Devil’s Lake, Wisconsin is a popular place to visit if you’re a rock climber, hiker, or lake dweller. It is so close to Wisconsin Dells, yet feels like a different world from the massive water parks, amusements, and resorts. We have spent a few weekends in Devil’s Lake, and we always have a great time. Here are a few of our suggestions on the best trails to hike, where to camp, and where you can find a good vegan meal.
Hikes
West Bluff Trail to Balance Rock to East Bluff Woods Trail Loop
Distance: 5.1 Mile Loop
Elevation: 846 feet
Find the trail on Alltrails >> here
This was our favorite hike in Devil’s Lake. You get to see the lake from a lot of different angles, the Balance Rock is a beauty, and the East Bluff Woods provide a little variety and shade to the end of your hike.
Segment of the Ice Age Trail
Distance and Elevation: Varies on your time and abilities
Another neat option for hiking in Devil’s Lake is the close by Ice Age Trail. The complete trail is a 1,000 mile footpath in Wisconsin that follows along a carved out route from ancient glaciers. If you’re not looking for a thru-hike of that length, the trail is very easy to hop on and hike in segments.
Not hiking, but I would be remiss to not mention that there are so many bouldering areas for rock climbing within and near the Devil’s Lake State Park. The rock is granite, so many of the intermediate routes are quite slippery from all of the use. My suggestion is to not feel defeated if you aren’t climbing as high of grades as you’re used to in other areas of the country or in your home climbing gym. Mountain Project is the best resource for bouldering here, since I am not aware of a quality guidebook available for the region. Find out more on Mountain Project.
Also, not hiking, but if you are a fan of kayaking or canoeing, you are able to rent both from Devil’s Lake State Park and take cruise around the massive, bright blue lake.
Where to Stay
When we go to Devil’s Lake, we love to camp. Our favorite camping option is Devil’s Lake State Park. The spaces are car camping, very well spread out and lots of woods for privacy from your neighbors. Information on reservations can be found here.
If you are not interested in camping, there are plenty of hotels nearby and a nice KOA with cabins that we have stayed in before in Wisconsin Dells.
Where to Eat
As vegans, we spend a lot of time searching out restaurant options in the areas we visit. Here is one place we would highly recommend, but when you’re camping or hiking, a packed meal and having plenty of snacks always make for some of the best memories.
The Cheeze Factory — This place was a real gem, and we ended up buying their restaurant cookbook before leaving. They have a lot of vegan options and desserts.
For an idea of what a trip to Devil’s Lake while doing all of these things looks like, watch our trip highlights video!