The best camping in Devil's Lake State Park, WI

Wisconsin's most visited state park, Devil's Lake offers all sorts of opportunities for experiencing the great outdoors, from educational kids’ programs at the nature center to renting a kayak, canoe, paddleboat, or standup paddleboard to explore the 360-acre lake. Hiking opportunities abound too—the East Bluff Trail is a great choice to see some of the park's characteristically pink-and-purple quartzite bluffs. Devil’s Lake is also a good camping spot, with hundreds of sites spread over three campgrounds, many with hookups. The aptly named Ice Age Campground is open for winter camping for those who don’t mind a little snow.

• Best for RVs: Quartzite Campground has large sites ideal for RV camping, plus showers and a dump station.
• Best for families: Northern Lights Campground offers open grassy areas, plus a shower building, flush toilets, and a playground.
• Best for convening with nature:  Ice Age Campground offers a mix of electric and non-electric sites, some in a pine grove.

1. You can reserve your campsite online or over the phone through Wisconsin State Parks.
2. Same-day camping reservations are available from May through October with waived reservation fees.
3. All campsites are reservable and released for reservation 11 months in advance.
4. If you can't secure one of the 423 sites in the three main campgrounds, look into reserving one of the park's nine group campsites. Alternatively, consider a Hipcamp in the area to visit Devil’s Lake for the day. Plenty of privately operated options exist in Baraboo, a 10-minute drive away.

Devil’s Lake is open year-round and at its busiest in summer, when it draws droves of campers with hiking, biking, rock climbing, swimming, kayaking, and fishing. Winter activities include sledding, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. There are also ranger-led programs and hikes, particularly from spring through fall. Quartzite Campground remains open in winter months, offering winterized restrooms and running water plus electrical hookup sites.

• Seasonal concession stores on both the north shore and south shore and at the Ice Age Campground sell basic groceries and supplies. They’re open in summer and on select spring and fall weekends.
• You’re welcome to gather firewood in the forest (although you can't chop or pull wood from trees). You can also purchase bundles at the camp stores.
• Cell phone service is spotty at best in the park.
• The park is pet-friendly, but dogs must remain on a leash no longer than eight feet in length.
• Running water facilities, including showers, are available from mid-April through mid-October.