Wisconsin State Park

11 photos · 2015–2026

11 photographs tagged Wisconsin State Park, 2015–2026.

Elephant Cave entrance nestled in moss-covered quartzite rocks at Devil's Lake State Park, Wisconsin. — Elephant Cave sits along the East Bluff at Devil's Lake State Park, near Baraboo, Wisconsin. The bluff's quartzite boulders formed roughly 1.5 billion years ago and were later shaped by glacial meltwater during the last Ice Age, when the ancient Wisconsin River was dammed and diverted around the area. Devil's Lake is the most-visited state park in Wisconsin's system, drawing over two million visitors a year to its bluffs, talus slopes, and lake below. The park lies within the Baraboo Range, one of the oldest exposed rock formations in North America.

Elephant Rock, a large quartzite boulder, sits among forest trails at Devil's Lake State Park in Baraboo, Wisconsin. — Elephant Rock is a large quartzite boulder along the bluff trails at Devil's Lake State Park near Baraboo. The park's quartzite formed roughly 1.6 billion years ago, making it among the oldest exposed rock in North America, and boulders like this one resulted from ancient rock layers weathering and splitting apart over time. Devil's Lake State Park covers more than 9,000 acres and draws more annual visitors than any other park in the Wisconsin state system. The Ice Age Trail, a National Scenic Trail, runs through the park's bluffs near formations such as this one.

Forested shoreline and quartzite bluffs frame Devil's Lake at sunset in Wisconsin. — Devil's Lake State Park draws more visitors than any other state park in Wisconsin, with over three million arriving each year. The 360-acre lake at its center formed roughly 15,000 years ago when glacial debris blocked both ends of an ancient river gorge, leaving quartzite bluffs rising several hundred feet on either side. Those bluffs rank among the oldest exposed rock formations in North America, dating back nearly 1.6 billion years. The park sits within Wisconsin's Driftless Area, a region bypassed by glaciers during the last ice age, which left its river valleys and rock outcrops largely unaltered. Trails along the East Bluff and West Bluff give hikers elevated views of the lake below.

Sunlight filters through dense forest canopy above a rocky hiking trail at Devil's Lake State Park in Wisconsin. — Devil's Lake State Park sits within Wisconsin's Baraboo Range, among the oldest exposed rock formations in North America, with quartzite dating back some 1.6 billion years. The East Bluff Trail climbs along a talus slope of massive quartzite boulders left behind as ancient cliff faces broke apart over time. At more than 9,000 acres, Devil's Lake is the largest property in the Wisconsin State Park System and consistently draws more visitors than any other park in the state. The lake itself formed when glacial debris dammed an ancient river channel, sealing off the valley at both ends and creating the basin seen today.

Rocky trail with boulders and trees on East Bluff at Devil's Lake State Park in Baraboo, Wisconsin. — Devil's Lake State Park sits in the Baraboo Range, a band of quartzite hills formed roughly 1.6 billion years ago among the oldest exposed rock in North America. The East Bluff trail climbs about 500 feet above the lake, crossing talus fields of quartzite boulders left behind as the surrounding cliffs eroded over millions of years. Glacial ice sheets stopped just short of this valley during the last ice age, damming the ancient Wisconsin River and creating the lake that gives the park its name. At roughly 9,200 acres, Devil's Lake draws more visitors annually than any other property in the Wisconsin state park system.

Quartzite boulders and talus rock line the East Bluff Trail at Devil's Lake State Park, Wisconsin. — 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.

Rocky talus slope and dense forest along the East Bluff Trail at Devil's Lake State Park, Wisconsin. — Devil's Lake State Park covers roughly 9,200 acres in Baraboo, Wisconsin, and sits within the Baraboo Range, among the oldest exposed rock formations in North America. The East Bluff Trail climbs sections of quartzite talus, remnants of ancient bedrock broken apart by glacial and freeze-thaw activity over thousands of years. Dense stands of oak, maple, and basswood cover much of the bluff, part of the park's mixed hardwood forest. The park is Wisconsin's most visited state park, drawing more than three million visitors annually.

Boulder-strewn talus slope on the East Bluff at Devil's Lake State Park, Wisconsin, surrounded by forest. — Devil's Lake State Park sits within the Baraboo Hills, a range of quartzite bluffs formed roughly 1.6 billion years ago and later carved by glacial meltwater during the last ice age. The East Bluff rises about 500 feet above the lake and is lined with talus slopes—fields of broken quartzite boulders left behind as the cliff face eroded over millennia. Devil's Lake itself formed when glacial debris dammed both ends of an ancient river gorge, creating the enclosed lake seen today. Covering more than 9,000 acres, the park draws over three million visitors a year, making it the most visited state park in Wisconsin.

Devil's Lake at Devil's Lake State Park — Devil's Lake at Devil's Lake State Park as a thunderstorm rolls in. The pictured Chateau on the North Shore of the lake was built in 1925.

Railroad tracks at Devil's Lake State Park in Wisconsin — The railroad tracks around Devil's Lake at Devil's Lake State Park. The Chateau pictured on the north shore of the lake was built in 1925.

Stone riprap reinforces the shoreline of Devils Lake State Park in North Dakota, adjacent to wetland habitat. — Devils Lake has no natural outlet, so its water levels rise and fall based on precipitation and runoff rather than draining to a river system. Over the past three decades the lake has expanded dramatically, flooding farmland, roads, and stands of trees that once stood on dry ground — visible here as the bare, dead trunks standing in standing water. Riprap like this is placed along roadbeds and embankments around the lake to slow erosion from wave action as the shoreline continues to shift. Devils Lake State Park sits along the lake's edge in Ramsey County and includes wetland habitat used by migratory waterfowl.

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