Quartzite Talus Along the East Bluff, Devil’s Lake State Park

Devil's Lake State Park sits near Baraboo, Wisconsin, within the Baraboo Range, a set of quartzite hills formed roughly 1.6 billion years ago. The East Bluff Trail traces the rim above the lake, passing over quartzite talus fields left by centuries of freeze-thaw fracturing along the bluff. The park itself spans over 9,000 acres and draws more than three million visitors a year, making it one of the most heavily used state parks in Wisconsin. Its bluffs and lake basin were carved by glacial activity that dammed an ancient river channel during the last Ice Age.

Taken July 2026