Quartzite Campground — Devils Lake State Park

We tent camped in the quartzite campground. Overall a pretty much wide open campground with virtually zero privacy so if you’re looking for that, look elsewhere. With that said, we enjoyed our stay as the sites along the perimeter are a little more private being along the tree line and decent space between each site. The park itself is beautiful and look forward to coming back

Great, large campground conducive for both tent and trailer/RV camping. Different campsites have different amenities although each spot has a fire pit and picnic table. Only gave it four stars because the bathrooms weren’t open and we had to go off-site to get water. I don’t think they’d warmed up their pumps from the winter yet!

The best beach around, crystal clear, shallow water was perfect for our young kids to play in. Nice trails, can be challenging. Saturday got a bit too crowded, but otherwise it was a great stay.

One of my favorite campgrounds i’ve been to! The hikes we’re the nicest i’ve seen in the surrounding areas and the campground is still my favorite! Plenty of trees and space between each campground. There looked like there was a lot of people there, but didn’t feel like it at all. People were out waking all hours of the night but all were very respectful of quiet hours and were just enjoying the beautiful weather.

Stayed overnight in my quest to do the ice age hiking trail which happens to go through this park. The campsite honestly wasn't the best. However, the hiking was spectacular. Devils stairway proved to be quite a task.

The campsite was well maintained and clean, very close to trails and the beach. We stayed at quartzite. The only downside is they haven’t been doing any dispersed camping for the past year apparently. We ended up paying $80 for 2 nights. Kind of a bummer when you’re not expecting it.

Devil's lake is one of my favorite places in WI! When you get to the state park, you will see the lake. It is very clear, but I was way more impressed when I started hiking the bluffs! I had such an awesome time. It's an intense hike to say the least. The natural rocks form steps all the way to the top for beautiful views! I have hiked both bluffs and around the lake. I would highly recommend.

We stayed at Quartzite Campground and walked to the Visitor/Center and lake.  It is about a quarter mile walk up a steep hill to the Nature Center and then 300 feet on a trail from the Nature Center to the Visitor Center parking lot directly across from the north beach.  We stayed in site 10E but I would not recommend this site or any of the other electric sites and that side of the road.  The sites are very unlevel and even with all the leveling blocks we had we could not get our motorhome level. Our neighbor a  tent camper had a hard time finding a flat spot to put their tent and travel trailers were not level either.   The other side of the road was better but not completely level either.  

The lake water is very clear.  There is a lot to  do at the park and you could spend at least 4 or 5 days here.  It is the most popular WI State park and early reservations are required to stay in an electric site.  The showers and bathrooms are very clean.  The pictures are from the Tumbled Rock trail which connects the north and south beach.   It is mostly flat and paved.  You can get a really close look at the rocks with out climbing high.  Cell service is OK.  We have both AT&T and Verizon and neither could stream video but we could connect to the internet.  We were surprised since the campground is 3 miles from Baraboo.   The town is very cute with 1850's buildings and a strong circus history as home to the Ringling Brothers.

Ggreat place for the family. Beautiful hiking and of course the lake. Campgrounds have open spots for bigger rvs as well as shaded areas. Love it

Stayed in the Quartzite campground. Spacious sites with clean facilities. The park offers great hiking, swimming and kayaking. Plan ahead as it’s hard to get into on short notice. Only negative is that some of the sites can be a challenge to level your camper.

We have stayed here many of times and always had a great trip. The campsite are big and spacious with plenty of room for two tents and a screen tent. The bathrooms are cleaned daily and always in good shape. The campsite comes with a picnic table and a good size fire pit for open grilling. There is so much to do in the area from hiking, boating, fishing, rock climbing and just relaxing. Something for everyone.

Camped here in college and love it! Can’t wait to get back and do some climbing and hiking!

