The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has finalized an agreement to permanently protect 100 acres of land adjacent to Devil’s Lake State Park, expanding one of the Midwest’s most visited natural destinations. The acquisition marks a significant conservation victory for a parcel that was previously among the largest privately owned tracts of land inside the park’s boundaries.
The land was purchased in 2025 by The Conservation Fund, a nonprofit organization that acquires at-risk land with high conservation value to shield it from development. That purchase was a stopgap measure, designed to prevent the property from being lost to private development while a longer-term solution was secured. The longer-term solution has now arrived.
Through the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program, the DNR has formally acquired the parcel and will open it to public access.
“Devil’s Lake State Park is a gem that is unmatched, drawing nearly 2.3 million visitors in 2025. This expansion, made possible by the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program, means that visitors can access even more breathtaking views.” – DNR Secretary Karen Hyun
Devil’s Lake State Park sits in the Baraboo Hills region of south-central Wisconsin and is defined by its dramatic geology. Visitors experience views from 500-foot quartzite bluffs overlooking a 360-acre lake, along with nearly 30 miles of hiking trails, lakeshore picnic areas, swimming beaches, paddling access, and year-round naturalist programming.
The park’s trail network also includes segments of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail, a 1,200-mile footpath that traces the edge of a glacier that covered the region approximately 15,000 years ago. Around two million people hike the trail annually. The newly acquired acreage could eventually support an additional segment of that historic route, though no formal plans have been announced.
