Devil’s Lake State Park: East Bluff Loop (Blog Hike #106)

Trails: CCC, Devil’s Doorway, Balanced Rock Trails

Hike Location: Devil’s Lake State Park

Geographic Location: south of Baraboo, WI (43.41097, -89.71092)

Length: 2 miles

Difficulty: 9/10 (Difficult)

Date Hiked: August 2001

Overview: A difficult trail to the East Bluff rock formations overlooking Devils Lake.

Park Information: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/parks/devilslake

Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=941190
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: Take SR 123 south out of Baraboo.  Where SR 123 curves left, take a soft right onto South Shore Road.  Stay left where Burma Road goes right.  Drive past Devil’s Lake to the CCC Parking lot on the right.  Park here; the trail begins across the road from the parking lot.

The hike: Devil’s Lake is a geological oddity.  Once the bed of an ancient river, the lake is currently surrounded by 500-foot rocky hills and has no visible outlet or source.  The cause of this drastic change was the last period of glaciation some 10,000 years ago.  This area of Wisconsin along with the famous nearby Wisconsin Dells was one of the few parts of the state that did not become covered by the massive ice sheets.  Instead, glaciers went around this area, pushing rock debris into the path of the ancient river.  The river eventually became stopped by an ice and rock dam.  The result was a lake with piles of rocks surrounding it.

            Established in 1911, Devil’s Lake is one of the more popular parks in the Wisconsin State park system.  The main attraction is the unusual rock formations that surround the lake, although its close proximity to Madison and Wisconsin Dells probably create extra traffic as well.  In terms of facilities, the park features a campground, a nature center, several picnic shelters, and 10 miles of hiking trails.  Our hike takes us to the top of the east bluff overlooking Devil’s Lake and past some of the more famous rock formations.

            Begin by crossing the park road and following the trail marked with purple, the CCC Trail.  Trails at Devil’s Lake are marked by color and name, but they are not difficult to follow.  Ignore a trail that goes off to the left (this is our return route) and begin climbing the east bluff.  At first this climb is made through a dense maple-oak forest, but further up the climb goes out into a barren boulder field.  Fortunately, steps have been cemented together out of pieces of rock to make the climb more possible.  This was accomplished by the depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), hence the name of the trail.  Despite the steps, the climb is long and steep, gaining almost 500 feet in elevation in 0.6 miles.  If you are not sure which way the trail goes in the boulder field, look for the white mortar used to hold the steps together, and this will tell what direction to scramble.

Climbing on the CCC Trail

            After much scrambling and numerous switchbacks, the trail makes one final switchback to the left to work around a rock wall.  Now atop the east bluff, the valley and opposite ridge can be seen to the left and below you while a pine forest is to the right.  The trail at this point becomes the Devil’s Doorway Trail and begins heading west.  Overlooks and rock formations come into view on the left as does the lake some 500 feet below you.

View west across the boulder field

            Ignore the steep Potholes trail going left and continue along the east bluff following a rolling course.  Pass the Devil’s Doorway and Balancing Rock rock formations and soon arrive at the north end of east bluff.  The lake is now fully in view straight ahead.  At this point, pick up the Balanced Rock Trail, which goes to the left.  Begin descending while admiring the lake in front and below you, but being careful not to slip or fall on the stone steps.  Also, take care not to bother rock climbers that tend to congregate along the trail as they watch one of their comrades high above.

Devil's Lake

            At the bottom of the hill, the trail nears a railroad track and arrives at an intersection with the Grottoes Trail, which goes to the left.  Turn left here and begin hiking east with the rocks above you to the left.  All of the steep climbing is over now, as the Grottoes Trail is an easy 0.7 mile trek through mature oak forest to reconnect you to the CCC Trail, thus closing the loop.  Turn right at this junction and proceed a short distance first to the park road, then to the parking lot to complete the hike.