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One of the regular questions folks ask about camping at Devil’s Lake State Park is, “Can you camp by the water?”. Well, what they mean is, “Can we camp by the lake?” and no, there are no campsites by the lake. Now, if you want to camp by water, well, that’s another question and the answer is, well, maybe.
The forested Upper Ice Age Campground is popular among tent campers. All the sites are non-electric and do feel a bit less manicured than those in the park’s other campgrounds. Thanks to the Wisconsin glacier some 10,000 years ago, some campers get to have random big boulders planted right in the middle of their campsites! Another unique feature of the Upper Ice Age Campground, is a “seep” where groundwater oozes out of the earth to form a little creek that flows west through 2 loops of the campground. From there the stream tumbles down a little waterfall before passing just south of the Lower Ice Age Campground.
This ephemeral (temporary) water feature relies on spring snowmelt and rain to keep it alive each year. So unless it’s a wet year, the creek tends to dry up by early summer. Still, a few lucky, early-season, campers have an opportunity to chill out to the sounds of trickling water at their campsites.
In the map above, I’ve added a rough path of how the little stream moves through the Ice Age Campgrounds. Due to its size and the shape of the land, only a few campsites are well located to hear the trickling of the water. So what sites exactly? Well, 525, 529, 426, 427 & 428 in the Upper Ice Age Campground and sites 359 and 361 in Lower Ice Age Campground. Sites 427 and 428 are right by that little waterfall I mentioned earlier. When the water is flowing, it cascades down the hill just a few yards behind both sites. (Video Below)
So that’s kinda cool, right?! Sure. But again, keep in mind that this little rivulet will normally dry up by the end of June, especially in a dry year. In wet summers, it will flow a little longer. Really, if you’re tent camping and want to spin the wheel, just pick one of the sites above and see what happens. You might get lucky.
Oh, and one other thing…
When the seep area is especially wet and mucky in the Upper Ice Age Campground, mosquitos can really get nasty. Nature tends to give with one hand and take with the other… Good Luck!
For nearly 2 decades the Skillet Creek blog has focused on 3 main goals; To inspire you to visit and explore the Devil’s Lake region, to help you get the most your visit by sharing tips, events, and other helpful information. Lastly to advocate for our environment & wildlife and talk about how we can keep our natural areas amazing now and into the future! That last goal can sometimes cause controversy, but it’s the only way we can accomplish the first two. – Derrick Mayoleth, Owner.
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Derrick,
Ironic post!! Thank you!! This question just came up at our house!!
Our daughter is on the Ohio State rowing team. We are attending the BIg 10 Rowing championship at Devils Lake on Sunday, May 19th. We are staying at Quartzite, site #41. Are we within walking distance of the Lake? Or, will we have to drive? Do you have any tips or advice for us?
We chose this site, based on the map’s location to Devils Lake. We have been told the South Shore will be restricted and cars will need vehicle admission stickers. But, if we can walk, this would not apply to us. Maybe this link will help– Go.wisc.edu/BigTenRowing
Love the blog and and thanks for any insight you can provide!!
Vic Beltz
Hi Vic! Thank you! OK, so you’re in site 41e which is double or shared site. Meaning you are right in there with site 42e. If you go to the photo map at https://www.devilslakewisconsin.com/camping/quartzite-campground-images/, You can see how the two sites come together. It’s open, but close to a new pit toilet and a short walk to the shower building.
1. The main event is on the south shore of the lake, you are on the north end. So if you want to get over there, you’ll probably drive. You can hike, but it’s about 1.5 miles around the bottom of lake to get there.
2. Your campsite isn’t far from the North Shore of the lake, but there is a big, fairly steep hill in between. You’ll have to see it when you get here. For some, it’s just too much to hike up and over multiple times.
I hope that helps a bit! Let me know how it goes!