Mechanical Weathering, Beautiful!
It’s not uncommon for visitors to Devil’s Lake to think that all of this fallen rock means that the whole park was once a quarry. While there were quarries within the park borders at one time, the fallen rock you…
Bats of the Elroy-Sparta State Trail
Just after Halloween, we took advantage of the late-season warmth to ride the Elroy-Sparta State Trail north from Kendall, Wisconsin, up to the first of 3 historic train tunnels, which are some of the main attractions on the Elroy-Sparta. Of…
Deer Gun Hunting Continues
You may see news articles or posts today (11/28) telling us that the deer gun season has ended in Wisconsin, but don't put away your bright colors just yet! While the most popular "deer gun" season ended yesterday, muzzleloader season…
Hey Buddy!
Check out who we met on our Devil’s Lake hike yesterday! It’s a cute little opossum! (Not to be confused with the critter in Australia called a “possum”.) Our opossums got their name from the Algonquian word 'apasum', meaning white…
Seeing Red!
When visitors to Devil's Lake State Park are asking where and when to see "fall colors", sometimes what they are really asking is where to see, "RED" leaves. This is because the red color doesn't happen everywhere and in fact,…
Fall Colors?
Well, it's a little early to start chasing fall colors here in the Devil's Lake State Park region, but it won't be too long. Here are a couple of photos taken this week along the Merrimac Preserve hiking trails on…
The Short History of Ragweed & Pine Trees at Devil’s Lake State Park
It's August and we're heading into ragweed allergy season! Ragweed season usually peaks here in Wisconsin in the late summer and early fall, but ragweed can produce pollen until the first frost. Often folks will confuse ragweed with goldenrod. Both are found…
57 Days To Autumn!
57 days To Autumn! The equinox is on the 22nd in 2022, the 23rd in 2023, and in 2024?? The 22nd again. Welp, It was fun while it lasted. Peak Color Is A Moving Target As you know Devil’s Lake…
Where’s The Wildlife?
One common question people will ask when visiting the park is, "Where's The Wildlife?". They wonder if they will see wildlife while out paddling on the lake, or what animals they might encounter when hiking the East Bluff Trail. The…
Watch Where You Walk & Where You Sit!
Every year we talk about the dangers of various plants in the park such as poison ivy and wild parsnip. These are plants that for some people can cause anything from mild itching to intense pain and scarring. (I know,…