Just about an hour drive away from Madison is Wisconsin’s largest state park.
It’s a place I got to check out for a few hours during a day trip away from Madison to Cave of the Mounds and Blue Mound State Park.
Devil’s Lake State Park is located in Sauk County just south of a city called Baraboo. The lake itself is 374 acres big, and you can take rowboats, paddleboats, canoes and kayaks out on it in the summer months.
It was July when I visited and I only had a few hours there, so I spent all my time around the lake just watching and listening to the water lap on the shore. But are activities to do there other than just water activities: there are hikes you can take to overlook the lake.
One of the most significant aspects of the park that piqued my interest is why it’s called “Devil’s Lake.” Basically, early settlers learned from Native Americans, the Ho-Chunk, that the lake’s name, roughly translated, meant “Spirit or Holy.” If you’re interested in more about this like I was, you can check out this website.
Despite the origin of the name, the atmosphere at the park wasn’t dark, heavy or solemn at all.
There’s an $8 entry fee for residents and $11 for non-residents, a cost that’s worth it if you’d like to experience the outdoors in Wisconsin!
What’s the largest park in your backyard?