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Broken Glass

There have been reports of broken car windows and items stolen from cars at both Devil’s Lake State Park and Mirror Lake State Park over the weekend. Please keep this in mind as we head into fall.

Keep Your Stuff Safe!

Don’t leave anything of value in your car, especially when stopping at quieter “outer” parking areas such as along the Ice Age Trail or Steinke Basin or Roznos Meadow in Devil’s Lake State Park. It’s best to leave nothing visible. According to police, thieves will smash a car window just to look inside a bag, under a coat or in a box to see if there is anything worth taking. So even if you removed the “big ticket” items, you could still end up with a broken lock or smashed window. (As was reported at the park this weekend!)

The Big “bait” Items

You wouldn’t be so crazy as to leave any of these in your car would you?

  • Cell phones, GPS receivers, laptops and iPods (or any other type of easy to sell electronics)
  • checkbooks, credit cards and debit cards
  • Cash (including loose change in the ashtray)
  • Vehicle registration documents (these should always be carried on your person)
  • Mail (especially if it has your address on it)
  • Wallets and purses

Report A Break-In

These days it can be pretty hard to find Park staff, rangers or wardens around the parks. We advise you to simply contact the Sauk County sheriff’s Department at

Non-Emergency/Dispatch: (608) 356-4895

Non Emergency (toll free): 1-800-377-1195

In an emergency always call 911

Report to the DNR?

To report to the DNR when no one is around you can also call or text 1-800-847-9367. Our personal experience is that response times here are very slow and you may get a faster response by text than calling. You can also submit a report online here.

When reporting, keep in mind that the more detail about the time and location that you can offer, the more helpful it will be.

Stay safe out there!

This Post Has One Comment

  1. What next? When I was there last week I noticed the huge number of cars without park stickers parking along the road on the south end. It’s discouraging to think that they are using the park without financially supporting it. I’ve purchased stickers every year for 35 years. Perhaps parking tickets equal to the cost of a sticker? I think that the road is under the jurisdiction of Sauk County, isn’t it?

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