Devil's Lake is a

lake A lake is often a naturally occurring, relatively large and fixed body of water on or near the Earth's surface. It is localized in a basin or interconnected basins surrounded by dry land. Lakes lie completely on land and are separate from ...

Sauk County, Wisconsin Sauk County is a county in Wisconsin. It is named after a large village of the Sauk people. As of the 2020 census, the population was 65,763. Its county seat and largest city is Baraboo. The county was created in 1840 from Wisconsin Territor ...

, United States. It is part of the South Range of the

Baraboo Range The Baraboo Range is a mountain range in Columbia County and Sauk County, Wisconsin. Geologically, it is a syncline fold consisting of highly eroded Precambrian metamorphic rock. It is about long and varies from 5 to in width. The Wisconsin ...

, about south of the city of

Baraboo, Wisconsin Baraboo ( ) is the county seat of Sauk County, Wisconsin, United States, located along the Baraboo River. The population was 12,556 at the 2020 census. The most populous city in the county, Baraboo is the principal city of the Baraboo micropo ...

. It has no surface outlets, so by some definitions, it is

endorheic An endorheic basin ( ; also endoreic basin and endorreic basin) is a drainage basin that normally retains water and allows no outflow to other external bodies of water (e.g. rivers and oceans); instead, the water drainage flows into permanent ...

; however, it possibly drains by underground channels into the

Baraboo River The Baraboo River is a tributary of the Wisconsin River, in south-central Wisconsin in the United States. Via the Wisconsin River, it is part of the drainage basin, watershed of the Mississippi River. The Baraboo River also has one of the longe ...

, which would make the lake cryptorheic. The lake is one of the primary attractions of Devil's Lake State Park. It is also a popular recreation destination for watercraft, fishing, hiking, and climbing.

Name

Devil's Lake was so named because it is situated in a deep chasm that was thought to have no visible

inlet An inlet is a typically long and narrow indentation of a shoreline such as a small arm, cove, bay, sound, fjord, lagoon or marsh, that leads to an enclosed larger body of water such as a lake, estuary, gulf or marginal sea. Overview In ...

or outlet. However, the Koshawago Spring, originating from the Koshawago Creek, provides an inlet to the lake on the southwest side. The term ''Devil's Lake'' is a misinterpretation of the

Ho-Chunk The Ho-Chunk, also known as Hocąk, Hoocągra, or Winnebago are a Siouan languages, Siouan-speaking Native Americans in the United States, Native American people whose historic territory includes parts of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois ...

name Te Wakącąk or Te Wakącągara. Day-wa-kahn-chunk-gera, which better translates to "Sacred Lake" or "Spirit Lake." Spirit Lake is highly significant in

oral history Oral history is the collection and study of historical information from people, families, important events, or everyday life using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews. These interviews are conducted with people who pa ...

, and voices of spirits were often claimed to be heard during the celebrations.

History

The original inhabitants of the area around the lake date back much further than when the European settlers first discovered the land. There is proof that humans occupied the land between 12,000 and 16,000 years ago, but Ho-Chunk speak of people living there more than 300,000 years ago. The area may have been inhabited originally between 12,000 and 16,000 years ago due to the fact that this was the time the last of the glaciers had receded from the area. Many Native tribes throughout Wisconsin inhabited the lands. They called the lake various different names, such as ''Tewakakak'' or ''Minnewaukan'', which translate to spirit lake in various Native American Languages. Devil's Lake was originally a gorge of the

Wisconsin River The Wisconsin River is the longest river in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, at approximately 430 miles (692 km) long. As a tributary of the Mississippi River, it is part of the Mississippi River System. The river's name was first recorded in 1673 b ...

prior to the last

ice age An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Earth's climate alternates between ice ages, and g ...

. At what is now the southern end of the lake, the river turned from a southerly direction to an easterly direction. During the ice age, a lobe of the glacier passed to the east of the Baraboo Hills and came up the river valley. It deposited materials and then melted, leaving a

terminal moraine A terminal moraine, also called an end moraine, is a type of moraine that forms at the terminal (edge) of a glacier, marking its maximum advance. At this point, debris that has accumulated by plucking and abrasion, has been pushed by the front e ...

blocking the river, forming an earthen dam. Another moraine was deposited at the north end of the lake. The river eventually found a new course to the east of the Baraboo Hills, where the glacier had been, leaving a portion of the river gorge between the moraines filled with water. This body of water is Devil's Lake.

