Devil’s Lake 220-acre land purchase approved

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MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Devil’s Lake State Park, Wisconsin’s most-visited park, is soon to be getting larger.

The Wisconsin Natural Resources Board has unanimously approved purchasing a 220-acre property for $1.64 million to add onto the park, the Wisconsin State Journal reported.

“It is truly a great potential addition to Devil’s Lake State Park,” Jim Lemke, real estate section chief at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, told the board. “The land is very useful. It’s beautifully wooded with mature hardwoods and has potential of many different opportunities for public use.”

The parcel is located on the southwestern edge of the park and could be used for hunting and wildlife watching, and could also be developed into hiking and mountain biking trails, according to a memo on the proposed purchase.

The money to purchase the land would come from the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program, which the state uses to purchase new land for parks and recreation areas.

Located outside of Baraboo and 45 minutes north of Madison, the approximately 9,200-acre Devil’s Lake was created in 1911 and is the third-oldest state park. There were 2.1 million visitors to Devil’s Lake last year, making it Wisconsin’s most popular park.