Need some inspiration for planning your all-day elopement at Devil's Lake State Park? I have compiled my ultimate guide for how to plan the most epic elopement day at Devil's Lake here.
The guide includes:
Where to stay near Devil's Lake
Hiking Tips at Devil's Lake for your elopement
Nearby restaurant recommendations
Example Devil's Lake all-day elopement timeline
Best Locations for your Devil's Lake elopement ceremony
Tips for how to fill an entire elopement day at Devil's Lake and make it feel special and intentional
Activity Ideas for your Devil's Lake elopement day
How to book a park shelter for your Devil's Lake elopement day celebration
Best time of year to elope at Devil's Lake
All-day Elopement at Devil's Lake State Park
What would be the most epic day that you can imagine, from sunrise to sunset? You have the ability to do whatever you want on your elopement day, including having an unforgettable experience or special adventure to celebrate the start of your marriage.
Consider trying something new, or doing something you love. At the very least, plan to just have FUN with your partner. Make it a day to remember that you can look back on with hearts in your eyes.
Did you know there were gorgeous red rock formations surrounding a turquoise blue lake right here in Wisconsin? Devil's Lake is Wisconsin's best state park for good reason. The rock formations, hiking, forests, and crystal clear lake are out of this world and make the perfect backdrop for your Wisconsin elopement.
Here are my quick tips for how to have the most epic elopement day at Devil's Lake*:
Get ready with your partner at a nearby airbnb or cabin
Find the perfect spot near the beach or up in the red quartzite rock bluffs for your intimate ceremony
After your ceremony, either go on a scenic hike overlooking the lake or rent a kayak or paddle board to get out on the lake
Plan to go for a leisurely afternoon swim in the lake after your scenic hike to cool off
Have a catered dinner in one of the park shelters, or head out to a nearby restaurant to celebrate
End your epic elopement day toasting marshmallows around the fire at your airbnb or cabin with some bubbly and looking for shooting stars
Bring your photographer along for the ride to capture it all!
*This blog post makes suggestions for just you and your partner eloping just the two of you and does not necessarily make suggestions for if you will have guests attending your elopement day.
Where to stay near Devil's Lake State Park for your all-day Elopement
Check out these awesome Airbnbs, cabins, and campgrounds that you can book near Devil's Lake for your elopement day:
Airbnbs:
Cabins:
Campgrounds:
Hiking Tips at Devil's Lake State Park for your all-day elopement
Some of the most scenic trails at Devil's Lake have a moderate to hard difficulty level with around 500+ feet of vertical elevation gain and rocky uneven terrain and stairs. These steep trails include Balanced Rock, Devil's Doorway, the CCC trail, Potholes trail, or up to the bluffs from the North Shore (East Bluff Trail and West Bluff Trail). While the distances of these trails is short, the elevation gain is massive.
If you are planning to hike in your wedding attire at Devil's Lake, here is the equipment needed for those difficult hikes: hiking poles, hiking boots, water, sunscreen, hat, bug spray.
There are easier trails throughout the park if you do not want to do an intensely steep hike in your wedding attire. The Grottos trail is a good easy hiking option that winds through the forest and is mostly flat. There are also short trails that stay at lake level that wind around the west side of the lake (Tumbled Rocks Trail). The East Bluff Woods trail is a more moderate incline with easier footing on a gravel path that takes you up to the East Bluffs, but there are no views of the lake from this trail.
Even though the trails are moderate to difficult, the sights along the trail make it worth it. From the bluffs, you get sweeping views of the turquoise blue lake, stunning and varied types of rock formations, woodland / forests and trees, and views over the forested valley.
Are you looking for an adventure and a dirty wedding dress on your wedding day? Then hiking the bluffs at Devil's Lake State Park might be for you!
All of the main trailheads have easy parking access, at both the North Shore and the South shore. As a note, a Wisconsin State Park pass is required for each vehicle entry into the park.
Restaurant recommendations near Devil's Lake
The biggest towns near Devil's Lake State Park to look for restaurants are Baraboo, Sauk Prairie, Sauk City, Prairie du Sac, Lake Delton, and Wisconsin Dells. You can make a reservation in advance for your group.
