north, flattening entire landforms along the way. The Green Bay Lobe from the last glacier wrapped around the eastern end of the Baraboo Hills and part of it stopped here at Devil’s Lake. If you are up at the Nature Center, the ridge you are standing on is the remains of
this last glacier. The ridge is called a terminal moraine – a pile of earth, gravel and rock. The other terminal moraine in the park is at Roznos Meadows; you can see it from the parking lot on Hwy 113. These two terminal moraines sealed both ends of the ancient river valley where the lake sits today. The modern lake we see has been created by springs, seasonal rains and snowmelt. The boulder fields that surround Devil’s Lake (called talus) were created by freezing and thawing of the glaciers that sat here for about 8,000 years. This freezing/ thawing action also helped to create Balanced Rock and Devil’s Doorway – rock features that sit on the south-face of the East Bluff. It took just over a billion years for Devil’s Lake to look like we see today. There’s a lot more to the formation and the geologic history of Devil’s Lake and the surrounding area. You could say this is just the “tip of iceberg!” To find out more, check out the displays and information at the Nature Center or purchase one of the many books on the area at the Chateau (North Shore concession stand).
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Make tracks to the nearest contact station or nature center and get ready to discover some secrets! Ask for a Wisconsin Explorers book. Open the book and start exploring insects, birds, the moon, and all kinds of things! If you complete the requirements, you can earn a coloful patch. Booklets are available for three agres (3-5, 6-8, and 9+). Get out there and start Discovering Secrets together!
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Hunting and Trapping in Wisconsin State Parks The Sporting Heritage Act (Act 168) was adopted in April 2012. It included a variety of measures to encourage more people to become involved with Wisconsin’s longstanding traditions of hunting, fishing, and trapping. Among other things, Act 168: provided first-time hunters, anglers and trappers discounts on licenses; provided incentives for people who recruit others into buying licenses; and increased safety education opportunities. It also expanded hunting opportunities and allowed trapping for the first time on Wisconsin state park system properties. The act allowed the Department of Natural Resources to prohibit hunting and trapping within 100 yards of designated use areas,
such as picnic areas, campgrounds, beaches and certain designated trails.. The act authorized the State Natural Resources Board to close additional areas for safety reasons or to protect unique ecosystems. The hunting time frame for state parks established by the Natural Resources Board coincides with periods of lower visitor use of state parks. Maps, indicating which areas of each park are open and closed to hunting, will be posted at the park, available at the Visitor Center, and available online at http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/parks/hunt/. The Natural Resources Board restricted hunting and trapping on state park properties from Nov. 15 through Dec. 15 and from April 1 through the Tuesday nearest May 3 for the open seasons established
for different game species. In addition, hunting with legal archery methods is allowed from Dec. 15 through the Sunday nearest Jan. 6. Trapping is allowed in all areas open to hunting, but is not allowed within 100 yards of any designated trail. Only traps incapable of catching pets or those placed under water may be used in state parks. Hunters and trappers can enter a state park one hour prior to the daily hunting and trapping starting times. Before passage of Act 168 many state park properties were already open for deer hunting seasons, and some were also open for spring turkey hunting. The DNR has an extensive hunter safety program, and there has been an excellent
safety record for the hunts that have previously taken place on state park properties. During open hunting seasons, all visitors are encouraged to wear blaze orange or other brightly colored clothing. For more information, visit the DNR website and search keywords “hunting state parks.” [http://dnr. wi.gov/topic/parks/hunt/]
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Photo By: Susan Johansen-Mayoleth
Protect the Trees Where You Live, Work and Play! THE THREAT Your campfire wood could be hiding insects or diseases that can kill Wisconsin’s trees. Gypsy moth, emerald ash borer, oak wilt and others spread easily when hidden in firewood. YOUR ROLE “Campers value the places where they camp, so it makes sense that more and more, they are doing the right thing. Instead of bringing their own firewood from home, they are getting it at or near their camping destination, or buying certified firewood,” said Andrea DissTorrance, forest pest expert with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. “That is good, healthy news for Wisconsin’s forests.” Nurseries, loggers, mills and other industries are doing their part – they are strictly regulated when forests are threatened. Firewood is more difficult to keep track of, so it is the last easy ride for invasive hitch-hikers – unless you do your part too. It is safest and
easiest to leave firewood at home, purchase wood at your destination, or purchase only wood certified by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, which has been specially treated to kill hitch-hiking tree pests and diseases. FIREWOOD BASICS Firewood movement onto all DNRmanaged lands is restricted. Soon, all firewood for sale at the property will either be Wisconsin certified or from the property itself. All non-Wisconsin certified firewood brought into a Wisconsin State Park or forest must be: 1) Cut within 10 miles of the State Park or forest campground, AND 2) Cut within the boundaries of the State of Wisconsin, AND 3) NOT cut or stored in a pest quarantined area (unless the property is also in the same or a connected quarantined area). Visit dnr.wi.gov and search the keyword “firewood” for details AND
4) In Wisconsin, you may not move firewood from a quarantined area to a non-quarantined area unless it is Wisconsin certified. Enforcement can include fines and jail time. Quarantine maps are online at: http:// emeraldashborer.wi.gov & http://gypsymoth.wi.gov. WHAT YOU CAN DO In Wisconsin, campers can take simple steps to help protect the state’s healthy forests. These tips and more helpful information are online at dnr.wi.gov. Search “firewood”: 1. Leave firewood at home. Purchase firewood certified by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture or within 10 miles of your campsite. Also, many properties offer firewood for sale, or private sellers have it available near the park. 2. Burn your firewood at your campsite; do not take it with you to another destination.
3. Cook over gas or charcoal. Instead of a campfire, explore new night-time activities like star-gazing. 4. Stay updated and follow firewood rules and restrictions. Campfires are an important part of the outdoor experience in Wisconsin, but we must all take a few precautions to keep our forested areas and campgrounds – and our city parks and yards – safe from invasive insects and diseases. Campers will find reasonablypriced firewood within or nearby all state parks and forests. Wood from unapproved sources may be confiscated and destroyed. “We are counting on campers,” said Steve Schmelzer, Park Superintendent, “to help us protect the quality of our forest by complying with the rules. Firewood is available at the Ice Age campground store and the Visitor Center. Ask a ranger or campground host about firewood rules, or visit online: dnr.wi.gov, keyword “firewood”.
• PLEASE BE AWARE FIREWOOD RESTRICTIONS MAY CHANGE DURING THE SEASON •
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LODI & LAKE WISCONSIN EVENTS CALENDAR
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SEPTEMBER 22nd:
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LODGING • RESTAURANTS • SPECIALTY SHOPS • GOLF • CAMPGROUNDS FARMER’S MARKET • FREE POOL • BOAT RENTALS • WINERIES & MORE! If you’re in search of wonderful shopping, great restaurants or outdoor activities, something awaits you at every turn no matter what time of year. Come have fun with us in and out of the water.
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Off to the Races at Devil’s Lake
UWBadgers.com
The University of Wisconsin rowing programs will race at Devils Lake for the fourth consecutive year in 2018, with the women’s teams racing in early April and the men’s squad welcoming Boston University, MIT, Minnesota and MSOE on April 28, as well as Northeastern on April 29. After this year, Badger crews will have raced on the venerable lake nine times dating back to 2012, but the biggest and best is yet to come. The 2019 Big Ten Rowing Championships are coming to Devils Lake in May 2019, with eight of the nation’s best women’s rowing teams competing for the Big Ten title and an automatic bid to the 2019 NCAA Rowing Championships. In addition to Wisconsin, crews from Ohio State, Michigan, Minnesota, Michigan State, Rutgers, Iowa and Indiana will race.
@BadgerRowing
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1000 Year Old Effigy Mounds SAFETY TIPS Here are a few tips to help make a happy and accident-free vacation. While hiking, stay on the designated and signed trails shown on the park map. When you wander off these trails, you do so at your own risk! What may appear to be a “tame” animal may be ill or possibly rabid, and sick animals can bite! Leave it alone! Please report too-friendly or too-aggressive animals to the park personnel. Never eat berries or plant parts unless you are certain of their identity. Staying on the hiking trails will lessen your chances of walking through poison ivy. Always be careful with campfires, gas stoves and heaters. Keep children away from the fire ring at all times and never leave your fire unattended.
Lynx mound near present day Nature Center
Some mysteries are much more fun when they remain unsolved — such are the mounds in Devil’s Lake State Park. You can let your imagination run wild speculating about their origin and purpose. Ideas are limited only by the depth and creativity of your mind’s eye -from fanciful to ominous, elaborate to simple, trivial to sacred. HISTORIC AND PREHISTORIC Dating back more than 10,000 years, the oldest authenticated prehistoric site for people in the Upper Midwest is a rock shelter located less than 20 miles from Devil’s Lake. The natural rock shelter at Natural Bridge State Park is a known site of early human inhabitation. In historic times the Winnebago was the most important native tribe, but also represented were the Sauk and Fox (they had a village where the twin cities of Prairie du Sac and Sauk City are now located), the Kickapoo, and probably several other tribes. Another group of Native Americans — we call them Effigy Mound Builders, were active in
this region around one thousand years ago. They piled up earth to form three basic types of mounds: those in the form of various animals, the “true” effigy mounds; those which look like ridges, the linear type; and those which look like huge chocolate drops, the round or conical type. Consider the labor, organization, persistence, communication, and planning required to achieve such construction. No backhoes, frontend loaders, or dump trucks; no steel shovels, axes, or picks; no wheelbarrows, no winter pac-boots or down parkas. PONDER THE MYSTERY No one, not even modern Native Americans, have any direct knowledge of the Mound Builders. We do know that they used some mounds for burials, as human skeletons are found in some of them, especially in the linear and conical types. Perhaps they also used the animal mounds for special festivities, holidays, rites, or services. But we’ll never know for sure — the answers are lost in the enigma of pre-history.
