Devil's Lake State Park
National Register of Historic Places

Devil's Lake State Park

Baraboo, Sauk County, Wisconsin
Listed
January 21, 2015
Type
District
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
14001192

About this property

Devil's Lake State Park is a state park located in the Baraboo Range in eastern Sauk County, Wisconsin, United States. It is just south of the city of Baraboo, around 35 mi (56 km) northwest of Madison, and is on the western edge of the last ice-sheet deposited during the Wisconsin glaciation. The state park encompasses 9,217 acres (3,730 ha); it is the largest state park in Wisconsin. The state park is known for its 500-foot-high (150 m) quartzite bluffs along the 360-acre (150 ha) Devil's Lake, which was created by a glacier depositing terminal moraines that plugged the north and south ends of the gap in the bluffs during the last ice age approximately 12,000 years ago. The sand at the bottom of Devil's Lake is thought to be deposited by glaciers. There are many quartzite rock formations, such as Balanced Rock and Devil's Doorway, throughout the park. Effigy mounds are also located throughout the park. The park contains approximately eleven miles of the 1,200-mile (1,900 km) Ice Age Trail. It is consistently ranked as the most visited Wisconsin state park. During the fall, the park's brilliant foliage makes it a popular attraction. Parfrey's Glen, Wisconsin's first state natural area, is managed by Devil's Lake State Park and located just east of the park.

Location

Baraboo, Sauk County, Wisconsin

Categories

ENTERTAINMENT/RECREATIONARCHITECTUREPREHISTORIC
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
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LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
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The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
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Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
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Rivers & Rail
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Notable People
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Literature
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Points of Interest
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Questions about this property

When was Devil's Lake State Park listed on the National Register?

Devil's Lake State Park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 21, 2015.

What type of historic resource is Devil's Lake State Park?

Devil's Lake State Park is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Devil's Lake State Park?

The period of significance for Devil's Lake State Park is recorded as the industrial era, specifically around 1911.

Can I research the history near Devil's Lake State Park?

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