Here are my favorite recommendations for a celebratory wedding dinner near Devil's Lake:
-Wollersheim Winery (Prairie du Sac)
-Balanced Rock Winery (in Baraboo)
-Ishnala Supper Club (Lake Delton)
-Vintage Brewing Company (Sauk Prairie)
Since there aren't a ton of restaurant options close to the state park, my other tip is to hire a private chef or a caterer to come to Devil's Lake or to your airbnb or cabin to cook dinner for you! This is a more expensive option, but it makes the day feel even more special! You can also work with the chef or caterer to design the menu around your favorite meals!
Example Devil's Lake all-day elopement timeline
Here is an example timeline for an elopement or small intimate wedding at Devil's Lake:
8 hour timeline
12:00pm - Get ready with your partner at a nearby airbnb or cabin, read letters from your family, have a first look together
2:00pm - Find the perfect spot near the beach or up in the bluffs for your intimate ceremony and to exchange your personal vows
3:30pm - After your ceremony, either go on a scenic hike overlooking the lake or rent a kayak or paddle board to get out on the lake and enjoy a picnic lunch
5:00pm - Plan to go for a leisurely afternoon swim in the lake after your scenic hike to cool off
6:00pm - Have a catered dinner in one of the park shelters, or head out to a nearby restaurant to celebrate
7:30pm - Share your first dance by the fire at your airbnb or cabin
8:00pm - End your epic elopement day toasting marshmallows around the fire at your airbnb or cabin with some bubbly and looking for shooting stars
Best Locations for your Devil's Lake elopement ceremony
By the lake
If you are having guests and need to set up chairs, the best location for your wedding ceremony at Devil's Lake is near the White Oak Shelter on the South Shore. This shelter has a grassy area adjacent to the lake and beach that is the perfect place to set up chairs and an arch for your ceremony. The grassy area also feels very private and secluded because of the trees behind the shelter. The parking area is very near the shelter so all guests and especially guests with limited mobility can get to the ceremony area very easily.
Along a trail
If you aren't having guests for your ceremony and don't need to set up chairs or an arch, you can have your ceremony almost anywhere in the park. Don't forget to check out specific rules for what is and isn't allowed to keep the park safe.
Up on the bluffs
If you want to have your ceremony up on the East Bluffs, Balanced Rock and Devil's Doorway are very cool rock formations that make awesome ceremony backdrops, but keep in mind that these are also popular destinations along the trail, which don't offer the most privacy for a ceremony.
Other options for your ceremony depend on what type of scenery you would like, lake views, forest views, the sandy beach, a rock formation, or up on the bluffs overlooking the lake. I'm happy to recommend a specific spot that meets your scenery dreams!
Resources for having your ceremony in the park
How to get married at Devil's Lake
How Leave No Trace principles apply to your wedding or elopement in Wisconsin
Read these rules & guidelines specific to weddings at Devil's Lake State Park
Tips for filling your full-day elopement with memorable activities:
You can structure your all-day elopement very similarly to a regular wedding! You can still do a first look, getting ready, dinner, first dance, etc. You can still take time to enjoy and chat with your guests (if you have them).
Elopements are more like an awesome date night or date day, where the focus is solely on you as the couple. Every aspect of an elopement day is chosen with intention to represent your love as a couple. Elopements are all about experience and intentionality and forgetting about tradition.
Not all elopements have to be big adventures where you hike in Patagonia, they can happen in your back yard.
Consider how you want to feel on your wedding day and what you want to remember. Elopements are about making the day you get married just as special as you would make your big traditional wedding. You can still wear your wedding dress, you can still splurge on that beautiful bouquet you had your eye on, and you and your partner can still plan an extravagant elopement night dinner with each other, complete with wedding cake and bubbly.
This is your WEDDING DAY! Make a plan to celebrate with your partner for the whole day!
Ultimate list of fun and creative activity ideas for your Devil's Lake Elopement
Here is my ultimate list of fun and creative activity ideas that works for all types of couples, whether you are adventure-ish or seasoned adventurers.