Some animal mounds in the park are still in good shape; they’re marked with plaques. One resembles a lynx - it’s located near the Nature Center; another looks like a bear - it’s near the north shore of the lake; and there’s a bird mound at the southeastern corner of the lake. BE RESPECTFUL BE GENTLE Please do not disturb the mounds in any way; don’t walk on them, lean against them, or picnic atop them. These sites were obviously significant to some ancient peoples, about whom we know almost nothing. Treat the mounds with respect as if you were in the cemetery of a relative. While you’re near the enigmatic mounds, imagine the mysteries that you may be leaving behind for your descendents to puzzle over 1000 years from now. Mounds have been planted with Wisconsin native vegetation to help deliniate their location. Sometimes the mounds are shapes of vivid colors.
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2018
PHOTO CONTEST
Photo Contest Categories • Vista & Landscape • Visitor Activities • Plants • Animals • Winter • Youth Photographer <18
ENTRY DEADLINE: 4PM NOVEMBER 1, 2018 EACH CATEGORY WINNER WILL RECEIVE a Wisconsin State Parks 2019 Annual Vehicle Pass
Rules: All pictures must be taken within the boundaries of Devil’s Lake State Park. Entries must be digital. JPEG, at least 300dpi resolution, taken within the last five years, and should be sent to the Devil’s Lake email at richard.hesed@wisconsin.gov. Include “2018 contest” in the subject line. Please specify the category, and any photo must be entered into only one category; limit 5 photos per person. Any photos with identifiable faces must include that person’s permission with the entry. Photographers in the youth category must be under 18. Officers of Friends of Devil’s Lake and Devil’s Lake staff are not eligible. By sending photo entries, entrants are giving permission for photos to be used by the WI-DNR for use in printed publications, displays, online, and media publicity. Photos may be credited by last name, but not guaranteed.
Contest sponsored by:
EMAIL SUBMISSIONS TO: RICHARD.HESED@WISCONSIN.GOV ENTRY DEADLINE: 4PM NOVEMBER 1, 2018
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Riding the Rails to Adventure
Devil’s Lake, one of the more spectacular features in Wisconsin, has always has been a tourist destination. As soon as European settlers came over the bluffs in the 1850’s, people started promoting the beauty of Devil’s Lake. In 1853 the Milwaukee Sentinel reported “the lake is well worth the visit, and no one should pass by without stopping to examine it.” (A County Called Sauk, by Ken Lange). Even today Devil’s Lake is a popular destination for people from all over Wisconsin, the United States, and other parts of the world. In 2017 close to 3 million people visited the park. For comparison, Glacier National Park, in Montana, had 3 million visitors in 2017. Granted they have over one million acres of land, whereas Devil’s Lake has a little over 10,000 acres. Although Devil’s Lake has always enticed visitors, historically, this small but
town of Baraboo, another private carriage was needed to take them to the lake. Even with the journey being a bit arduous, Devil’s Lake was well visited. William Canfield, Sauk County’s pioneer historian, estimated about 20,000 tourists came to Devil’s Lake in 1872, a year before passenger trains began bringing people directly to the lake.
spectacular lake became reachable and popular because of steaming, smoking passenger trains. In the mid-1800’s travel wasn’t easy. Today, we think nothing of jumping in our cars and driving a few hours to visit the park, but people in the 1850’s had to come by horse-drawn carriages or by omnibus (a large, enclosed horsedrawn wagon). Even though there
Once tracks were constructed to the lake, visitation to Devil’s Lake skyrocketed. A new age was dawning for Devil’s Lake - the were railways in Wisconsin since hotel-resort era that would last 1850’s, it wasn’t until 1873 that for close to 30 years (Devil’s Lake a direct train line, the Chicago & State Park: An Historical Account by Northwest (C&NW) came to the lake. The lack of direct train service Ken Lange and Debra Berndt). The popularity of the area was further didn’t stop early tourists, it just fueled by travelers who wrote the meant the journey took a little articles for the train company’s longer. Early rail lines would bring tourists to nearby Portage, but from publication, The Railway. In 1874 there they needed to hire a private a visitor from Chicago wrote “the carriage to take them sixteen miles loneliness enhanced the beauty. The next minute the train was into Baraboo. Once reaching the
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stopping by a platform on the upper end of the lake . . . and a Swiss cottage, with bright dresses on its ample galleries, came into view through the trees”. In the Rand McNally’s Tourist Guide to the North-West, another tourist promised visitors would see “one of the loveliest sheets of water in the whole world . . . in a tremendous gorge . . . hemmed in on all sides by frowning rocks, of prodigious size, piled up in every conceivable form”.
Summer was an especially popular time at Devil’s Lake. During the summer of 1894, the railway company ran special excursion trains from Chicago to Devil’s Lake and back again. One excursion that year consisted of 2 separate trains pulling 22 coaches, stopping at the north shore hotel, the Cliff House. Over 2,000 tourists unloaded from those two trains to explore the lake and surrounding bluffs. Another rail excursion, the largest on record, brought 3 trains with 34 coaches. Its passengers
The Circus Train
Photo By: Bruce Nelson for Circus World Museum
Almost exclusively, passenger trains were the only trains to travel the tracks alongside Devil’s Lake a century ago. Many Ringling Brothers touring circus trains moved from their winter quarters, here in Baraboo, all around the country to their big top tent shows. From 1890 to 1918, the gaudy show trains consistently passed by Devil’s Lake. Beyond the colorful show train cars carrying wildly unusual parade wagons, many of the circuses transported exotic animals like elephants, camels and dromedaries, zebras, hippos, rhinos, giraffes, and reptiles. Can you image hiking along the lakeshore and seeing these animals pass you by on the tracks! A circus train last traveled through the park in 2009, but you can still see dozens of the purposefully conspicuous circus parade wagons at the Circus World Museum in Baraboo.
lined the lake’s north shore for the distance of a half mile. In the article, Devil’s Lake State Park: An Historical Account, these visiting trains were described as “steel monsters breathing fire and smoke and uttering strange noises as they screech to a halt by the Cliff House and there disgorge up to several thousand cramped tourists.” Not much has changed over the years here at Devil’s Lake, only instead of visitors arriving by train, they arrive by cars. It’s interesting that the bringing of the trains, and thousands of visitors, was part of the impetus to preserving Devil’s Lake and making it into a State Park. The railway played a huge role in the commercialization of the area. For the first time people from large urban areas, like Milwaukee and Chicago, had an opportunity to travel long distances. The railway companies heavily promoted trains as a way for the working- and lower-classes to travel. In 1906 the C&NW’s priced their excursion train fares to allow lower income families to afford traveling outside of the city. For example, the fare from Chicago was $2, from Milwaukee $1.50, and Madison was $1. No longer was travel only for the wealthy! With the number of tourists visiting Devil’s Lake each year increasing, many became concerned with the impact the thousands of visitors
were having on the land. In 1906, a group of local townspeople formed a committee lead by W.H McFetridge, Baraboo’s primary employer. McFetridge released a booklet called the Appeal for the Preservation of the Devil’s Lake Region, to preserve the lake and the surrounding bluffs as a natural wonder. The publication argued that the protection of the land would allow Devil’s Lake to “become the most wild and romantic, the most beautiful and interesting as any equal area on this continent”. In 1911, that protection happened; Devil’s Lake became Wisconsin’s third State Park. Long gone are the passenger trains to the park. The C&NW railroad stopped passenger service in 1963, 90 years after it first rolled through. The tracks that lie along the East Bluff are still active today, but only carry freight cars past the waters of the lake. Devil’s Lake’s popularity is still growing, even though tourists now come by other means of transportation. Still, it would be idealistic to come to the park by passenger train, rolling past the boulders and forests on the south bluff, to catch a peek of the lake as the train rolled forward towards the north shore. How lucky those early tourists were to Devil’s Lake in a unique way, now vanished in local history.
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Critter Cams
Baby Raccoons
Red Fox
Coyote
White-tailed Deer
Opossum
Wild Turkey
We’ve had another year with our critter cams and captured lots of interesting animal sightings. All of our trail cameras were purchased from several grants and donations. We’ve had our “typical” animals caught on the cameras – coyote, deer, turkeys, and of course raccoons. But, we’ve also had some other interesting animals caught on camera. Check out some of the highlights from 2017.
White-tailed Deer
To find out more about the park’s critter cams, stop up at the Nature Center. You can check out the display with lots of pictures highlighting the different critters that have been captured on camera. The Nature Center staff will also be happy to talk to you about our critter cam project and the types of cameras we use.
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Who walked the path before you?
You don’t always have to see the wildlife to find out what wildlife species are in the area. You can look for many signs of what may be around. Start by looking at the surrounding habitat; is it woodland, grassland, or maybe a wetland? Certain species of animals like certain habitats so by identifying the habitat around you it can help you figure out what species of animals you may find in that location. Can you see any signs left behind, such as scat (feces) or tracks? Tracks are a great way of finding out what has been there before you arrived and maybe still in the area. Look for tracks after a rain event on paths, muddy areas, or sand. Or if it is dry out, areas that are dusty or areas that are sandy, but not deep sand are good areas to check. If it is winter, 24 hours after a fresh snow can give you opportunities to see what was out and about looking for food or shelter. If you are new to tracking, here are a few critters and their tracks that may live in or be passing through Devil’s Lake State Park. Bobcats are becoming more common in southern Wisconsin, but are often not seen. They are very secretive animals that are more active at dusk and dawn. Bobcats are like domestic cats in that they have retractable claws. Most tracks left by bobcats will not have claw marks. Tracks will have 4 toes and the pad showing with two lobes on the front of the pad. The tracks are around 2
Bobcat
inches in length and width. Due to the length and width being similar the track tends to be round in appearance, unlike the dog family that is more rectangular in shape. Speaking of dog family, more common ones found in this area are coyotes and foxes, but the occasional wolf have been spotted in the area. The dog family tracks have 4 toes with claws (occasionally claws do not show) and the pad has one lobe on the front of the pad, and the whole track is more rectangular in appearance due to length being longer than the width. Fox tracks are around 2 inches in length with width of about 1 ½ inches, coyotes 2 ½ inches in length and 2 ¼ inches in width, and wolves 4 ½ inches in length and around 4 inches in width. Foxes, coyotes, and wolves, will often step in their own prints and walk a fairly straight line. Domestic dogs on the other hand, don’t need to conserve energy, etc. so tend to walk around with a meandering pattern and their tracks will vary in size depending on the breed of dog.
