The Merrimac Preserve is an 1800-acre land trust, established and maintained by Riverland Conservancy, found adjacent to Devil’s Lake State Park. The preserve features a 9-mile network of hiking trails which directly connect to the Devils Lake trails. The Merrimac Segment of the Ice Age National Trail passes through the Merrimac Preserve.
Riverland Conservancy was established by Alliant Energy which owns and operates several of the Wisconsin River hydroelectric dams nearby. This enormous conservation gift essentially extends the boundaries of Devil’s Lake State Park and provides a critical greenway for the route of the Ice Age Trail as it connects from Devil’s Lake to the Merrimac Ferry.
This article describes some of the trails and features of the Merrimac Preserve in text and photography. And, below, I’ll reveal what my all-time favorite hiking trail is in the state of Wisconsin. Spoiler ... it involves some of the trails at Merrimac Preserve.
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In 2020 the great COVID-19 Pandemic struck America. With the closure of nearly every entertainment venue from pro sports to movie theatres - along with suspended youth sports programs - there ended up being a whole lot of people with nothing to do on the weekends. Many of these people discovered Wisconsin’s state parks for the first time … and Devils Lake State Park was inundated.
I had been in Rock Springs on a Saturday morning and decided to drive home to Waunakee via Baraboo and the Merrimac Ferry to Lodi. This route took me past both entrances to Devils Lake. As I approached the park I was startled and unsure what was going on. There was a long traffic jam on the sleepy County Highway DL. Cars were parked on both sides of the highway for miles outside the North Entrance, and that continued all along Highway DL to HWY 113 and the same issue with cars parked randomly along and off the highway surrounding the South Entrance. For someone who knows this area like my backyard, it was an absurd scene. Didn’t people know that it is several long miles from the park entrances to even reach the lake shores where hiking trails start from?
Even more interesting to me, as I continued another mile down Highway 113 I passed empty lots at the Merrimac Preserve. Hand meets forehead.
If you are familiar with the Devils Lake experience and haven’t hiked the Merrimac Preserve trails then you are missing out on a local secret. The trail network at Merrimac Preserve is a true delight, with miles of interconnected trails that pass through woodlands, vibrant prairies, wetlands, along boardwalks, over streams and brooks on hand built wood decked bridges, and all of this beneath the imposing escarpment of the Baraboo Hills – one of the most ancient rock outcroppings in the United States with exposed rock as old as 1.6-billion years.
And, now I’ll let you in on another tip. Because I have hiked so many trails throughout Wisconsin (3000-miles that I’ve GPS recorded over the last six years, and thousands more before that), I am often asked which trail is my most favorite. Well here it is. Here is, in my opinion, the best hiking route in all of Wisconsin: Begin at the Merrimac Preserve, Hike the Green Loop to the Blue and Orange Oak Savanna Trail, then loop around to join the Ice Age Trail Merrimac Segment, then continue on the IAT across Highway 113 to the Devils Lake Roznos Meadow Trail … then climb the bluff to the Upland Trail and follow this West to meet with the East Bluff Trail with a side trip to Devil’s Doorway, then descend the East Bluff Trail to the Devils Lake North Shore. You can stop there if you are shuttle hiking, or return around the lake on the Tumbled Rocks Trail to the Balanced Rock Trail and return to Merrimac Preserve Parking Lot along a similar route that used for the hike in.
The route I’ve laid out is a very long full-day hike, and it is an epic journey that is unmatched by other trails in Wisconsin. By beginning in the Merrimac Preserve your first chapters of the trail begin in low wetlands along boardwalks where frogs, crickets, and songbirds fill the air with serene sounds. You’ll begin to climb easy rollers into grasslands, and as you make the turn in the first loop you will see the rock outcroppings of Devils Doorway far ... far in the distance. It is a sight to stop and behold, to know that in a few hours' time you will be sitting atop that spec of a rock in the distance and looking back down on the grasslands where you are now standing. The rest of the trails through the Merrimac Preserve rise and fall along delightfully easy undulations with the trail following the contours of the hills and setting up framed views of the towering rock cliffs of the Baraboo Hills. If you are in to painting plein aire then you’ll want to consider a spot in the Merrimac Preserve to set up with your water colors.
The next part of the route passes through Roznos Meadow which bursts with prairie colors from late spring through fall and where tall grasses rise overhead. Then comes the big strenuous climb up the bluff along a cascading stream beneath dense old growth hardwood canopies. In summer, it feels as if you’ve entered a jungle, and the intensity of this middle chapter accelerates as your heartrate reaches 160 beats per minute – a driving uptempo pace that floods the body with energy. There’s a bench at the top of that trail that you’ll want to use.
Following the trail along the top of the South Face you’ll get a continuation of that athletic workout as the trail dips and climbs again a couple times before reaching the famous rock formations and scenic overlooks of the South Face. Now you’ll be surrounded by people laughing, smiling, chatting, and meditating on the views along Devils Lake’s most popular trails and you’ll hike along from scenic overlook to scenic overlook. If you take the time to sit and enjoy these views you will most likely make a new friend or two on this hike. Eventually, as you round to the East Bluff the overlooks will feature vistas of the lake below with ancient pine trees overhead framing your views. The rest of the trail is a long descent that leads into the heart of the park at the North Shore where you can stop in at the lodge for a burger, fries, and ice cream at a cabin styled dining wall with mullioned windows that look out at Devils Lake’s mountain-like scenery beyond.
So, if you are interested in a 5+ hour hike of 12-18 miles that features photo-worthy scenery along its entire route and a mix of terrain with at least one challenging climb then this is the trail route for you.
But, what about the rest of the trails at the Merrimac Preserve?
You need not be in extraordinary athletic shape to enjoy the trails at Merrimac Preserve. And, many people who visit Devil’s Lake are not fit enough for the climbs up the bluffs, and they sadly believe that there aren’t a lot of great hikes at DLSP that they can participate in. If you are looking for easier hikes that are just as scenic and wonderful as the State Park bluff trails, look to the Merrimac Preserve.
The Oak Savanna Loop (Orange Trail) is a 3-mile loop through wetlands, grasslands, woodlands, and oak savanna with a few hills that can be challenging on the east side of the loop. This loop will take 1-2 hours to complete.
Shorter loops near the parking lot include the Eagle Scout Trail and the Carbon Cycle Trail which feature interpretative signs and storytelling along the way. These two loops do not feature any challenging hills and the trail bed is on wide mowed grass lanes through grasslands and prairie.
Down the road you’ll find another parking area for the Lookout Loop which is 1-mile exactly. This trail features a few hills but it is short, and the hills have views of the wetland that is central to the Merrimac Preserve. This trail is the most popular in the area for dog walkers.
There are many iterations of hikes that can be formed at the Merrimac Preserve, especially when you are able to combine them with the connected trails at Devils Lake State Park. Because of its low volume of traffic, easy parking, and broad range of scenery the Merrimac Preserve is now my favorite go-to hiking location for quick and easy after-work hikes in the summer. Bring sunglasses and sunblock, and that’s about all you need to jump out of the car and get onto some easy loop trails at Merrimac Preserve.
MERRIMAC PRESERVE TRAILS
COUNTY
SAUK
COMMUNITIES
MERRIMAC
TOTAL MILES
9-MILE NETWORK
DIFFICULTY
EASY
Directions and Trail Map
Click Map Image to load the full interactive map.
If viewing on a mobile device, open the trail map above to load into Google Maps App by touching the expand rectangle in the upper right corner.
Address for your GPS: S6911 WI-113, Merrimac, WI 53561
| coordinates: 43.395569, -89.674820 |
| 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
