Devil's Lake State Park
Managed by Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
2,223 acres3.9 mi of trail
East Bluff TrailEast Bluff Woods TrailGroup Camp TrailIce Age National Scenic Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Point of Rocks · Photo: Jeff the quiet · CC0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Baraboo
Baraboo has 3,614 acres of parks, 2,249 for every 1,000 residents
20% of Baraboo’s land is conserved, about 3,997 acres. The biggest trail networks: Devil's Lake State Park (3.9 mi), East Bluff State Natural Area (1.3 mi). 49% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 81% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Conserved land
20%
3,997 acres · of 30.7 sq mi of land
Trails
9.4 mi
0.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
3,614 ac
2,249 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
49%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
2.9 mi
1.4 mi lanes · 1.2 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
1
5 beaches · 4 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Baraboo?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Baraboo have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Baraboo is ahead of 81% of U.S. towns. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Baraboo’s overall grade.
Conserved land20% of the land · typical WI town 4% · U.S. 4%ATrails0.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (9 mi) · WI 0.4 · U.S. 0.4B−Park land2,249 acres of park per 1,000 residents (3,614 acres) · WI 31 · U.S. 13A+Parks close to home49% of residents within a half mile of a park · WI 90% · U.S. 72%C+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 81%
LessMore
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ to A. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Devil's Lake State Park, with 3.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
East Bluff State Natural Area
Managed by Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
131 acres1.3 mi of trail
East Bluff TrailEast Bluff Woods Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trail signWebsite ↗
Baxter's Hollow State Natural Area
Nature preserve
1,393 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
South Bluff/Devil's Nose State Natural Area
Managed by Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
98 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Pewits Nest State Natural Area
Managed by Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
48 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 9 parks & preserves
Devil's Lake State Park2,223 acres · 3.9 mi of trail · Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsEast Bluff State Natural Area131 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsBaxter's Hollow State Natural Area1,393 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
South Bluff/Devil's Nose State Natural Area98 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsPewits Nest State Natural Area48 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsDevil's Lake Oak Forest State Natural Area7 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsMcGilvra Woods State Natural Area73 acres · Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsVillage Forest Park2 acres
Giese Park1 acres
Who protects it
3,997 conserved acres
20% of Baraboo’s land. Who manages Baraboo’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources2,249 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits1,668 ac
Private owners335 ac
County105 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)44 ac
State Park · 1,982 acPrivate Conservation · 1,625 acState Recreation Area · 449 acState Conservation Area · 211 acConservation Easement · 91 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 43 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Devils Lake State Park-Iansr State Park | State natural resources | 1,842 | Open |
| Baxter'S Hollow Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 1,310 | Open |
| Baraboo Hills Recreation Area State Park | State natural resources | 449 | Open |
| Christopher Dahl Memorial Tract Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 204 | Open |
| Baraboo Hills Recreation Area 40 State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 121 | Closed |
| Happy Hill Glades Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 111 | Open |
| Natural Area State Conservation Area | County | 105 | Restricted |
| Mcgilvra Woods State Natural Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 71 | Restricted |
| Pewits Nest State Natural Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 35 | Restricted |
| Devils Lake State Park-Iansr 9 State Park | State natural resources | 19 | Open |
Things to do
32 places to go in Baraboo
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Baraboo
North Shore BeachIn Devil's Lake State Park
DirectionsSouth Shore BeachIn Devil's Lake State Park
DirectionsPlus 3 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Swimming spots in Baraboo
1 swimming spot without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Baraboo
3 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks in Baraboo
North Shore Picnic and Pet AreaIn Devil's Lake State Park
DirectionsPet Swim AreaIn Devil's Lake State Park
DirectionsBoat launches in Baraboo
4 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Baraboo
5 scenic views without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Baraboo
3 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Baraboo
Baraboo Hills Campground
DirectionsDevil’s Lake State Park CampgroundsFee · In Devil's Lake State Park
DirectionsGreen Valley CampgroundFee
DirectionsIce Age CampgroundIn Devil's Lake State Park · WI DNR
DirectionsNorthern Lights CampgroundIn Devil's Lake State Park · Devil's Lake State Park
DirectionsQuartzite CampgroundIn Devil's Lake State Park · Devil's Lake State Park
DirectionsWheeler's CampgroundFee
DirectionsTrails & water
8 named trails and 1 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 3.1 mi
East Bluff Trail1.0 mi
East Bluff Woods Trail0.8 mi
Wagon Tour Route0.6 mi
Grottos Trail0.3 mi
Group Camp Trail0.2 mi
Ice Age National Scenic Trail0.2 mi
West Bluff Trail0.1 mi
Johnson Moraine Loop0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
2.9 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
1.4 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
1.2 mi
off-road bike paths
0.2 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
3Beach volleyball
2Basketball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →3 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 3 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
September is the best month for walking in Baraboo
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.3 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.7 | 15.4 | 15.1 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 27 | 32 | 44 | 57 | 69 | 79 | 82 | 80 | 73 | 60 | 45 | 32 |
| Rain (in) | 1.3 | 1.4 | 2.2 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 5.3 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 2.8 | 2.2 | 1.7 |
January is the driest month (1.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 5.3 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Baraboo →
Next door
Baraboo and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Sumpter37 miDelton22 miBaraboo9.4 miGreenfield5.7 miFairfield4.6 miExcelsior1.0 miFreedom0.7 miWest Baraboo0.0 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baraboo | 20% | 0.3 | 2,249 | 49% | A− |
| West Baraboo | 1% | under 0.1 | 38 | 90% | C+ |
| Sumpter | 38% | 1.0 | 7,827 | 71% | A+ |
| Delton | 14% | 0.8 | 928 | 19% | A− |
| Freedom | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Excelsior | 5% | under 0.1 | 179 | 4% | C+ |
| Fairfield | 7% | 0.1 | 1,242 | 8% | B |
| Greenfield | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Baraboo
Where can I hike in Baraboo?
The longest trail networks: Devil's Lake State Park, 3.9 miles; East Bluff State Natural Area, 1.3 miles; Baxter's Hollow State Natural Area, 0.3 miles; South Bluff/Devil's Nose State Natural Area, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Baraboo is conserved land?
20% of its land, against a typical 4% for a Wisconsin town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Baraboo’s trails?
Devil's Lake State Park and East Bluff State Natural Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Baraboo?
2.9 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.4 of painted or protected lanes, 1.2 of off-road paths and 0.2 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Baraboo?
35,461 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Baraboo or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 3,614 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Baraboo have?
Ahead of 81% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Baraboo neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →