Devil’s Lake Open May 1, Should I Come?

Today I’m going to put on my “Grumpy Old Man Yells At Cloud” suit and lay down some truths. Not to point fingers, or to blame or call out, but so that YOU can have some idea what you might be in for this weekend. So, let me grab my shakin’ cane…

The Basics

If you reviewed the DNR statement about park openings, you may be confused. So, when it comes to Devil’s Lake State Park here are the finer points.

Locals Only?

Honestly, our economy depends on tourism. Our campgrounds, restaurants, and retailers are chomping at the bit to see you. AND yet, we’re in the middle of a pandemic. Let’s be honest, there are many places at Devil’s Lake State Park where you cannot keep your social distance. It’s pretty clear that visitors will arrive in droves and be risking infection this weekend. Yes, we are also under “Safer-At-Home” orders but you and I know that this won’t put much of a dent in the numbers. Shouting “Stay home” is not only unhelpful, but it’s useless. Everyone realizes that “local only” is the hope, but we also know that it’s not reality.

Thoes Out-Of-Staters…

I need to address this. Everyone blaming “out-of-state” visitors are just wrong. While there are certainly out-of-state visitors, the vast majority of people who will travel to get to Devil’s Lake this weekend may not be local, but they will be coming from other locations WITHIN Wisconsin.

Closed Bathrooms??

I hear you. This won’t end well. The lack of restrooms will be an issue. Honestly, even in normal years, people have defecated behind closed bathrooms. (I won’t mention the stories about what’s left IN the bathrooms!)

Now I have to believe that the DNR’s closure of restrooms is simply a practical reaction to the lack of staff and PPE. If true, they only had 2 options; Open the parks with closed bathrooms or keep the parks closed because you can’t properly clean bathrooms. Which option would you choose?

So, no bathrooms. I’m sure this will send some folks into the woods and others out into the local community to relieve themselves. (Take that however you like.) The bottom line is, if you can’t handle hours without a potty break, maybe you won’t want to drive too far to get here.

Will I Get Turned Away?

You might! According to the DNR, you may indeed arrive at Devil’s Lake State Park this weekend only to be turned away because the park is “Full”. Now, what does full mean? Will they stack cars on the grass and along the roads as has been the habit in previous years? Will they only allow cars to park in designated parking areas? We don’t know. My hope is we never go back to that wild west approach! But, how full is FULL, is unknown. The bottom line is that the park could be very busy AND you may not get in.

Social Distance While Hiking?

You cannot practically keep 6 feet from other hikers on many trails at Devil’s Lake State Park. Especially when passing. If you are concerned about Social Distancing I would avoid these trails: Balanced Rock Trail, CCC Trail, Potholes Trail, Tumbled Rocks Trails. Each of these are simply too narrow at some points to allow people to pass 3 feet, let alone 6 feet around each other. Here’s a ranking of the park’s busiest trails.

Parfrey’s Glen & Pewit’s Nest Are Closed

Yes, they are closed and I guarantee you that if we have good weather and a warden isn’t living at Parfrey’s Glen, it will be a serious problem location. Gibraltar Rock is also “closed” but as part of the Ice Age Trail, you can hike into the natural area, you simply can’t park there. Pewit’s Nest is closed.

Hard Truth

If the weather is good (Sat. Pt Sunny Low 70s, Sunday 67). Devil’s Lake State Park will probably be a ____show on par with the weekend that caused the last closure. You only need to take the temperature of social media to see it coming. And what we know is that Devil’s Lake is always swamped on a warm spring weekend. That’s the baseline. Odds are, this weekend will be something else. Holding a starting pistol in the air for Friday, May 1st, all over the news and social media will only make this weekend… well, you know the word. (I sincerely hope I’m wrong.) So do you want to participate? Well, that’s your call. Whatever you choose to do, please, be respectful and be safe out there.