Hiking Devil's Lake State Park: An ascent into heaven

To escape the stress of daily news and to decompress after that seemingly endless state supreme court election, my wife and I decided to get in the car and head west toward the Dells.

In our seven years living in Wisconsin there are a lot of places we’ve yet to visit and Wisconsin Dells was one that held some vague interest for us, given that it was part of the scenic Ice Age Trail. 

As with the best of travels, we randomly picked a route, determined to stay off interstates and choosing instead state highways we romanticized gave us the best chance of driving through rolling countryside and farmland. And so we did, taking 96 to 49 South to 21 West through Redgranite to 13 South to Wisconsin Dells. It was a lovely day and a lovely drive.

What ended up being a wholly memorable two days away began with the disappointment of driving through Wisconsin Dells itself and realizing it was the kind of tourist town that, like Branson, Mo., my wife and I find unappealing even as we recognize that it must be heaven for families with younger children. 

In the middle of town we noticed a glass booth that encased a likeness of President Trump that people apparently would stick coins in and perhaps listen to him speak(?). We weren’t certain. But that’s the type of garishness that made us want to hurry through the main streets of the town. That there was a facsimile of an old-fashioned outhouse directly adjacent to the Trump booth is a juxtaposition we’ll let you decipher for yourselves.

We had a hotel right outside Devil’s Lake State Park but since we couldn’t check in until four we decided we’d head into the park for a hike. Now my wife and I are reasonably intelligent folks and yet, having parked at the central lot near the north end of Devil’s Lake, we struggled to identify any of the trailheads listed on the trail map. 

I will not go into the humiliations we suffered before we finally did, in fact, locate the trail we sought, only that it felt like two-thirds of our hike on Day 1 were devoted to locating the trail itself. But once we did, we were simply blown away by the beauty, the vistas of the lake and the natural wonder of the woods themselves. 

It was pretty packed that day – not surprising given that it was nearly perfect weather – and so the serenity and quiet we sought was unavailable to us. But the stress and strain on our legs and lungs was invigorating and refreshing as we climbed and climbed, stopping occasionally on an outcropping to gaze upon the water below and the bluffs on the other side – and to let younger folks pass. 

We became frustrated when we could not find the trail down from Balanced Rock which, according to the map, would take us down, down, down to the southern edge of the lake. I unleashed further laments over what I determined was both the park’s and the map’s failures to adequately provide guidance. There simply seemed to be no possible way down to the lake from where we were. My wife was more frustrated at my unwillingness to acknowledge that perhaps it was our own inadequacies – and not the mapmakers – that were to blame. 

Anyway we headed back the way we came as we had already put in a pretty strenuous day but I remained determined (obsessed?) to find that elusive trail the next morning by coming from the other direction.

We had a fantastic dinner at a place called Tumbled Rock Brewery and Kitchen less than a mile outside the park entrance. It was great and unique food at reasonable prices in a relaxing atmosphere and my wife particularly enjoyed a flight of homemade brews. The restaurant was able to do something so tantalizing with carrots that one wonders if there was something illegal going on back in the kitchen.

The best of our getaway came early the following morning when we did indeed make our assault on Balanced Rock from the southern tip of the lake. At first it once again seemed impossible that there could be a pathway up through all those boulders strewn atop boulders that rose some 700 feet to the top of the bluff where we had been stymied a day earlier.

Sure enough, though, we spotted the sign – Balanced Rock – with an arrow pointing up. What ensued was one of the most delightful climbs we’ve ever undertaken. Back and forth the steps – natural rocks and what had to be man-placed rocks to fill the gaps – wound up and up and up through resilient trees still sprouting green needles. It was hard climbing but exhilarating. It was like no other hike we’d ever been on. 

Finally, after about an hour of climbing that carried us barely half a mile we spotted the aptly named Balanced Rock, a narrow sliver of granite perched precariously on an outcropping. We also had a few chuckles along the way. When we passed a young fellow who had set up a sort of encampment at a flat point halfway up we said, “This is awesome,” and he replied, “thank you.” We couldn’t determine if he thought we were admiring his encampment or if we had spoken to God Herself!

At the top a young man who had passed us earlier and was lounging on an outcropping, said, “You guys are amazing,” to which we added the tacit (“for people our age”). 

We did indeed circumnavigate the entire lake – nearly six miles that included ascents on the other side of the lake that matched the vertiginous climb up to Balanced Rock that began our day. And the vistas! Oh, the vistas of the lake below!

Though I think I have shin splints as a result, they are worth it, a reminder of our splendid weekend. Whether you are a native Wisconsinite or transplant who hasn’t yet visited, put Devil’s Lake State Park on your must-do list. Once you find the trailhead, there’s real magic ahead.