Snowshoeing is a great reason to get outdoors and stay fit as well! Here’s a bit more information about snowshoeing in the park and around the area, including a map of locations where you can get started.
FYI – History of Snowshoes (US Forest Service)
The snowshoeing rules within Devil’s Lake State Park are pretty simple. You can pretty much snowshoe anywhere you like. Steinke Basin & Johnson Moraine are designated “Multi-Use” and are great options for showshoeing in the park. Here’s a map of the park’s trails.
New To Snowshoeing?
If this is your first year or you’re not in “ultra” snowshoeing condition yet, you may want to start simply by exploring around Devil’s Lake’s north shore picnic area. Then, when you want to add a bit more distance, you can work your way up into the campgrounds. The campgrounds are pretty nice snowshoeing areas. Just follow the loops, and you won’t get lost!
Other easy trails within the park would be Roznos Meadow on the southeast corner of the park and the Grottos trail just east of the South Shore parking lots. Grottos is also heavily wooded and nice for those windy days! See the map below.
Oh, and don’t forget the lake itself. Well, when it’s safe anyway!!
Experienced Snowshoer?
If you’re in good shape, then all of the East Bluff and Uplands Trails are yours to explore. To get up onto the East Bluff, take the East Bluff Woods Trail to avoid the stairs. There is also a parking area on Hwy 113, which will give you access to both the Uplands and Sauk Point trails… Again, see the map below, but note that this parking lot is not plowed.
Need Snowshoes?
You can borrow snowshoes for free at Devil’s Lake State Park!
The park has snowshoes that visitors can borrow for FREE. They can be borrowed anytime the North Shore Visitor Center or the Nature Center is open. The snowshoes have to be used within the park’s boundaries and cannot be taken off the property. They are handed out on a first-come-first-serve basis. No reservations are taken.
In Baraboo, you can rent Snowshoes & XC skis from Wildside Action Sports. They are located at 880 WI-136 #1, which is near Wal-Mart and just a couple of miles north of Devil’s Lake.
Want Instruction?
Well, snowshoeing is a pretty basic skill, but there are a couple of tricks to make the experience a bit easier. If you join in on any of the winter snowshoe/hiking events at Devil’s Lake State Park, the naturalist will give you some quick instructions. For some of us, this is just what we need!
Snowshoeing is a very accessible sport. All you need are snowshoes, maybe some poles, and warm winter clothing. You can really do it anywhere that you can walk. Our map only gets you started; there are many, many more places to explore here in the Baraboo Hills… Just look at it this way: if you can hike there in the summer, you can snowshoe in the winter!