We were at Devil’s lake state park 3 years ago pretty place, good hikes but so busy. The one loop has no privacy or trees. We enjoyed walking one of the trails to where the big blue Heron’s nest it sounded like Jurassic Park when they feed their babies. I will add photos when I can access them. We hiked the gulch which was beautiful so green and lush.

We stayed at Mirror Lake State Park this year it was so quiet and nice big site. We drove to Devil’s lake couldn’t get near it. You waited in traffic forever to get turned away the parking lots were full. People parked way down the roads walking in. If you were camping and went out for the day and came back good luck getting near the campgrounds.

We like to go into Baraboo to the little village cafe great food and all homemade desserts.

The crane foundation is a cool place to visit too.

We bought wood from a guy down the road from Devil’s lake state park $5 for a wheelbarrow full but it wouldn’t burn.

This park is too busy for us we like it quieter.

We love staying here in early May, before the hoards of day hikers descend. But really this is a state park you MUST visit. 

THINGS TO DO: There's a lake with swimming and boat rentals. There's a pub-type restaurant with local microbrew beer on tap and local ice cream. There's several park shelters for weddings or events. And the best hikes in this part of the world. There are all-ability paved paths to intense climbs to the top of the bluffs with unbeaten views. You can rock climb if you have the right gear. Of course, there is fishing too and I've seen people scuba dive here.

CAMPGROUND: There are 3 sections for camping. Quartzite- it's big and open, good for stargazing but not great if you want shade or privacy. The Northern Lights section has a lot more trees and a variety of spots with electrical hook up. The Ice Age sections are tents only. All of the sections have bathrooms that are well kept. 

There's a reason this place is so popular. It is gorgeous, despite being a little crowded. Plan your visit early or late in the season and enjoy what nature has to offer, while only being a short 20 min car ride from the downtown Dells area.

Very nice campground. Great place to do so many activities! Hiking, kayaking, climbing, swimming, fishing.

We love Devil's Lake! It has incredible views and is absolutely breathtaking in the fall. It is also wonderful in the summer to go swimming and hike around. 

We've never camped overnight here, but have taken many trips to hike around. With it only being 45 minutes from Madison, it's a great day get away! 

Only drawbacks to Devils Lake are the crowds. It's popular (and for good reason!) so I would suggest hiking earlier in the day to avoid the larger crowds of people. I would also avoid going there when the mayflies have hatched because it can be unbearable.

Camping here is awesome, loved swimming, kayaking, hiking and biking. Friendly staff and hosts.

**I come here at least once a yr when I get the time. I have spent 3 birthdays at Devils Lake and can't wait for many more. **

The park has just started same day reservations, to allow the “rare” cancellation sites to be filled the sites are reserved months in advance.The area has  numerous  privately owned campgrounds if you can’t get a site in the park. It is well worth a visit,

Devils Lake’s campground is a well situated campground within the park. I have only been able to camp there once after trying close to 10 times. This park tends to fill up months in advance and Reserve America requires a two night minimum during the high season. If you are able to lock in a site it will be well worth the effort however book well in advance if you plan on staying there.

The campground is close to great hiking and lake activities. The restroom and showers were clean.

The good news about camping in the “off” season is fewer crowds; the bad news is that many of the perks (concessions, boat rentals,etc) are not available. After summer during the week, the only campground available is Quartzite (I believe there are two others plus a group campground). The bathrooms in Quartzite were new and very clean. Trails are plentiful and some are quite challenging but offer fantastic views. Trails are well marked. We were there on a cold, cloudy day but I think it is the best time to visit.Of all the Wisconsin State parks we have camped in recently, Devil’s Lake is the best!

Growing up in the city of Chicago, I didnt realize there were "mountains" in the midwest! My first time going here, I was in awe of the lack of flat prairie land, as I was used to for the area. My friend and I reserved a tipi several months in advance. We spent two nights and it was spectacular. We rented a canoe, which I highly recommend, enjoyed the trail that went around the entirety of Devils lake, and also hit up Devils Doorway for a sunset hike. I had to keep reminding myself that I was in the midwest!

