Parfrey's Glen Trail

This short trail is a must-see! While inside the boundaries of Devil's Lake State Park, the trailhead is about 4 miles east of the main parking lots on the south shore of the lake. Though the trail enters a deep ravine, it actually ascends through much of the route as the rocks rise around the hiker. Follow Parfrey's Glen Creek as it winds through the geologic tapestry around you. The purple quartzite so common around Devil's Lake is present here only as conglomerate boulders embedded in the sandstone bluffs around the trail. The green moss-covered sandstone was once part of a prehistoric beach, which is layered with the quartzite conglomerate. At the end of the trail is a small waterfall.