Geology

The Devil's Lake State Park is made up o
bluffs
that are believed to be one of the most ancient surface rock area in North America. Formed about 1.6 billion years ago, the land consists of Northern and Southern mountain ranges that are made up of

quartzite Quartzite is a hard, non- foliated metamorphic rock that was originally pure quartz sandstone.Essentials of Geology, 3rd Edition, Stephen Marshak, p 182 Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tecton ...

rock. Quartzite was formed after ancient rivers deposited sediment from when this land was under water. Over time, that sediment accumulated into

sandstone Sandstone is a Clastic rock#Sedimentary clastic rocks, clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of grain size, sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate mineral, silicate grains, Cementation (geology), cemented together by another mineral. Sand ...

and underwent immense heat and pressure to form the non-porous

metamorphic rock Metamorphic rocks arise from the transformation of existing rock to new types of rock in a process called metamorphism. The original rock ( protolith) is subjected to temperatures greater than and, often, elevated pressure of or more, caus ...

that now encompasses the Baraboo valley. The valley itself consists of softer rock a
continental plate activity
caused the quartzite rock to form into what's known now as the North and South range.

Ecology

Wildlife

Devil's Lake is home to a diverse selection of wildlife. Naturally occurring fish include bass and panfish, while walleye, northern pike, and trout are stocked by the Wisconsin DNR. Depending on the season, many types of birds can also be seen on the banks of Devil's Lake. Some of the more commonly seen birds include loons, herons, geese, and ducks. The northern water snake can also be spotted swimming around Devil's Lake. Although the snake is not venomous, it can be aggressive if it feels endangered.

Water quality

Swimmer's itch Swimmer's itch, cercarial dermatitis or schistosome dermatitis is a short-term allergic contact dermatitis occurring in the Human skin, skin of humans that have been infected by water-borne schistosomatidae, schistosomes, a type of Trematoda, fl ...

(cercarial dermatitis) is a common problem at Devil's Lake, most apparent during the summer months. It is caused by a flatworm parasite hosted by snails. Seventeen species of snails are present in the lake, with three most commonly found snails--'' Physa skinneri'', '' Gyraulus parvus'', and ''Fossaria obrussa--''hosting the parasite. There have been reports of blue-green algae (

cyanobacteria Cyanobacteria ( ) are a group of autotrophic gram-negative bacteria that can obtain biological energy via oxygenic photosynthesis. The name "cyanobacteria" () refers to their bluish green (cyan) color, which forms the basis of cyanobacteri ...

) blooming in Devil's Lake. The park advises visitors to stay alert for algae blooms, which can appear discolored, streaky, or with floating scum or globs on the surface.

Water temperature

The water temperatures of Devil's Lake varies significantly throughout a calendar year. The highest water temperatures are reported between July and August between 75 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The lowest water temperatures for the year are in January, with an average temperature of 35 degrees Fahrenheit. The lake freezes over in the winter, but ice thickness is unmeasured.

Devils Lake activities

Boating, fishing, and swimming

The lake offers two beaches where guests can swim and relax: the North Shore and South Shore. Each beach provides picnic areas with grills and picnic tables, communal shelters containing bathrooms and concessions, and

playground A playground, playpark, or play area is a place designed to provide an environment for children that facilitates play, typically outdoors. While a playground is usually designed for children, some are designed for other age groups, or people wi ...

s. There are also boat rentals, where visitors can rent pedal boats, paddle boards, and kayaks. During the summer months, kayaking tours of the lake are offered. Recreational fishing is apparent on the lakeshore and on boat. Two boat launches are offered on the southwest and northeast sides of Devil's Lake. However, to protect water quality, only electric-powered motors are allowed. The clear waters and unique rock formations also attract scuba-divers to the area.

Hiking

Devils Lake State Park offers 29 miles of hiking trails that vary based on difficulty level, length, and terrain. Among the 17 established trails, the most popular is the Tumbled Rocks Trail. It sits at the edge of the lake on the west end, stretching a mile long. The trail is paved, allowing it to be accessible for people with disabilities or visitors that wish to use a wheelchair, as well as ranked as "easy". Many visitors report to using this trail in order to find a spot to fish from or a rock jump off of. The parks most popular diving rock, Rock 8, can be accessed via the Tumbled Rocks trail. A second trail to highlight is the East Bluff Trail, with multiple overlooks and views, rock formations, and an abundance of wildlife. Rock formations pop up regularly throughout the trail, yet there are special appearances of the "Elephant Rock" and "Elephant Cave" along the way, two famous landmarks of the park. The trail continues for 1.7 miles, gaining over 500 feet of elevation and is expected to take hikers anywhere between 1.5 and 3 hours to complete. Gfp-wisconsin-devils-lake-state-park-snowy-stone-steps

Gfp-wisconsin-devils-lake-state-park-snowy-stone-steps

Winter activities

Although the trails are not maintained during the winter, they remain open, supporting numerous activities. Cross country skiing is popular at Devils Lake State Park. There is one loop trail used for skiing that continues along Steinke Basin Loop. The trail is not tracked and conditions are not guaranteed to be great, yet visitors report that the overall experience is worth it. The "multi use" Steinke Basin Loop trail is also quite frequently used for snowshoeing. Devils Lake State Park allows visitors to roam free without restriction.

References

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