Mirror Lake, WI- One of the most underrated parks in Wisconsin

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Acampersheart-Mirror Lake

Mirror Lake is a139 acre lake surrounded by sandstone cliffs located in Sauk County. It lies just three miles southwest of the Wisconsin Dells. The park itself spans about 2200 acres.

When I first heard about it, I have to admit I shrugged it off. In my mind all the good camping was farther North or closer to the Mississippi River. I couldn’t be more wrong. From the moment I pulled into the park I knew it was something special. It was quiet, serene and not crowded with people. Granted I went on a Monday so I’m sure that had something to do with it. And from passing the full dumpsters I’m sure that was the case.

The immediate mistake I made was not to grab a map at the front gate. Mirror Lake State Park has numerous twists and turns and if you’re busy sucking in the scenery and not paying attention it’s easy to pass your site. Site #51 was where I would be spending the next couple of nights and was located in Bluewater Bay which was supposed to be the first left turn. I ended up by Cliffwood which I believe was the last circle of campgrounds.

Upon finally arriving at the site, I was happy to see zero neighbors. Nada. And even if there were the site was so secluded by white pine and oak trees you wouldn’t even know if you did. I quickly put up the tent and set up a 10’ x 10’ to cook under because I knew the rain was coming. And sure enough it did…and hard. Luckily, I was keeping track of the radar and was expecting it. On the way in I stopped by Walmart and picked up a 12’ x 24’ heavy duty Ozark Trail tarp and let me tell you it was the best $21.87 I’ve ever spent! Putting a tarp up in the rain and wind, especially that size was a bit of a challenge but I managed to secure it before parachuting away.

The rain actually subsided and I was able to do a little exploring. I was surprised to see how many trails there were and to my luck I had a small trail leading from my campsite to the main trail. Hiking after a hard rain is exhilarating. The smell of wet grass and pine trees wafting in the air, the birds and barred owls singing, the squirrels rustling about getting ready for the night. I felt like I was listening to one of those paid for apps to help you relax!

Getting back to camp I knew I had to somehow get a fire going. Luckily, I did bring some scrap paper and garbage mail(the only good thing about it) and was able to get a fire going. I did have plans to do Grilled salmon with Summer succotash and pan sauce but I opted for Steak fajitas on my Lodge Cast Iron Skillet. I have a hard time saying no to Southwest/Mexican cuisine especially when cooked over an open fire.

We had taken a road trip to Rhode Island a couple weeks prior and decided to do a Taco Bell drive thru. There were three of us in the car. When we got our bags I knew something was wrong. It seemed like way too much food. We opened the bag and to our surprise we couldn’t actually see the food we ordered. It was covered with packets of hot sauce. And when I say covered, I mean there were over fifty packets of sauce! I think we stopped counting after forty. So, when you see the big bag of Taco Bell hot sauce I brought with me in the video don’t judge. It was convenient and I had a lot to get rid of. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

The following day I woke up early and did some exploring. If you like to hike, Mirror Lake has some beautiful trails. I took the Ishnala and Echo Rock Trail. It’s approximately a 5 km loop trail near Lake Delton, Wisconsin. Considered an easy route, it takes an average of 1 hour and 15 minutes min to complete. This is a popular trail for camping, hiking, and trail running, but you can still enjoy some solitude during quieter times of day.

The skies were beginning to darken and more storms were forecasted, some severe but I felt like I still had time to do a little kayaking. And I’m glad I did. To say the water was calm would be an understatement. My kayak decided to go walkabout(a story for another time) but I was able to rent one for $17 and hour. The kayaks were in pretty decent shape so it was a good deal. There were lots of sandstone bluffs, inlets and beautiful scenery to soak in. And did I mention the calm waters? No portaging, no monster waves and no strong currents. It made for a very easy kayaking day.

All in all, it was a great time. I would highly recommend Mirror Lake Park for solo camping, family camping, kayaking and hiking. Definitely on my top five list.

If you’ve been there I would love to hear about your experience! If you have places you would recommend please let me know.

Thanks for following a Campers Heart!