Halloween Hike Route Details

If you’re thinking about coming to the Devil’s Lake State Park Candlelight Halloween Hike for the first time, we thought we’d share a bit more information about the route.

Weather

The current forecast for Saturday, October 26th calls for mostly sunny, with a high near 54. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph. Usually by the time of the hike at 6 pm temps can drop about 10 or so degrees. (The hike goes from 6 pm to 8:30 pm) The low temp for Saturday night is predicted to be about 34f. Here’s the forecast.

Distance & Time

Plan for a 2 mile, 35 minute to 1 hour + hike. Adults with a good stride could do the hike in 30 minutes. Parents with kids… an hour or so is more realistic. (The hike is often listed as 1 mile, but we’ve remapped the hike and it’s much closer to 2. )

Route Map

Accessibility

The route starts by leaving the North Shore Concessions (Chateau) and leads you through the parking lot. You’ll cross a set of railroad tracks and continue east. You’ll bypass the gate at a short gravel trail and then follow the Northern Lights Campgrounds paved roads for the rest of the route. However, if you have mobility concerns you may want to note these possible issues;

1. Changing Elevations (See below)
2. The Campground roads are generally covered in leaves and sticks.
3. It can get quite dark between torches (Flashlights or headlamps can help!)

Elevation Profile

At the beginning of the route, you will climb about 100 feet, then descend back down into the campground before climbing and descending one more time to return to the parking lot. Depending on your needs, this may or may not be an issue.

It’s certainly looking nice out on the Northern Lights Campground right now, if you get out there before dark!

Photos