Devil's Lake State Park

"First time visiting with family! Trails and views were amazing, especially now that it's starting to warm up. Parked in the south lot, took the route up to devils doorway and balanced rock, then headed through the east bluff trail and tumbled rocks (got too tired for the west bluffs). Wish they had signs showing which bathrooms are open and more accessible water in the off-season."

"Great place to recreate! Highly recommend showing up early. The Balanced Rock trail is a fantastic hike for the adventurous. Wear something with good traction, the rock/boulder terrain is slippery at times when its completely dry. Elevation gain is roughly 400-500ft over half mile. Take the time to stop and enjoy the views!"

"10 out of 10! Stopped here during a road trip with my son in 2022. Place was absolutely gorgeous! However, my son and I were not prepared for the climb ahead of us and worse...the climb down! Ok, not trying to spook anyone here! It's not a sheer cliff we were climbing. The trails are very easy to follow and clearly marked. However, we wanted to see the Balancing Rock and Devil's Doorway. Well, that trail is all up hill...literally! Not only is it all uphill but incorporates many, many stairs! The good news is, once you make it to the top, the trail levels out into a nice dirt road. Then, you walk that for a ways and you've made it! Oops, not quite! Now, you must descend the mountain down to the Balancing Rock. My knees were shot by this point but I was determined to make it there. We did and the view was incredible! We took our pictures and on to the Devil's Doorway. Another good distance away and unfortunately, we were running out of time on our schedule and had to turn back. Only way back is the way we came or the treacherous decent down the side of the mountain on make shift stairs created out of the rock shelf itself. The rock shelf was the quickest way down. It took about 35 minutes to the bottom, legs almost gave out dozens of times and we hustled the mile long walk back to the car! I'll say this, its a must for visiting but if you aren't an avid hiker or climber, you WILL be exhausted taking on this mountain! Be sure to pack a jug of water cause you will need it! However, there are other trails that go around the lake that are very easy to venture. A beautiful beach to swim or catch some rays. All kinds of picnic areas. Both public or private. A great big pavilion, if you prefer tables and the indoors. Plenty of bathroom access all over the park and plenty of parking. Keep in mind, this is a state park. So prices are higher if you're out of state. I picked up a WI park pass for the year. So we only had to pay to park. Come to Devil's Lake, its definitely worth it!"

"Easily my top favorite of Wisconsin State Parks. Love the length of trails and the elevation. Beautiful place with great views. We travel almost 3 hours here just for day trips. With stops to take in the view and getting ice cream at the North Shore in the summer, it takes us about 3-4 hours to complete a loop on various trails."

"Wisconsin provides a lot of hidden gems that many outsiders wouldn't know of & Devil's Lake State Park is one of them. Devil's Lake is a perfect spot to spend your summer day. You have the options to relax by the water or hike up the mountain that overviews the lake. The trails themselves are well kept & the hike isn't too difficult even for those who are casual hikers. Once you get to the top, there are beautiful panoramic views of the lake in each direction. Devil's Lake is in a remote area so parking & traffic are challenges when visiting so I recommend arriving earlier rather than later. There is a large picnic area to dine which is well kept for the most part. If you're looking for a great way to spend at a park, I highly recommend considering Devil's Lake State Park!"