Outdoor Adventurous Elopement Day Activities at Devil's Lake
go kayaking (you can rent single or double kayaks from the Devil's Lake boat rental, or you can bring your own)
go hiking (see hiking tips above!)
go for a walk and look for wildlife and wildflowers
go swimming in the lake (there are beaches at both the North Shore and South Shore of Devil's Lake)
go paddle boarding (you can rent single or double kayaks from the Devil's Lake boat rental, or you can bring your own)
go paddle boating (you can rent paddle boats from the Devil's Lake boat rental)
Indoor Relaxing Elopement Day Activities
reading letters from your friends and family
Getting ready together and helping each other get dressed
rent a cool airbnb or cabin
drinking tea/coffee together
writing your vows together
relaxing in a hot tub
having a bubble bath
cooking together
face-timing family
playing cards or a board game
playing yard games
wine tasting
dancing to your favorite playlist
reading books together
Celebratory Elopement Day Activities
popping champagne
have an outdoor dinner cooked by a private chef
do a cake cutting and eat dessert
exchange gifts
Read your vows to each other
Plan to have your wedding ceremony in a beautiful or meaningful spot
Have your first dance in a scenic spot
Have a first look
Outdoor Relaxing Elopement Day Activities
have a picnic lunch (with cheese of course!)
sit around the campfire or fire pit
go star gazing and spot constellations or planets
hang out on the beach
drink a beer by the fire
make s'mores by the fire
watch the sunset or get up early to see the sunrise
take photos of each other to remember the day from your own point of view
hang out in a hammock
have a snowball fight
go camping
go on scenic drive
How to book a park shelter at Devil's Lake
Choose a shelter for your reception and reserve it with the DNR
Red Oak Shelter:
The Gathering Place at Red Oak shelter on the South Shore of Devil's Lake is the most popular shelter for wedding receptions. It is the park's largest and only indoor shelter on the South Shore. It has recently been renovated and looks incredible inside.
The shelter holds 100 guests and features a wood burning fireplace.
The shelter can be reserved from May 1 through October 31.
Public rental rates range from $200 to $900 depending on the day of the week.
This shelter cannot be reserved through the DNR booking site like the open-air shelters listed below.
To reserve the Red Oak Shelter - email reserveredoak@gmail.com
You should plan to reserve the shelter up to 11 months (or more) in advance since it books up quickly.
Check out photos and a video walkthrough of the Red Oak Shelter at this link: https://devilslake.com/weddings-special-events/
North Shore open-air + indoor shelter options:
Rock Elm Shelter
South Shore open-air shelter options:
Shagbark Shelter
White Pine Shelter
White Oak Shelter
Red Cedar Shelter
White Birch Shelter
To search for open-air shelter availability to go this site: https://wisconsin.goingtocamp.com/
Choose "Day Use"
Choose "Shelter"
Choose Devil's Lake Park, your desired date, and your number of guests to find available shelters to book
Best Time of Year to Elope at Devil's Lake
I personally think the best time of year to elope at Devil's Lake State Park is the summer! The weather is warm, everything is green, wildflowers are blooming, and the warm weather offers the most opportunities for outdoor activities such as hiking, boating, swimming, and camping. The sun also sets very late, so the days are longer for enjoying.
The best day of the week to elope at Devil's Lake is on a WEEKDAY. Summer in the park can get very busy, but you'll find that if you elope on a WEEKDAY, the park will be quiet and beautiful and you will be able to find pockets of beauty all your own to celebrate and explore.
Fall is also an excellent time of year to elope at Devil's Lake. Wisconsin has spectacular fall colors, and Devil's Lake really shows off during the fall with its orange, yellow, and red leaves in the fall. Fall weather is also cooler, less humid, and more enjoyable for long hikes and getting cozy by the fire.
You can also elope at Devil's Lake in the winter! If there is snow, you can showshoe, build a snowman, or have a snowball fight. The park is also much quieter in the winter. If you choose to elope at Devil's Lake in the winter, be sure to keep opening times of seasonal rentals in mind, as well as difficult weather such as ice and windchill.
I hope this guide covers everything you need to know about your all-day elopement at Devil's Lake!
Looking for other places to elope in Wisconsin?
Check out my guide to the ultimate locations to elope in Wisconsin here: https://www.briannakraftphotography.com/post/best-places-to-elope-in-wisconsin
Find more details about how to get married at Devil's Lake in this blog:
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