Coyote
Red Fox
Raccoon Front
Fisher Raccoon Back
So what do you do if you come across a track and want to figure out what it is? If you have a camera, take a picture with an object of a known size next to it, such as a dollar bill or a quarter, or if you don’t have any other object, use your hand. This way when you look at the picture you can figure out the size of the track. Remember, depending on how the animal stepped in that location, not all toes, claws, pads, etc. may show, so it is best to compare a couple of tracks if you can and even look at how it walked. When walking, the measurements needed are stride and straddle. Stride is the distance from where one footprint appears in a trail to the next point that a footprint made by the same foot appears. Example is for a person Skunk Skunk the measurement from the heel of Back Front the left foot to the heel of the next print of your left foot. The straddle Skunk tracks sizes are smaller than for a person is the measurement a raccoon track. The front foot is from the outside of your left around 1 ½ inches and the hind foot to the outside of your right foot is 1 7/8 inches. Skunks have foot. There are some great track long claws on their front feet for identification books out there and digging that may help in identifying searching the internet can help as the tracks. A great clue for well. The Wisconsin Department of skunks is they meander, similar to Natural Resources (DNR) has a link domestic dogs, so their tracks are to a publication called “Mammal often not in a straight line. Tracks on Wisconsin” that can be Another track that has 5 toes on found on the DNR website at dnr. both the front and hind foot is the wi.gov and typing in “mammal fisher. Fishers are more common tracks” in the search box. in northern Wisconsin, but they are These tracks are just a small occasionally reported in the area. portion of the mammals that may The front and hind foot are around leave tracks in this area. The next 2 ½ inches in length, but especially time you are out hiking, take a look in winter, can show a bunch of hair at the ground and see what was in the tracks as well. there before you! Some common species in the area would be raccoons and skunks. Both have 5 toes on the front foot and 5 toes on the hind or back foot. They both have claws that may or may not show on the track prints. For the raccoon, the front foot is 2 ¼ inches in length and the hind foot is around 3 ¼ inches in length. These tracks can often look like human hand and foot tracks, only smaller.
38 | 2018 DEVIL’S LAKE STATE PARK GUIDE
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Devil’s Lake Boat Rentals Come Paddle With Us!
• Kayaks • Paddleboards • Canoes • Paddleboats Two Locations! Find us at the North Shore Chateau and the South Shore Store
DevilsLakeBaraboo.com
We are a nonprofit organization, with proceeds going toward park improvements.
2018 DEVIL’S LAKE STATE PARK GUIDE | 39
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Devil’s Lake Concessions Welcomes You To The Park North Shore Chateau Grocery/Ice Cream/Gift Shop/Concessions/Beach Accessories
FRIDAY NIGHT FISH FRY
South Shore Store Grocery/Ice Cream/Gift Shop/Concessions/Beach Accessories
North Shore Chateau Starting June 8 Ending August 31 5:30 - 7:30 pm
Dance To The Big Bands Saturday, June 23 Saturday, July 21 Saturday, August 11 Saturday, August 25
Doors Open at 7:15
Music from 7:30 - 10:30
Ice Age Camp Store Grocery/Ice/Beer/Wood/and all your other camping needs
This facility is available for your personal events also - call to reserve your date TODAY! May through October, for questions about concessions, boat rentals, and rental of the North Shore chateau, call:
608-356-3381
DevilsLakeBaraboo.com We are a nonprofit organization, with proceeds going toward park improvements.
40 | 2018 DEVIL’S LAKE STATE PARK GUIDE
Spring and Fall is for the Birds
When you visit Devil’s Lake in the summer, you may have taken note of the chirps, chips, and tweets of the birds busying themselves with finding food, taking care of young, and protecting their territories. You may have noticed a turkey vulture or two soaring lazily over the bluffs. You might have even been lucky enough to spot a bald eagle or osprey as they swoop over the lake in hopes of catching a fish. During the summer, there are around 135 species of birds that live and breed at Devil’s Lake and the surrounding area, but during the migration that number swells. Over 250 species of birds fly through the area on their way to and from their winter and summer homes. Why do birds migrate? The main reason is lack of food. As colder temperatures move in the flowers die back, lakes and ponds freeze, and insects disappear so birds need to move farther south to find enough food to eat. Cold temperatures can be a motivating factor for the birds to start their migration, but many species, including hummingbirds, can tolerate freezing temperatures if they have enough food. Not all birds migrate long distances. There are short-distance migrants, like the black-capped chickadee, that will migrate from the northern part of Wisconsin to the southern part. There are others, medium-distance migrants, who may only travel a few states away. Canada geese are medium distance migrants who will only migrate to open water. Then there are the long-distance migrants who will go hundreds of miles from where they nest to where they will spend the winter. The ruby-throated hummingbird is a long-distant migrant, traveling as far south as Panama to spend the winter. The Baraboo Bluffs, of which Devil’s Lake is a part, is a critical area for birds, especially migratory species, because it holds some of the
don’t seem to stop at the park during their fall migration. One of the more striking, yet difficult to find migrants found on the lake is the horned-grebe. A small-sized water bird that is easy to distinguish largest, un-fragmented deciduous from the ducks by its red-andforests in the upper Midwest. black body feathers and yellowish When you combine Devil’s Lake “horns” - patches of long, thin and other protected areas in feathers behind its eyes. Consider this region, migrating birds have yourself lucky if you find this bird! around 50,000 acres of continuous, Horned- grebes migrate during the un-fragmented forest to stop, rest, day and only stop to rest at night and eat before continuing their before taking flight again. You’ll journeys. A large forested area need to scan the lake at dusk if isn’t the only feature that makes you want to find this one. Another this place important to migrating rare bird you may be lucky to spot birds because they can also find around the shores of the lake is a lot of diverse habitats here. For the American avocet. These rare, example, just within Devil’s Lake graceful migrants, with their long State Park you can find dry rocky beaks and blue legs, are not typical cliffs; cool, moist valleys; prairies for the Midwest. Avocets live in the and grasslands; and oak and pine western part of the US and most forests to name a few. This variety spend the winter along the Atlantic of habitat is like a superstore for Coast, with some wintering along the birds – providing them with the Gulf Coast. Rarely do they everything they need in one stop. migrate through the Midwest, but If you visit the park during the when they do, it’s a treat to spot migration what might you see? them. A pair of avocets was seen A vast variety of birds you don’t at the lake in 2015. They only spent normally find any other time of the day here before taking off the year. Some of the easy-toagain. spot migrants are ducks. During Spring and fall are not the only migration time, you can look out on times you’ll find migrants here in the lake and see 100’s of individual the park. Winter can also bring rare ducks floating on the water. In and unusual birds as well. One of these large rafts of birds, you’ll the larger and more spectacular see red-breasted and common ones is the golden eagle - the mergansers, common golden-eyes, largest, fastest, and nimblest buffleheads, and greater scaup, raptor in North America. Golden to name a few. In the spring, if eagles start coming into this area you look carefully among the mainly in the winter and will stay ducks, you’ll spot a common loon through early spring. It can be or two. One year, there were 9 hard to tell a golden eagle from a pairs of loons using the lake as a juvenile bald eagle, but one way rest stop before heading farther is size. A golden eagle is slightly north to nest. Loons are typically bigger than bald eagle and has only spotted in the spring and gold-colored feathers on the back
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of its head and neck. Young bald eagles will have at least a little white mottling on their body and wings, which the golden eagle does not. These large birds can be spotted haunting the area around the lake and the surrounding cliffs, looking for food. Another winter visitor to the park is the Townsend’s solitaire. This elegant, gray songbird is more at home in conifer forests in the mountains out west, than here in the Midwest. In the winter, solitaires move to areas where junipers and cedars trees are plentiful. These trees have berries these birds can eat all winter. Over the years, these birds have been spotted on the southern end of the East Bluff where there are lots of cedar trees. One of the smaller winter migrants to the park is the pine siskin. Every couple of years, these little songbirds make unpredictable winter migrations, called irruptions, into North America from their typical wintering range in Canada. When these little songbirds irrupt, the thistle seed feeders at the Nature Center can be loaded with siskins, making them easy to find. If you enjoy bird watching the spring, fall, and winter are great times to visit the park. With over 250 species migrating through or spending the winter, there is always an interesting bird species to discover. Make sure to check out the bird feeders at the Nature Center too. We are thankful for the generous donation from the Frank family who bought the feeders and keep them well stocked year-round. If you want to know more about bird watching in the park or are interested in finding out where to look for certain species, stop in the Nature Center. The naturalists will be happy to give you some tips and pointers on where to look. You can also pick up a Devil’s Lake State Park bird list at both the Nature and Visitor Centers. Happy Bird Watching!
