An Early Spring at Devil’s Lake State Park 🌿🌞

As the unusually warm weather continues in our part of Wisconsin, things are changing rapidly at Devil’s Lake State Park. The lake’s ice has receded, leaving only a small frozen shelf in the more shaded area along the south shore.

The park welcomes back its feathered friends, with Turkey Vultures and Red-winged Blackbirds making their appearance. We also anticipate the return of the majestic Great Blue Heron soon.

Keen-eyed hikers can spot a splash of color along the park’s trails. The native White-flowered Leafcup (Polymnia canadensis) is a common sight on the Tumbled Rocks Trail. However, the invasive Garlic Mustard’s green leaves are also making an early appearance, taking advantage of the weather to get ahead of the native plants that await more consistent temperatures and sunlight.

Although this year has been dubbed the “year without a winter” in the Midwest, it’s reassuring to know that spring’s arrival is inevitable. So, grab your hiking boots and come explore the early signs of spring at Devil’s Lake State Park!

Derrick Mayoleth

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.