Also, as most camping in the area, the raccoons can get aggressive, so keep your camp clean and food stored away. Keep a flashlight nearby and look out for glowing eyes in the trees and bushes!

Its very family friendly, and if you are looking to go when its more quiet, then try to go off-season, or rent a canoe and go far out onto the water ;)

I've been camping at Devil's Lake Campground for 23 years now. I've camped primarily in Quartzite, but also in the Northern Lights section. I've been there to camp in spring, summer, and fall. Besides my camping trips I take numerous day trips to DL because even after all this time I can't get enough of it. So what should you know?

The Bad: It is CROWDED!!! Especially in the summer, especially on the weekend, if you're looking for a wilderness getaway this is probably not it.

The new warden situation is interesting. Things have gotten a lot more strict in some areas (ex. You can only have 2 vehicles on a site at any given time), and are a lot more lax in others mostly because instead of a team of rangers there's now only a few wardens. We had an incident the last time we camped and rhe wardens did take care of the situation quite well, but it would have been nice had it been avoided/prevented beforehand.

The fire pits are often in very bizarre places, and usually not moveable.

The good:

Despite the crowds this place is drop dead gorgeous. Large fish, great blue herons, turkey vultures, loons, and bald eagles are just a few of the things I enjoy spotting at DL. There's so many trails to hike. The beaches are great, though the south shore has always been rocky it is much improved. Personally I prefer for it to stay as natural as possible anyways. There's great chalets on the north and south shores that sell souveniers, food, including cedar crest ice cream, and more! Paddle boards, kayaks, canoes, and paddleboats are available for rental too. There's also dog friendly swim areas on both shores which I am so thankful for. Dogs are also allowed and just about all the trails! Modern recently redone bathrooms with flush toilets and showers are available in the Quartzite section. In Northern Lights sites are much more wooded, and there are still flush toilets and showers, but they are a bit older. Both areas are beautiful and have their perks. Honestly they feel like 2 totally different places which is very neat. Ice Age is similar to Northern Lights I believe, and there's also group sites on the South Side of the lake. I'd have to say DL is the closest to mountains you can find in Wisconsin. The sites are well maintained. I love this place. It really is my home away from home. I wish it hadn't gotten so crowded, but it does go to show how amazing it is!

The trails and the views at this park are phenomenal. Find pictures of the campsites if possible, because some of the sites get a LOT of sun, and as we tent camp, it can be unbearable for our children. (We’ve camped with them yearly here since our littlest was 2, and that was the year we got a not so shaded site. Lesson learned.)

This historic campground has lots of site options, incredible hiking/rock climbing and a beach. Plan ahead for this place as it fills up quickly but is well worth it.

One of the best in Wisconsin. Great place for swimming and hiking.

We stayed here on one of our stops during our honeymoon road trip north. It was a nice campground, but very full when we went in June. That is to be expected most anywhere in the summer. We went kayaking because we were wanting to do something other than hang around the camp site. The trails are spectacular. Amazing views of the lake at the top. We enjoyed our stay here.

this park has everything. beaches, bluffs, campIng, hikes, and phenomenal views. there is no wake in the lake and dogs are technically supposed to be on a leash. I seen a lot of people on the lake kaya k and a lot of fellow hikers. a lot of people on the weekends in the summer. not too far from big city Madison and a waterfall and diving spot not too far from here. also a ski hill close by. great location to camp!!

Devil’s Lake State Park is a great place for anyone to get away for a while. It offers a variety of spacious campsites at great rates, and plenty of outdoor activities to participate in, including hiking, swimming, and canoeing. While they offer many necessities on site, especially in-season, there is a Walmart close by if you realize you’ve forgotten something. It is important to note that as you get closer to the off-season, more restroom facilities and water pumps are shut down, so be prepared to bring your own water if you are going in the fall.