2018 DEVIL’S LAKE STATE PARK GUIDE | 41
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Activity Abounds at the Nature Center Looking for fun things to do while you visit Devil’s Lake? Come up to the Nature Center! There’s always something happening year-round. The Nature Center is located on the north shore entrance road. The center has lots of natural and human history displays, live animals, and even a kid’s room, where kids can play – naturally! Check it Out! There are also lots of things you can borrow and use at the park. The following items can be checked out any time the Nature Center is open. • Wisconsin Explorer Books and Backpacks The Wisconsin Explorer books have nature activities, scavenger hunts, games, hikes, and crafts. Check out an explorer backpack • containing magnifying lenses, bug boxes, pencils, crayons, and field guides to help your kids complete the activities in the books. • Take Smokey Camping Kids can take a cuddly, stuffed Smokey Bear camping for the night! Read “The True Story of Smokey Bear” and write in Smokey’s diary about all of the things • Smokey did during his visit with you. • Forest Forever Backpacks Borrow a backpack filled with exploring tools, books, games, activity guides, and field guides that help kids ages 10 to 14 learn about Wisconsin forests. • Fishing poles Spend some time fishing on the lake. There is no charge for the equipment, and the poles can only be checked out for one day. • The park does not provide bait or special lures. Kids 16 and older must have a current fishing license.
ice skimmers. There is no charge for the equipment, but poles can only be checked out for one day. The park does not provide bait or special lures. Kids 16 and older must have a current fishing license. • Snowshoes Come and snowshoe this winter at Devil’s Lake! The Nature Center has several pairs of snowshoes visitors can borrow for free. We have sizes for any age, including kids as young as 4 years old. Snowshoes must be used in the park and be returned that day. Nature Programs Don’t forget to attend one of the many nature programs happening this year. There are lots of entertaining and family-friendly programs GPS units to help you discover more about Devil’s Lake! Check out a GPS and head out to find some To find out what’s happening, check out the of the park’s several geocaches, waymarks, calender of events pages in this Visitor Guide and earthcaches. Ask for our self-guided or go to the Nature or Visitor Centers to pick up historical GPS tour (Centennial Tracks) a weekly program schedule. Please remember at the Nature Center. GPS units can be the programs are weather-dependent and may checked out for one day, but if there is be canceled in inclement weather. You can find a large demand, the units can only be out about cancelations by calling or visiting the checked out for 4 hours. Nature and Visitor Centers. Coldcaching Backpack Hours Looking for a family-friendly activity that Summer: The Nature Center is open 9:00 am – allows you to experience the thrill of a 6:00 pm, 7 days a week (Memorial Day - Labor treasure hunt? The Ice Age Trail Alliance’s Day). ColdCaching program is an exciting way to explore Wisconsin’s fascinating Ice Age Spring, fall, winter: Hours vary and are posted at the Nature and Visitor Center. history and earn ice age patches! Stop in the Nature Center to check out the If you have any questions or want to find backpack. Inside you’ll find all the tools out what’s happening, give us a call at you’ll need. There are 7 ColdCaches at 608-356-8301 ext. 140 or email Susan. Devil’s Lake. JohansenMayoleth@wisconsin.gov. You can also sign up to receive email updates about events Ice fishing Equipment and happenings in the park too. Just email Sue, If you’d like to try ice fishing, you can check the Park Naturalist. out an ice fishing pole, and auger, and
42 | 2018 DEVIL’S LAKE STATE PARK GUIDE
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2018 DEVILâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S LAKE STATE PARK GUIDE | 43
Nearby State Natural Areas
With over 1.5 million visitors each year, Devilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lake is well loved and well used. But did you know there are over 13,000 acres of other conserved lands that lie within just a few minutes of Devilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lake? All of these interesting sanctuaries are within 5 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 30 minutes of Devilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lake State Park.
cliffs above the valley floor. Van Hise Rock, a National Historic Landmark, commemorates the groundbreaking19th century research of Charles Van Hise. Pine Hollow SNA â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 310 acres. Three miles from Leland, near Natural Bridge State Park. Pine Hollow is a moist and heavily wooded stream gorge. Differential erosion has cut a ravine about 300â&#x20AC;&#x2122; deep with cliff walls up to 80â&#x20AC;&#x2122; high. The sheer cliffs and rock outcroppings of sandstone and quartzite make up a complex slope and variety of exposures, making for a rich flora of more than 500 species. Hemlocks of all sizes occupy the steep moist ravine walls. Owned by the Nature Conservancy.
Baxterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hollow State Natural Area (SNA) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 5586 acres. Just west of Devilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lake State Park across Highway 12. A trail-less forest of red and white oaks, hickory and basswood. It provides an intact critical habitat for 92 species of breeding birds, 39 mammals, 13 amphibians and 18 reptile species. Owned by The Nature Conservancy. Gibraltar Rock SNA â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 68 acres. A few miles south of the Merrimac Ferry crossing of the Wisconsin River, south of Devilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lake State Park. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a stand-alone butte of dolomite atop sandstone rising 200â&#x20AC;&#x2122; above surrounding area. A short ascending walk to the top provides a beautiful panoramic view. McGilvra Woods SNA â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 74 acres. Four miles west of Baraboo, McGilvra Woods is a pleasant quiet tract of woods known for its variety and number of rare spring wildflowers. Lower Narrows SNA â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 146 acres. You might have driven through the Lower Narrows on
Relax, Rekindle, Relish!
Photo By: Tim Green
your way to the park if you came on Highway 33 from the I-90/94 freeway. Four miles east of Baraboo, it is actually the lower narrows of the Baraboo River, a 900-foot wide gap in the eastern edge of the Baraboo Hills. It was carved by flowing water about 12,000 years ago. Rocky bluffs and hills more than 230 feet high stand on either side of the road and the river. Hemlock Draw SNA â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 940 acres. This pleasant area is north
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of Natural Bridge State Park, about 18 miles from Devilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lake. It is a haven for migratory songbirds; 40 species of birds are known to breed here among the hemlocks and yellow birch trees. This tract is owned by The Nature Conservancy. Ablemanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gorge SNA - 126 acres. Geology aficionados are drawn to this unique place one mile north of Rock Springs, about 12 miles from Devilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lake. Quartzite and sandstone bluffs rise 200â&#x20AC;&#x2122; as a slope and
210 W. Cook St., Portage, WI
There are over 150 Wisconsin State Natural Areas, and 26 of them are in Sauk County. Pets are allowed in most State Natural Areas, but not in Parfreyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Glen. Actual land ownership of the land varies, and some are privately owned. Very few State Natural Areas have public facilities. Generally, there are no picnic areas, restrooms, or other developments. Usually, trails, if present, are typically undesignated footpaths. Rules in State Natural Areas are more restrictive and prohibit all collecting of natural specimens and cultural artifacts; prohibit camping, campfires, geocaching, horses, vehicles, and ATVâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s.
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44 | 2018 DEVIL’S LAKE STATE PARK GUIDE
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Sauk Prairie State Recreation Area Lake Superior
Sauk Prairie State Recreation Area (SPRA)
Upper Michigan
ACCESS MAP
2S
Minnesota
Michigan
3S
1S
Iowa Illinois
4S
Lake Michigan
Devil’s Lake State Park
5S
7S
20M
6S 12S
11S
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23M 12
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Sau k C lum o bia . Co .
Magazine Area
Co
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18S
19S
188 Lake Wi sconsin
Mi l es
0
0. 5
1
SPRA Project Boundary
Locator Points
Water faucet
DNR Land (open area)
Roads
Museum of Badger Army Ammunition
Cemetery
Northern Trails (Hike/Bike/Horses)
Parking
Southern Trails (Hike & Bike only)
Closed (no public access) DNR Easement (open area)
WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES
Central Trails (Hike/Bike/Horses) No horses allowed.
ACCESS MAP
The data shown on this map have been obtained from various sources, and are of varying age, reliability and resolution. This map is not intended to be used for navigation, nor is this map an authoritative source of information about legal land ownership or public access. Users of this map should confirm the ownership of land through other means in order to avoid trespassing. No warranty, expressed or implied, is made regarding accuracy, applicability for a particular use, completeness, or legality of the information depicted on this map.
The former Badger Army Ammunition Plant (BAAP) occupied 7,275 acres immediately to the south of Devil’s Lake State Park. The Badger plant was constructed in 1942 to provide ammunition propellant for World War II and was also operated during the Korean and Vietnam Wars. In 1997 the Army determined that the plant was no longer needed. In 2000, with the help of U.S. Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin, a locally driven reuse planning process was started. The Badger Reuse Committee (BRC) was convened in the summer of 2000 and concluded in early 2001. The BRC was a 21 member committee that included members from neighboring communities, local, state, and federal governments, and the Ho-Chunk Nation. The final report that the BRC compiled was dubbed “The Badger Reuse Plan”. This plan outlined values and criteria to be taken into account when considering the future use of Badger. The plan also recommended the creation of an advisory board. The Badger Intergovernmental Group was later convened and Badger Oversight Management Commission (BOMC) was established. After negotiations concluded, several entities agreed on
â&#x2013; the division of lands at Badger. They include the US Department of Agriculture, WI Department of Natural Resources, WI Department of Transportation, Town of Sumpter, and the Bluffview Sanitary District. Negotiations are still ongoing for a portion of the land to be received by the Ho-Chunk Nation. The USDA property will be used for the Dairy Forage Research Center. The Department of Transportation land was used to reroute State Highway 78, and the Town of Sumpter will own and manage the three cemeteries on the property. The Bluffview Sanitary District provides sewer utility service to surrounding areas. The Air and Waste and Remediation and Redevelopment programs of the DNR have been involved with the property for a long time and have put a great deal of effort into assisting the Army with making it a safe and usable property. A significant cleanup of contaminated structures, waters, and soils on the property has taken place; however, even after the Army vacates the property there will be a legacy of monitoring and maintenance of closed landfills, monitoring wells, and other facilities. The Natural Resources Board approved the Master Plan for the property in December 2016. The department anticipates that full implementation of the Master Plan may take up to 20 years depending on funding. The property is open for a subset of the approved activities at this time. Please check the website for current information regarding the SPRA: http://dnr.wi.gov/ topic/parks/name/saukprairie/ All other lands are NOT open for public use.
2018 DEVILâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S LAKE STATE PARK GUIDE | 45
Photo By: Tim Green. At Steinke Basin.
