The East Bluff Trail at Devil's Lake is among the park's most popular and premiere hikes. It is a moderate-to-difficult 1 3/4-mile linear trail. It begins at the North Shore and ascends the East Bluff on an asphalt trail over the course of a mile.
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| Hiking along the East Bluff Trail at Devil's Lake State Park |
Hikers entering Devil's Lake at its North Shore are presented with two compelling options, go West Bluff or East Bluff. Both offer excellent hiking, outstanding views, and the full Devil's Lake experience, but if I were to recommend that a first-time visitor hike one and only one trail it would be the East Bluff Trail.
From the North Shore, the climb up the 500' East Bluff is more moderated and rolling. The paved trail ducks and weaves around the quartzite protrusions that define the Devil's Lake landscape. You'll find Elephant Rock and Elephant Cave on the way up to bald rock overlooks where you can step to the edge of sheer cliffs to survey the lake below. White pine tower above the trail where giant birds of prey rest between hunts.
The trail reaches its apex at an intersection with the Balanced Rock and East Bluff Woods trails. Here you'll find a popular overlook where you can survey the valley between the South Face and the South Bluff with pastoral views that extend to Lake Wisconsin in the distance. From this crossroads, the East Bluff Trail continues along the South Face towards Devil's Doorway, one of the park's signature rock features. Also linking up to the East Bluff Trail are the enormously popular Potholes and CCC trails.
For a satisfying day hike, I recommend attacking the East Bluff Trail from the North Shore, diverting onto the Devil's Doorway Trail to see the famous rock formation, descending the South Face on the Potholes Trail and crossing over the South Shore to return to the North Shore on the Tumbled Rocks Trail. This route circumnavigates the lake and takes 2-3 hours to complete.
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| The South Face from the East Bluff Trail at Devil's Lake State Park |
Overview: Devil's Lake State Park - East Bluff Trail
COUNTYSAUK COUNTY
COMMUNITIES
BARABOO, MERRIMAC
TOTAL MILES
1.75-MILE POINT-TO-POINT
DIFFICULTY
DIFFICULT
LOWEST ELEVATION
990 AMSL
HIGHEST ELEVATION
1490 AMSL
TOTAL ELEVATION GAIN
890 FT
TOTAL ELEVATION LOST
-450 FT
CAMPING
Devil's Lake State Park Camping
POINTS OF INTEREST
East Bluff, Elephant Rock, Elephant Cave, Ice Age National Trail
Directions and Trail Map
Click Map Image to load the full interactive map.
Address for your GPS: S5975 Park Rd, Baraboo, WI 53913
| coordinates: 43.434496, -89.739531 |
| From Milwaukee | 2 Hours |
| From Madison | 45 minutes |
| From Green Bay | 2.5 Hours |
| From Wausau | 2 Hours |
| From Minneapolis | 3.5 Hours |
| From Chicago | 3 Hours |
Photos
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| Hiking along the East Bluff Trail at Devil's Lake State Park |
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| Hiking along the East Bluff Trail at Devil's Lake State Park |
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| Elephant Cave on the East Bluff Trail at Devil's Lake State Park |
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| Hiking along the East Bluff Trail at Devil's Lake State Park |
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| Hiking along the East Bluff Trail at Devil's Lake State Park |
Links
Devil's Lake State ParkOther Trails at Devil's Lake State Park
West Bluff Trail
Tumbled Rocks Trail
Balanced Rock Trail
Devil's Doorway Trail
Potholes Trail
CCC Trail
Group Camp and Grottos Trail
Roznos Meadow Trail
Steinke Basin Trail
Upland Trail
East Bluff Woods Trail
Johnson Moraine Trail
Ice Age Trail Devil's Lake Segment
Ice Age Trail Sauk Point Segment
Ice Age Trail Merrimac Segment
Parfrey's Glen Trail