When you arrive at Devil’s Lake State Park, you’ll feel like you’ve arrived in paradise. The sparkling blue lake is surrounded by towering cliffs and a forest that’s laced by miles of hiking trails. It’s a place to enjoy an outdoor adventure, a relaxing camping trip, or a picnic by the shore. But this popular Wisconsin state park has a dark secret – some visitors spend their last moments on earth in this tranquil place. Here are some of the dangers lurking in Devil’s Lake State Park:

Devil’s Lake State park is located in Sauk County near the City of Baraboo. It’s an enormously popular state park – on summer weekends, its parking lots can completely fill with cars as people day trip from Madison, Milwaukee, and beyond.
Alltrails / Dylan Fiske
When you arrive at the park, you’ll see why. The park is huge - it covers more than 9,200 acres and it looks like no other place on earth.
Alltrails / Anna Z
The park has a lake that’s flanked by 500-foot quartzite bluffs. Trails take adventurous climbers up to incredible views and rock climbers enjoy some wonderful climbing challenges.
Alltrails / Dylan Antczak

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But this view is the last thing some people see. In the past, several hikers who wandered off the trail or hiked at night and became disoriented fell to their deaths. Even some experienced rock climbers have gotten themselves into trouble on the sheer rock faces.
Alltrails / Dylan Fiske
Far below the cliff vistas, the 347-acre lake has also been the site of fatal accidents.
Alltrails / Jason Lane
Over the years there have been drownings as well as numerous medical emergencies in the lake’s deep waters.
Alltrails / Dylan Antczak

While there have been many serious and fatal accidents at Devil’s Lake State Park, huge numbers of people visit the park with no issues. In fact, the park receives more than three million visitors annually. But be sure to use caution when you visit – avoid any night hikes by the cliffs, follow safe climbing practices, and don’t mix alcohol or drugs with offshore swimming or hiking near the cliffs. Learn more about the park on the state DNR website. You can also see why, despite this popular Wisconsin state park’s dangers, Devil’s Lake State Park still stands out from the rest.

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Devil's Lake State Park, S5975 Park Rd, Baraboo, WI 53913, USA