Photo By: Susan Johansen-Mayoleth
46 | 2018 DEVIL’S LAKE STATE PARK GUIDE
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Devil’s Lake State Park North Shore Day Use Area
Nature Center
Devil’s Lake State Park S5975 Park Rd. Baraboo, WI 53913-9299 608-356-8301
To Quartzite Campground
Service Area (staff only)
To Northern Lights Campground and Park Exit (Hwy. DL)
To Northern Lights and Ice Age Campgrounds
(on
e way) oad (on eR anc
ew
En tr
) ay
Pa rk
Ice Age Trail r mpe d Ca ly r an n ente arking o or C Visti eck-in p Ch
Visitor Center
Y st B We
Park Headquarters
East Bluff Trail
Y
luff ad ilro Ra
Ice Ag e
c Tra
Sugar Maple Shelter
ks
Tra il
(no ta )
il tra
Beach
Accessible Lake Access
North Shore Chateau Concessions & Boat Rental
Rock Elm Shelter
Rocks T rail
Devil’s Lake
Tum bl e d
Parking
Y
Garbage/Recycling
Bo pa at La rkin un g o ch nly
Restroom (year-round)
Grill
Restroom (summer)
Hot Coal Disposal
Restrooms and water taps are available during summer months only. The restrooms at the Visitor Center and Park Headquarters are open year-round.
Paved Accesible Trail
Devil’s Lake State Park 250 ft
Boat Launch
500 ft
0
North
Devil’s Lake State Park S5975 Park Rd. Baraboo, WI 53913-9299 608-356-8301
ad
ilro
Ra
Red Cedar Shelter
Gate
Tamarack Shelter
(no ta
White Birch Shelter
To Group Camp, Hwy 113 and Merrimac
il)
tra
Volleyball
ks
Y
Garbage/Recycling
c Tra
Parking
500 ft
250 ft
To Balanced Rock Trail
South Shore Day Use Area 0
North
Water (summer)
Hiking Trail
Playground Grill
Paved Accessible Trail
Beac
Hiking Trail
h
Hot Coal Disposal
Red Oak Shelter
Water (summer) Restroom (summer)
Y
Restroom (year-round)
Most restrooms and water taps are available during summer months only. The restrooms at the Red Oak shelter may be open late spring to early fall but are also weather-dependent. The restroom near the Red Cedar shelter is open year-round
South Shore Concessions & Boat Rental
White Pine / TPA Shelter
Devil’s Lake
White Oak Shelter
Contact Station
South Shore Entrance
Shagbark Shelter
Gate
To West Bluff, Hwy 12 and North Shore
D ake th L Sou
rive
2018 DEVIL’S LAKE STATE PARK GUIDE | 47
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Devil’s Lake Depth Map = Park Building = Private Cottage = Boat Landing = Underwater/Underground
N
Withdrawal Pipe
3’
W
5’
E
10’
15’
S
20’ 25’
DEVIL’S LAKE TRIVIA Water Area: 368.76 acres Under 3 Feet: 3% Over 20 Feet: 77% Max Depth: 47 feet Total Alkalinity: 23 ppm Volume: 11,210.71 acre feet Main Shoreline: 3.55 miles Lake Length: 1.3 miles Lake Width: About 0.5 miles
30’ 35’
There is no natural outlet for the lake other than evaporation; the lake is filled only by local drainage and the small trickle of Koshawago Springs near the southwest corner of the lake.
40’
45’
45’
47’
40’ 35’ 30’
5’
3’
400’
0’
400’
800’
1,200’
1,600’
48 | 2018 DEVIL’S LAKE STATE PARK GUIDE
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Natural Bridge State Park Natural Bridge is a small state park (530 acres) that merits a visit. Most people could easily spend 1-3 hours at the park; others could spend more time. It’s a little-visited area, and a great place for a walk in the woods. The main feature of the park is a natural bridge of sandstone with an opening 25 feet high by 35 feet wide. Its weathered formation was missed by the glaciers. People were living at this site from 10,000 to 12,000 years ago (on the basis of radiocarbon assay, geochronology and stratigraphy), when the Wisconsin Glacier was melting by Devil’s Lake. In the natural rock shelter under the sandstone arch is one of the oldest known sites for people in the Midwest. Natural Bridge is a good place to launch your imagination about what it would be like to live in Wisconsin without modern amenities. Life would have been much different with furs instead of a parka, fire instead of an modern furnace, rock walls on two sides instead of an insulated frame house, a small seasonal stream hundreds of yards away instead of running water, food that required capturing instead of pantry shelves and a refrigerator, and a cooking fire instead of an electric stove and microwave. The native land cover is mainly oak woods, with open fields and patches of native prairie adding to the variety. A number of wildflowers bloom throughout the growing season, and bird watchers will be rewarded with sightings of such species as turkey vultures, pileated woodpeckers, and in winter, bald eagles. Nestled in the Baraboo Hills of southern Wisconsin between the small communities of Denzer and Leland, Natural Bridge State Park has much to offer. The park was established in 1973, and includes
Photo By: Laura Dierbeck
Natural Bridge State Park
C
DL
Indian Moccasin Nature Trail 12
C
Leland
Denzer 2 miles
33
Baraboo
Denzer
Devil’s Lake State Park 78
C
0
1000 ft.
2000 ft.
N
Sauk City
60
W
E S
Legend Park Boundary Trail
PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER
Highway Leland 3/4 miles
Whitetail Hiking Trail
Natural Bridge Parking Picnic Area
Natural Bridge State Park is located in Sauk County, in the southwestern corner of the Baraboo Hills. Take U.S. Highway 12 south from Baraboo or west and north from Sauk City to County Highway C, then 10 miles west on this highway to the park.
a 60-acre scientific area. A selfguiding nature trail on the uses of plants by Native Americans winds through part of the scientific area. A hiking trail, two miles long, is
Vault Toilet Overlook Other State Land
Baraboo Hills State Recreation Area
located in the woods on the other side of the highway. This park is for day use only; there is no camping. There is a non-flush restroom building near the parking lot.
In the winter, the park remains open for entry and use by foot, ski, and snowshoe. Nothing is plowed or cleared, and parking may not be available.
2018 DEVIL’S LAKE STATE PARK GUIDE | 49
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Photo By: Susan Johansen-Mayoleth
Why is it called Devil’s Lake? The original Native American name for the lake could have been translated as Spirit Lake, Holy Lake, Mystery Lake, or Sacred Lake. But the Winnebago name “Ta-wa-cun-chuk-dah” or “Da-wa-kahchar-gra” was translated in its most sensational form (for that era) as Devil’s Lake. In the mid-1800’s the railroad, hotel, and tourism entrepreneurs sought publicity for the destination, and competitive newspaper editors were eager to comply. Reporters produced superlative accounts of Devil’s Lake and reproduced legends (sometimes manufactured) to match. Before all the lurid one-upmanship, the earliest known map of the area in 1850 humbly referred to the lake as “Lake of the Hills.” Two years later, a geological survey called it “Devil’s Lake,” and ten years after that referred to it as “Spirit Lake.” By 1872, challengers to the name Devil’s Lake conceded defeat when the Green County Republican newspaper reported, “Had the lake been christened by any other name, it would not have attracted so many people…”
Photo By: Susan Johansen-Mayoleth
50 | 2018 DEVIL’S LAKE STATE PARK GUIDE
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It’s about YOU... your health, your wellness, your family. Prairie Clinic, S.C. is an independent clinic offering Family Medicine, Pediatric, Obstetrics and Gynecology services. In addition to acute care and medical consultation, the clinic offers programs for Asthma, Anti-Coagulation (ProTime) and Diabetes. Some laboratory tests are completed on site: lab, x-ray, ultrasound, electrocardiogram and bone density scans.
WALK-IN CLINIC
Monday - Thursday 9am – 7pm Friday 9am – 4pm Healthcare when you need it! For patients age 12 months and up
Prairie Clinic, SC. • 112 Helen Street, Sauk City, WI 53583 • 608-643-3351 Located in North Freedom 12 miles west of Devil’s Lake
Train Rides
ALL ABOARD
!
RIDE INTO THE PAST! Take a 55-minute roundtrip journey aboard train cars that roamed the rails a century ago. DISCOVER the rich history of railroading through a museum filled with restored locomotives, railcars gift shop, and more! OPEN DAILY from June 2–Sept. 3 OPEN WEEKENDS May 12–28 & Sept. 8–Oct. 21 DEPARTURES at 11am, 1pm, & 3pm* Museum Hours: 9:30am–5pm on days trains operate
train -time an old e id R
Historic
railroad
displays
Fun for all ages
FARES
*Departure times may differ during special events.
Coach Cars: Adult $20; Senior (62+) $18; Student (13-17) $15; Child (3-12) $10; Ages 2 and under ride free. Caboose: Adult $22; Senior $20; Student $17; Child $12 Diesel Locomotive Cab: $65 Prices subject to change. Fares differ during select special events.
Admission to museum is FREE! Free parking and picnic area.
For info & reservations call 608-522-4261 toll free 800-930-1385 or visit MIDCONTINENT.ORG Directions from Devil’s Lake S.P. to E8948 Museum Rd., North Freedom, WI 53951 From Park’s north exit follow Hwy DL west for 1 mile — LEFT on Hwy 136 West for 8.7 miles (through West Baraboo)— LEFT on Hwy PF for 2 miles to North Freedom — STRAIGHT at 4-Way STOP sign onto W. Walnut St. — Ahead 0.4 miles to Museum.
®
MID-CONTINENT RAILWAY MUSEUM
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2018 DEVIL’S LAKE STATE PARK GUIDE | 51
White-Nose Syndrome
Watching bats silently flit across the water in the evening is a common pastime for many park visitors, however bat acrobatics are becoming an increasingly rare sight as a killer moves through bat colonies in Wisconsin. The culprit for the loss of hibernating bat populations across the continent is the fungal disease, white-nose syndrome (WNS). This deadly bat disease is steadily marching its way across North America leaving devastation in its path. First discovered in a cave in New York in 2006, WNS spread quickly throughout New England and within six years, had made its way into bat populations in Ontario and Missouri. Mortality rates of up to 100% at hibernation sites are not uncommon, and by 2012 it was estimated that over six million bats had died. White-nose syndrome reached Wisconsin in the spring of 2014, and within three years, the majority of the state’s hibernation sites were infected. Much still remains to be learned about what exactly causes mortality in bats infected with WNS. A common theory is that the fungus growing on the bats while they are in torpor causes them to wake up too often. Every time a bat arouses, it burns valuable fat reserves needed to survive the winter. Sick bats often emerge onto the landscape in January and February looking for food to replenish their reserves. Because of cold temperatures and no insect activity, bats die when they fly out of hibernation sites midwinter. The mass mortality and odd behavior observed in the East when WNS was first discovered is unfortunately no different from declines seen in Wisconsin’s bat populations. White-nose syndrome causes the highest mortality in the second year of infection at a site, and most of Wisconsin’s bat hibernacula have seen declines of
70-100%. The first site infected in Wisconsin went from 1,000 bats to just nine in four years. Bats are very mobile and use different areas in summer than the caves and mines used for hibernation. Bats sometimes travel over 100 miles from winter to summer habitat! What this movement means is that mortality seen in winter populations translates to summer roost sites like the Chateau on the north shore of Devils Lake. The Chateau, bat condo, and bat houses were once home to over 600 little brown bats in the height of summer. In June of 2017, however, the population was estimated at just over 130 bats; a decline of about 80%. It is important to note with this dire news that there are still bats returning to summer roost sites in Wisconsin. We don’t yet know the ultimate fate of WNS-infected bat populations in Wisconsin, and in the East, biologists have started to identify survivors. Continued monitoring of Devils Lake colony as well as other known roost sites in Wisconsin is important for
Colony estimates for little brown bats inhabiting the Chateau before pups can fly. understanding the full impacts of WNS, and identifying immune individuals. If you observe bats at a summer roost site, or even hanging on boulders in the Park, please consider reporting it to the Wisconsin Bat Program. White-nose syndrome rages among bat populations across North America, but not without a fight. State and federal agencies,
universities, and non-profit organizations are partnering on numerous projects investigating treatment options such as vaccination, topical treatments, and altering hibernacula conditions to slow the growth of the fungus. You can learn more about how Wisconsin and others are fighting WNS by searching <Wisconsin Bat Program> online and reading our annual newsletter.
• Hand-Made Chocolates • Home of the Cow Pie® • Novelty Chocolates • Taffy, Fudge, Hard Candies
CHOCOLATE FACTORY & OUTLET Across from Ho-Chunk Casino on Business 12/BD
DAYS OPEN 7 EK A WE
608.356.7425
FREE SAMPLE
www.baraboocandy.com
S
Flush Toilet/ Shower Building G9
Parking Trail
2018 DEVIL’S LAKE STATE PARK GUIDE | 53
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Photo By: Derrick Mayoleth
Summer Guided Kayak Tours Join us for a guided tour around the lake by kayak! You can join us for a kayak tour on Friday and Saturday evenings. Bring your own kayak or rent one from the Chateau. Please see the events calendar for kayak tours and times. Since space is limited, you need to preregister by calling the Nature Center (608-3568301 Ext. 140) or emailing Susan.JohansenMayoleth@wisconsin.gov. If you aren’t able to join us for one of the kayak programs, feel free to rent a kayak from the North (Chateau) or South Shore Concessions. You don’t need to make a reservation to go kayaking on your own. The boats are rented on a first-come-first-serve basis. If you’d like to join us for a Kayak Tour, check out the information below: • Preregistration is required – To register, please contact the Nature Center at (608) 356-8301 Ext. 140 or email Susan. JohansenMayoleth@wisconsin.gov. • If you don’t own a kayak - If you need to rent a kayak, there will be a $25 rental fee for a single or $45 for a double kayak. This rental fee will include your kayak, paddle, and PFD (You will be required to wear your PFD). • If you own a kayak – We ask you make a $10 donation for a single kayak and $15 for a double. (You will be required to wear
your PFD) Cancelation Policy - If the weather is bad or the lake is rough, we will cancel the tour that day. We need at least 5 people to run the tour. If we do not have enough signed up, the tour will be canceled. We will wait until closing of the Nature Center (4:00 p.m.) the days of the kayak tours to see if we have enough participants. • Where to meet – • If you have rented a kayak, pay for and pick up your kayak at the Chateau. Please leave yourself at least a half an hour before we start to pay for your kayak. • If you have your own kayak, put your boats in at the north shore boat launch, then paddle over to the Chateau. Please try to be there a half an hour to 15 minutes before the tour starts. • How long will the tour last? – The tours typically last 1 ½ to 2 hours as we’ll paddle the circumference of the lake. We’ll stop along the way to look at wildlife and to talk about the park. If you have any questions or need more information, please contact Sue Johansen, Park Naturalist, at (608) 356-8301 ext. 140 or by email at Susan.JohansenMayoleth@wisconsin.gov. •
KIDS, BECOME A WISCONSIN EXPLORER!
Are you good at discovering secrets? There are many waiting for you at your favorite state park, forest, trail, or recreation area. Just stop by the nature center or contact station and pick up a Wisconsin Explorer booklet. Inside, you will find nature activities, scavenger hunts, games, hikes, and crafts that will help you and your family explore Wisconsin’s natural resources. Complete the requirements listed in the booklet, and you’ll earn a collectable state symbol patch. For 2018, the patches area:
• American robin (ages 3-5) • Muskie (ages 6-8) • Wood violet (ages 9+) For more information, ask park staff or visit <www.wiparks.net> and search for “Wisconsin Explorer.”
Farm @ E11364 One mile west of Devils Lake on Highway 136, Bistro @ 106 4th St. on the Square in Downtown Baraboo 4 doors East of Al Ringling devilslakelavender.com
414- 690- 5060 Follow us on:
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Activities & Park Amenities
SWIMMING: FIREWOOD: Beaches and bathhouses are located at both ends of the lake. Lifeguards are not provided. Please swim with a buddy. Sold in the Ice Age Campground Store and Visitor Center during normal business hours. No standing trees may be cut for firewood, FISHING: even if dead. Tree limbs that have fallen to the ground may be collected for Devil’s Lake contains brown trout, walleye, northern pike, bass and firewood. No chainsaws may be used. All firewood must come from within 10 panfish. A fishing license is required for anyone miles of the park. 16 or over. A trout stamp is required for trout fishing. FIRES: BOATING: Fires are permitted in fire rings and cooking grills only. Please do not Life preservers are required for all boats, including rubber rafts. leave any fire unattended. There are boat launching ramps at both ends LAUNDRY: of the lake. Electric motors only! There are no laundry facilities located in the park. PICNIC FACILITIES: Laundromats are available in Baraboo. There are three major designated picnic grounds in the park with SHOWERS: water, tables & grills. Two are located on the North Shore & one on the South Shore. Facilities are open seasonally in the campgrounds and in the Red Oak Shelter/Concession building on the south shore. BIKING: PICNIC SHELTERS: Bicyclists must use caution and give hikers the right-of-way. Bicycles Shelters are available for rental. Reservations accepted up to 11 are allowed on the Upland Trail Loop and the connector trail to the months in advance. Call (608) 356-8301 for an application. North Shore Picnic Area. Trails open to bikers are so posted. A bike trail pass is not required to ride on these trails. To Baraboo
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2018 DEVIL’S LAKE STATE PARK GUIDE | 57
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Devil's Lake State Park
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SKATEBOARDS AND SCOOTERS: Skateboard, scooters,and other play toys are allowed only on park sidewalks and paved pathways in the picnic areas. They are not allowed on vehicle-used roads, including campground roads. DRONES, RC PLANES, ROCKETS: Use of drones is not allowed in WI State Parks. Also not allowed: RC planes, rockets, hang gliding, hot air balloons, and skydiving. CAMPERS: For individual groups (non-family) no more than 6 individuals per campsite. Register at the office before you set up. Campers may not set up camp between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. Camping is allowed only in designated campsites in the campgrounds. Only two vehicles are allowed at each campsite at one time. Vehicles must be parked on the parking pad. Additional parking is available near each campground. WASTE: Park rules require that you dispose of all waste only in the containers provided for that purpose in the picnic areas and campgrounds. NOISE: Noise restrictions are enforced for the benefit of all visitors. No radios, boomboxes, musical instruments, tape players or similar noise producing devices may be used in the campgrounds from 11:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. Personal headsets are recommended during this time. Campers should also be quiet enough not to disturb their neighbors. Quiet hours in the campgrounds are strictly enforced. From 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. noise producing devices such as radios and boomboxes should be used with consideration for other park visitors.
PLANTS AND FLOWERS: All plants and flowers are protected at the park and may not be picked with the exception of edible fruits, nuts, berries and asparagus. Mushrooms may also be collected, but be cautious. TRAFFIC: All traffic laws, including one-way roads, are enforced for vehicles and bicycles. SCUBA DIVING: All divers should remember to follow safe established diving practices. Always dive with a buddy. Diving flags are required. ROCK CLIMBING: The park is not maintained for rock climbing. Loose rocks may be encountered. Rock climbing at Devil’s Lake is at YOUR OWN RISK. WINTER ACTIVITIES: A winter map of trails is available from the north shore Visitor Center. Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are permitted, though specific trails are not designated exclusively for such use. Trails are not maintained for winter hiking, which is neither recommended nor prohibited. Trails are usually icy and snow covered for much of the winter. The park does not rent skis, but snowshoes may be available for free loan when the Nature Center is open. The lake freezes over for about three months each winter, and ice fishing is popular. The park staff does not monitor conditions, thickness, or safety on the ice. Be cautious at all times. Approximately 12 campsites are available for winter camping. Pit toilet restrooms are available.
