Rain Couldn’t Stop Our Fun: A Weekend Getaway Guide to Devil’s Lake State Park

Looking for an easy weekend getaway that feels like a real vacation without requiring a long road trip? Put Baraboo, WI, and Devil's Lake State Park on your list. Located in southern Wisconsin, Baraboo is close enough to make a manageable road trip, yet offers enough outdoor adventure, small-town attractions, food, wineries, and unique local stops to fill an entire weekend or even longer.

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That's exactly what my wife and I discovered on our recent overnight camping trip to Devil's Lake. We only had a single night, and the weather certainly did not cooperate. Rain moved into the area and continued for more than 24 hours, forcing us to abandon our original plan of tent camping and instead sleep in the back of our Subaru. Despite the rain, we were amazed at just how much we were able to see and do in such a short amount of time. It was also nice to know that with the right gear, sleeping in the back of our SUV was most definitely do-able.

We packed a surprising amount of adventure into one overnight stay, and it left us convinced that this is an area worth returning to again. And that's really what makes Devil's Lake such an appealing destination for a Midwest road trip. You don't have to take a week off work or travel hundreds of miles to find a place where you can hike, relax, eat well, explore local attractions, and enjoy the outdoors. For families, couples, or anyone looking for a quick escape from the everyday routine, this part of Wisconsin makes a great weekend destination. And trust me, it looks anything but "Midwest" there.

Our first big adventure was hiking the Balanced Rock, Devil's Doorway, and Potholes loop at Devil's Lake. We started early, hitting the trail around 7:30 in the morning, which turned out to be a great decision. The trail gets much busier later in the morning, and starting early allowed us to enjoy the trail with relatively few people around. Starting on the South shore, the hike is only about two miles, but there is more than 600 feet of elevation gain, so it definitely gives you a workout. The stairs up provide amazing views of Devil's Lake and the surrounding quartzite formations make the effort worthwhile, but slightly challenging, especially as the stones became wet.

Once the rain settled in, we shifted gears and explored the area around Baraboo. We stopped at the North Shore, browsed the gift shop or as they call it the Chateau, and even watched people swimming despite the rain. We also attended the Winged Wonders: Birds of Prey program at Devil's Lake. Seeing the birds up close, including a turkey vulture, red-tailed hawk, Harris's hawk, American kestrel, and great horned owl, was one of the unexpected highlights of the trip.

Credit: Tom Drake | Hanging with Bigfoot at the North Shore Chateau.

We then made our way to Al Ringling Brewing Co. for lunch, where we enjoyed some beer and food. From there, we visited New Life Lavender and Cherry Farm, followed by Ski-Hi Fruit Farm, which we learned is pronounced "Sky Hi." Both were fun stops and gave us a chance to experience some of the local flavor of the area, including some really tasty adult ciders.

Back at our campsite, the rain continued, so we settled into the Subaru for the night. For dinner, we tried a freeze-dried Mountain House cheesy pepperoni pizza meal. You simply add boiling water, stir it up, wait, and then eat. Honestly, it was probably the best bag meal I've had so far when it comes to flavor.

The next morning was still wet, but we enjoyed a raspberry turnover from Ski-Hi before getting ready to head out for the West bluff. Before the trip was completely over, we also stopped at Balanced Rock Winery. Our upcoming video will focus on our final day, including hiking the West Bluff Trail and visiting the winery. That video is scheduled to post this coming Sunday, August 23rd, on our YouTube channel.

What really surprised us about this trip was just how much we were able to experience during a single overnight stay. Despite all we did, we never really got the chance to take a swim or go kayaking. That is something we definitely want to change on a return visit with our kids.

Even with more than a day of rain, Devil's Lake State Park and the Baraboo area gave us far more to do than we could fit into one overnight trip. It is the kind of destination that works well for a quick weekend getaway, but there is easily enough to see and do to make a longer stay worthwhile.