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Driving Tour of Devil’s Lake State Park
17 miles - 1 to 2 hours Starts at the north shore of Devil’s Lake Driving Tour Map on pages 60-61 This driving tour includes excellent views of the lake, scenic vistas, an introduction to the land’s formation story, and a sampling of the park’s human history. Enjoy the drive! Safety Rules Do NOT read while you drive! Designate a non-driver to be the navigator and narrator. Do not stop in the roadway. When you stop, you MUST use a regular parking spot or designated vehicle pull-off area. There are no posted signs designating driving tour locations. Start at the lake’s north shore, near the headquarters or Visitor Center – North shore picnic area – There are at least 10 ancient native 1 mounds in the lake’s north shore area, dating back over 1000 years. You’ll find effigies of a lynx, panther, and bear, along with some linear and conical mounds. All were hand built without the use of metal digging tools. The true purposes of these mounds are lost to history, but are still open to speculation ideas include: burials, religion, artistry, worship, and rituals. Think about it - - - if you were living as a pre-historic person, would the lake be a good place to live? Drive across the railroad tracks and turn left, go out the north shore exit road. North shore exit road – The stream alongside the railroad tracks and the exit road does not drain from the lake, but descends from the Steinke Basin plateau behind the East Bluff. In 2008, seven inches of rain fell in just a few hours. This little stream became a rampant torrent, destroying the railroad tracks.
2
Think about it - - -in a contest of strength, what would win: a 185-ton train engine pulling a million-pound train… or a twohour flood of this little creek? Turn left at the stop sign onto County Road DL. Go to the next stop sign, continue straight across. At the next stop sign, turn left onto South Shore Road. Head up the hill and stay on the paved road. Southbound behind the west bluff – watch for: At the top of the hill to your left, as-the-crow-flies, in less 3 than a half-mile one would come to the west bluff overlooking the lake. There, in 1894, Palisade Park was planned to be a resort for the “best class of people.” A gravel road ahead (don’t take it) goes 2 miles and ends near the defunct Badger Army Ammunition Plant of 1942-1975. Along this dead end road are 3480 acres of the South Bluff State Natural Area within the state park. There are no trails in the area.
4
Think about it - - - why keep more than 3000 acres in a popular park without trails?
Stay on the paved road and curve left. Head down the winding “Snake Hill.” At the bottom of the hill (watch for pedestrians) you’ll cross Messenger Creek; turn right into the boat landing parking lot. Messenger Creek – On the way down the winding hill, you passed the location of the tree house, cabin, and assembly hall of the Old Settlers’ Association of 1904. Farther along the lakeshore is the location of the Ringling Brothers vacation home. At one point there were 31 private cottages along the south shore.
5
Think about it - - - should people of wealth, power, and privilege get to build houses in the most fabulous places, or should those places be set aside for all to visit? Turn right out of the boat landing parking lot, go about two hundred yards along the shore with the lake on your left. Park in one of several roadside pull-offs on your right. South Shore – This cut through the Baraboo Hills was made by an ancient river, slicing through the land over eons of time. The only water input into Devil’s Lake is the tiny Messenger Creek and springs. Devil’s Lake has no natural outlet and rests about 130 feet higher in elevation than the Baraboo River, three miles away. Devil’s Lake is a little less than 50 feet deep. In the lake you’ll find large, smallmouth & rock bass, yellow perch, crappie, walleye, northern pike, bluegill, and brown trout.
6
Think about it - - - this road wasn’t originally here. Nor were the trails. Imagine walking around the lake… climbing over boulders and jumping from rock to rock. Would 3-½ miles be an easy stroll? Continue ahead about ½-mile and turn left into the main south shore picnic area. Continue to one of the parking lots and park in a place that gives a good view of the lake and the bluffs. South shore picnic area - Several hotels existed on the shores of Devil’s Lake beginning in 1866 and ending about 1904. Most visitors arrived by steam train. There were vineyards, restaurants, gardens, bands, regattas, contests, plays, croquet games, dances, hayrides, ice skating, lake excursions footraces, …even masquerade balls.
7
Think about it - - - imagine arriving via a smoke-belching steam train in 1877. You could stay a week in a lakeside hotel, tour the lake on a small paddlewheel boat, and trek the trails in a long dress or would you rather camp? Go back out of the south shore picnic area, and turn left at the stop sign onto South Lake Drive. Cross the railroad tracks, go another ½-mile. Take the 2nd right turn into the C.C.C. area. Park in the back of the parking lot, near the bronze statue. C.C.C. parking lot – From 1934 to 1941, during the Great Depression, the Civilian Conservation Corps operated a work camp for about 200 young men on this site. These men worked for the U.S. government and completed projects such as a reservoir, picnic tables, signs, removed invasive plants, and guided tourists. Much of their work still exists: the park headquarters, the Rock Elm Shelter, and much of the labor-intensive terraced trails and steps. The
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2018 DEVIL’S LAKE STATE PARK GUIDE | 59
Driving Tour of Devil’s Lake State Park
C.C.C. camp area is now the park’s group camp. North, across the road and up the very steep C.C.C. trail, are some of the most popular rock climbing areas.
Turn right out of the Parfrey’s Glen parking lot onto County Road DL. Go back two miles to the stop sign. Turn right on Highway 113 and head uphill. Drive 1-½ miles…
Think about it - - -Why would you live in a bunkhouse and dig dirt, carry rocks, pry boulders, put up buildings, sit on a bench to eat your chow, and sleep on a bunk at night for very little pay?
Uphill on Highway 113 – As you crest the hill, you’ll cross the Ice Age Trail. The highest elevation in the park is a mile east of here, about 600’ higher than the lake level. This eastern section of the park seems to have more sightings of wildlife: deer, coyotes, rattlesnakes, eagles, hawks, owls, and even a badger.
Turn right out of the CCC parking lot and continue east. As you drive two miles, watch for: A change from big rocks to a hill of smaller loose rock and gravel on your left - From 1922 to 1967, there was a rock quarry and buildings near here. The smaller loose rocks on your left are leavings from that quarry. You can still find foundations of the workers’ quarters in the woods, though the quarry itself is officially off limits now. To retrieve the valuable quartzite rock, railroad tracks were laid right to the quarry. Before this quarry, there was a quarry on the east shore of Devil’s Lake until 1919.
9
In 1-¼ miles, watch on your right for a small roadside pulloff – the Sandstone parking area. Roznos Meadow is the open area in this valley. Today, the meadow is kept open by periodic prescribed burning. On some summer nights, this vista is awash with the lights of thousands of fireflies. Hawks like to sit atop these few trees, watching the meadow for an easy lunch of mouse, vole, or rabbit.
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Continue driving east (the way you were going.) At the stop sign, turn right on Highway 113. Go about ¼ –mile, and turn right into the gravel parking lot by the Ice Age Trail sign. Roznos Meadow parking lot – The 1000-mile Ice Age Trail enters the park near Parfrey’s Glen, loops around Devil’s Lake, and includes about 13 of the park’s 29 miles of trails. The valley you are in was not carved by a glacier, but a glacier was here. Look west (away from the road) and see what looks like a flat-topped earthen dam blocking the end of the valley. This is a textbook-perfect terminal moraine. Rock and dirt were pushed along by an advancing glacier, and then left in place at the end point of the glacier’s farthest advance. The C.C.C. parking lot and the Group Camp sit atop this moraine.
11
Think about it - - - what would happen if there were two of these glacial “dams” a mile apart in the same valley? Turn right out of the parking lot, go 100 yards, and turn left on County Road DL. Go two miles and turn left into the Parfrey’s Glen parking lot. Parfrey’s Glen – is the first Wisconsin State Natural Area, designated in 1952. It is a natural treasure, harboring rare plants, animals, and birds within the sandstone conglomerate walls of the narrow gorge. Many plants found here are most commonly found much farther north in Wisconsin, Michigan and even Canada. It’s a dynamic place, usually placid and quiet, but punctuated by flooding and intense erosion that continues to reshape the ravine.(If you choose, a walk into the glen will take at least an hour, and will cover 1-½ miles roundtrip on foot.)
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Think about it - - - why are many species of plants in Parfrey’s Glen the same as plants a few hundred miles north of here?
13
Think about it - - - it seems wildlife is a bit more abundant out here. Why? Turn left on County Road DL (about ½ -mile after you crest the top of the long winding hill.) Go about 1/2-mile and turn left into the Steinke Basin parking lot. Steinke Basin – You’re in an extinct glacial lake bed, about 240 feet higher than Devil’s Lake’s elevation. You’ll find it to be a diverse area with meadow, pine trees, hardwood forest, a stream, and ponds. Beavers dammed the stream and flooded some low areas. Trees that couldn’t tolerate “wet feet” died, but the slow decay of trees has created food for woodpeckers – insects in the dead wood. This area was farmed for generations, and some land is still leased for hay production. Steinke Basin is the hub of the park’s cross-country ski trails in the winter. To the north, across the road and in the woods, are some kettles – odd acre-sized round pits left after huge ice blocks from the retreating glacier melted. Also across the road to the north, behind the pine trees and north of the windmill frame, you might be able to find a large reddish rhyolite boulder, a geologic erratic all the way from Michipicoten Island, Canada.
14
Think about it - - - how did a single distinctive rhyolite boulder get here all the way from Canada? Turn left out of the Steinke Basin parking lot onto County Road DL. Continue 1-½ miles all the way to the stop sign. (Do NOT turn left into the one-way exit road or into the Quartzite Campground) Turn left into the main north shore entrance of the park. North Shore Entrance - If you’re lucky, you’ll get to drive this road on a sunny autumn day when you’re entering a brilliant tunnel of luminous yellow maple leaves. Winding downhill, along the last of the entrance road, you’ll pass the completely overgrown location of the elegant Claude house, which overlooked the lake from 1857 to 1953. In the early 1900’s private cabins, wall-tents, and “claim-it-and-use-it” campsites proliferated around the northeast corner of the lake. Over the years, there have been waterslides, toboggan runs, horse races, train stations, big band dances, and even a zoo here in the park.
15
Think about it - - -If Devil’s Lake was not protected as a state park, how might it look today? The driving tour finishes at the same north shore area where you started. Hopefully you enjoyed your jaunt around this remarkable area. If you want to explore more of the park, you’ll have to use some shoe leather. Find Balanced Rock, have lunch at the historic Chateau, explore the West Bluff, swim at the beach, rent a canoe or 101 other things to do at Devil’s Lake State Park.
Enjoy your visit!
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W
To Baraboo and I-90 & I-94 East
S
BH
Quartzite Campground Park Boundary
PVT
Nature Center
cks Tra
i l – 1 . 0 mi
West Blu
West Bluff
Tu m
i
b le d Ro
.3 m
m Bur PVT
d aR
Bo ardwalk
South Shore Concessions
f T r a il
Group Camp Trai l – 0.5 mi
7
CCC E a s t B l u f f – S o u Trail 0.3 mi 9
$ 8
$
Group Camp
Contact Station South Shore Emergency Phone
PVT
Baraboo Hills State Recreation Area
Devil’s Doorway Trail 0.1 mi
E as t B l uf
5
Pet Swim Area 6
–1
$
Upland 3
Balanced Rock Trail 0.4 mi Potholes Trail – 0.3 mi Grottos Trail – 0.7 mi
12 BH
Steinke Basin Loop 2.4 mi
d Woo s Trai l
PVT
PVT
14
Park Headquarters
Devil's Lake
DL
$
North Shore Chateau
.7 mi
4
Johnson Moraine Loop 2.8 mi
ff Blu
PVT
$
Ice Age Store
–1
PVT
1
DL
st Ea
ff Tra il – 1 . 4 mi
2
l f Tr ai t Bluf E as
3
BH
113
Park Rd.
Emergency Phone
Ski Hi Road
Park Boundary
Ice Age Campground
Northern Lights Campground
15
South Shore Rd
BH
Old Lake Rd
136
Visitor Center North Shore
E
East B luff
12
N
DL
To Wisconsin Dells and I-90 & I-94 136 West
R
South
Bluff
BH
Baraboo Hills State Recreation Area
PVT
To Madison and Natural Bridge State Park
PVT
Sauk Prairie State Recreation Area
Devil’s Lake State Park Trails and Roads Hiking Trail Hiking / Bicycling Trail Ice Age Trail Rescue Road Road Pet Picnic Area
PVT
Private Land/Inholding
BH
Baraboo Hills State Recreation Area
BH
State Recreation Area
Facilities
Shelter Bathhouse Concession & Boat Rental Boat Launch
Emergency 911 Phone Restroom Bike Trail Head Parking $ Self-Pay Station Nature Center
Amphitheater Pet Swimming
MILES 0
Driving Tour
and Ice Age National Scientific Reserve Unit
.5
1
113 Park Boundary
PVT
PVT
Tower
Tower Road
DL
ke n
PVT
PV
T
Rd
Baraboo Hills State Recreation Area
devils lake map BH
PV
i
T
13
Upland Trail Loop 3.8 mi
Sauk Point Trail – 4.5 mi
PVT
Parfrey’s Glen Natural Area
PVT
113 Solum Ln
Parfrey’s Glen 0.7 mi
South L ake Drive
Roz nos M
Railroad
ndary
10
Park Bou
CC E a s t B l u f f – S o u t h F a c e ail 3 mi 9
Roznos Meadow
ead ow Tra il – 1 .8
Devils Delight Rd
Kentview Rd
To I-9 $
12
113 mi
To Merrimac
11
DL
BH PVT
Balanced Rock: A difficult, steep trail; stone steps on the south face of the east bluff. Spectacular Views, with Balanced Rock along the way. [0.4 miles - estimated hiking time, 45 minutes] CCC: A difficult, steep trail; stone steps on the south face of the East Bluff. Scenic views. [0.3 miles - estimated hiking time, 45 minutes] Devils Doorway: An easy, level, asphalt trail along the Rd Trail, views of lweg Bluff HaEast PVT edge of the top of the difficult Devils Lake with drop-offs. Reached from the north via the East Bluff Trail or from the south via the Balanced Rock, Potholes or CCC trail. [0.1 miles- estimated hiking time, 15 minutes] East Bluff: A difficult trail, asphalt with stone steps, winds between bluff edge and adjacent woods. Scenic views with drop-offs. Elephant Cave and Elephant Rock at the north end. [1.7 miles, estimated hiking time, 1.5 hours] East Bluff Woods Trail & Loop: Medium trail with two steep grades that is mostly woods. [3.4 miles, estimated hiking time, 2.5 hours] East Bluff Woods: An easy/medium, gravel and grassy trail, in woods, with a steep grade up the East Bluff from north to south. [1.3 miles, estimated hiking time, 1.25 hours]
Marsh Rd
ary
2018 DEVIL’S LAKE STATE PARK GUIDE | 61
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Grottos: An easy, wide path along the bottom of the south end of the East Bluff, connecting the Balanced Rock, Potholes and CCC trails. [0.7 miles, estimated hiking time, 30 minutes] Group Camp: An easy trail paralleling the South Shore Road between the Group Camp and the South Shore Picnic area. [0.5 miles, estimated hiking time, 20 minutes] Upland Trail Loop: A medium trail, grassy with variable grades, through fields, woods, and brushy area. Scenic views from the top of the East Bluff at it’s south end. [3.8 miles, estimated hiking time, 2.75 hours] Sauk Point: Part of the 1000 mile Wisconsin Ice Age Trail, this medium-difficult wooded, grassy trail runs between Parfrey’s Glen and Highway 113. Highlights include spectacular views to the south and the Wisconsin River. [4.5 miles- estimated hiking time, 3.5 hours] Johnson Moraine Loop: An easy trail with variable grades, crosses Co. Hwy. DL twice. Named for the farmer who owned the land on the north side of DL where a number of kettle ponds and marshes are located. [2.8 miles- estimated hiking time, 1.5 hours] Please stay on marked trails and respect the rights of private landowners within the park boundaries.
Parfrey’s Glen Trail: An easy-medium trail with creek crossings. It passes through a deep gorge and ends at a small waterfall. [0.7 miles- estimated hiking time, 1 hour] Potholes: A difficult, steep trail, with stone steps on the south face of the East Bluff. Scenic views. A series of rounded depressions (potholes) near the top. [0.3 miles- estimated hiking time, 30 minutes] Steinke Basin Loop: An easy trail, grassy and fairly level through an extinct glacial lake bed. Several bridges. A variety of land cover. [2.4 miles - estimated hiking time 1.5 hours] Tumbled Rocks: An easy trail, paved, winding through the quartzite boulders at the base of the West Bluff just above the lake. [1 mile- estimated hiking time, 45 minutes] West Bluff: A difficult trail, asphalt and stone steps; a steep climb on the south end, and a less steep but still strenuous climb on the north end. Follows the bluff top; scenic views, drop-offs. [1.4 miles- estimated hiking time, 1.5 hours] Roznos Meadow: An easy to medium trail through a prairie with one steep climb to the top of the East Bluff through woods. [1.8 miles- estimated hiking time, 1.75 hours]
GET IN TOUCH WITH YOUR WILD SIDE.
Climbing at Devil’s Lake State Park - Nathan Erickson on Hammer Case, 5.12a. Photo: Krzysztof Gorny.
Wildside is the only four-season outfitter in the Baraboo/Dells area. We’re a full service rock climbing, cycling and ski shop with knowledgeable staff and professional mechanics for fit and equipment services. We offer climbing shoe and helmet rentals in summer and cross-country ski rentals in winter. Visit us in Baraboo, just minutes from Devil’s Lake State Park.
CLIMBING • CLOTHING • CYCLING • RENTALS
608-356-9218 880 State Road 136 #1 • Baraboo, WI Located in the Baraboo Mini Mall at the corner of State Rd. 136 and Cty. W
www.wildbaraboo.com
2018 DEVIL’S LAKE STATE PARK GUIDE | 63
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TWO CHAMPIONSHIP 18 HOLE GOLF COURSES RESTAURANTS BARS, POOLS TENNIS COURTS
250 HOTEL ROOMS, SUITES AND CONDOS EVERY
THING
ONSIT
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LOCATED ONLY 2 MILES FROM DEVIL’S LAKE STATE PARK AND NEXT TO PARFREY’S GLEN!
(608) 493-2251
DEVILSHEADRESORT.COM
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK (APRIL THROUGH OCTOBER)
Golf Outings Weddings Business Meetings Golf Memberships Marina Friday Fish Fry (Year Round) Holiday Brunches N1076 Golf Rd. Prairie du Sac, WI 53578
608-643-4554 restaurant • 608-643-2405 golf shop www.lakewisconsincc.com
TM
Just Minutes Away From Devil’s Lake State Park... It’s Like Camping In Your Own Backyard! Smokey Hollow Campground W9935 McGowan Rd • Lodi, WI 53555
(608) 635-4806
Whether you are looking for a weekend filled with activities or the quiet relaxation of a secluded campground, Smokey Hollow is the place for you and your family! www.smokeyhollowcampground.com
Merry Mac’s Campground E12995 Halweg Rd • Merrimac, WI 53561
(608) 493-2367
Welcome to one of the BEST campgrounds in Wisconsin! Merry Mac’s Campground is a family friendly campground nestled between the South shore of Devil’s Lake and Lake Wisconsin.
www.merrymacscampground.com
Baraboo Hills Campground E10545 Terrytown Rd. • Baraboo, WI 53913
(608) 356-8505
We invite you to make Baraboo Hills Campground your home away from home while you visit all the excitement of the Wisconsin Dells, natural beauty of Devil’s Lake State Park, or fun of the Circus World Museum.
www.baraboohillscampground.com
www.campingforthefunofit.com