Mirror Lake State Park
Mirror Lake State Park
4.5
6:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Monday
6:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Tuesday
6:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Wednesday
6:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Thursday
6:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Friday
6:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Saturday
6:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Sunday
6:00 AM - 11:00 PM
What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Top ways to experience nearby attractions
The area
Address
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
80 within 3 miles
Attractions
57 within 6 miles
See what travelers are saying
- Lisamarie LMadison, Wisconsin929 contributionsBeautiful bluffs and trail bridgeWe spent some time hiking here during a long visit to Ishnala. The trails are beautiful and we saw some gorgeous bluffs as well as a very nice old bridge. We would love to come back and hike or camp some more. The autumn colors were in full splendor - lots of vibrant colors.Visited October 2023Traveled with familyWritten October 31, 2023
- Eisme77Janesville, Wisconsin1,844 contributionsDon't Pass This One UpI caught this place solo as I was headed further north on I90/94. It was a beautiful, yet overcast, fall day for my hike. I drove through to get a sense of the park before I decided where to park. Conveniently located restrooms by parking lot and near trail head. I took the popular Echo Rock Trail first, and then picked up the Ishnala Trail, to the Pioneer Trail, and finished with the Cliffwood Coulee Trail. There are TONS of trail options at this park. It will require more than one visit to get to them all. It was very picturesque and not busy except for the Echo Rock Trail where I saw the most people (and it still wasn't many) since this short trail is very accessible and scenic. Definitely need a return trip to see all the beauty!Visited September 2023Traveled soloWritten March 4, 2024
- jpete02Lansing, Michigan971 contributionsBest park near the Dells for kayakingNot very crowded state park near Wisconsin Dells. Highlight here is to rent a kayak or canoe and paddle around the lake. Great for first time kayakers or young kids because the lake is no wake and there is minimal boat traffic. There are some trails here. Nothing as impressive as the rock formations at Devil’s lake but a few interesting rock formations.Visited July 2024Traveled with familyWritten July 25, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
241 reviews
Excellent
118
Very good
84
Average
32
Poor
3
Terrible
4
jennifer772
Madison, WI137 contributions
Apr 2021
We took the short 0.6 mile loop trail to Echo Rock. Access it from Ishnala parking lots. Very easy to walk, partly paved, and the trail is wide. In Springtime, the woods are open and the trail was lined with red pine needles. Nice scent. We walked it at noon April 27, 2021 if you want to notice the light in the photos. Would recommend this trail to all who want scenery more than exercise, or who don’t have much time.
Written April 27, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Day Hiking Duo
24 contributions
Sep 2020
We hiked to Pulpit Rock, Echo Rock, the Fern Dell Trail & the Ishnala Trail. They were all interesting & enjoyable but we Liked Echo Rock/Ishnala Trail the most. You can watch our videos from Mirror Lake State Park on YouTube (Day Hiking Duo)
Written November 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
russianwulfgar
Milwaukee, WI1,760 contributions
Jul 2021
Pros: nice trails, Echo Rock, Amphitheater, camp host’s hummingbirds, kayaking is easy, bathrooms are clean, interesting birds.
Cons: Pit toilets are the worst, heavy traffic noise, Hag’s Crag is closed, screaming kids, wild parsnip burns, Ishnala Supper Club.
Depends: sites are a bit close together, beach is small.
Details: There are some paved trails and some dirt trails, so you get to take your pick, they were all nicely wooded. Echo Trail and rock were very beautiful. The Amphitheater is something you can tell they spent A LOT of money on and the polka band that played there Saturday night was terrific. The camp host had three hummingbird feeders set up and it was fun to watch them compete for the nectar. Kayaking is easy on this lake/river and it’s got some pretty scenery, but unfortunately the highway noise kind of ruins it. The main, big bathrooms are wonderful - clean and well lit. However, we nicknamed the pit toilets Hell’s Maw because they stank really, really badly, and there were hundreds of flies down in the pit and when you sat down, they flew upwards and landed on your butt and flew from between your legs. So disgusting, I took one look and never used them. My friends gave me that description. Why don’t they put lids on the toilets??? We saw many interesting birds, as we are avid birdwatchers, so that was nice. I’m not a huge beach fan, but my friends told me they considered this beach small and when you waded in, it was very mucky. They took us to Castle Rock beach instead. The campsites are pretty nice and level, I thought. My friends said they were not as level as they would have liked. We had 28 and 30. Number 30 was a little gravelly, so we chose to stay on 28. But number 30 has a trail leading directly to the nice bathroom (the others don’t have a trail), and it’s the furthest away from the traffic noise. I’ve stayed in parks where the campsites are too close to each other, and some where you’re far away from other campers. This was in the middle. Close enough to hear and see screaming children, but you aren’t literally right next to them as you would be in say, an RV park. The Ishnala Supper Club is nearby and looks great from the lake, but when you get on the grounds, you kind of wish you hadn’t come, for a wide variety of reasons. Hag’s Crag is listed on the trail maps, but not on the map they give you when you arrive. Turns out it’s been closed for three years and no one knows why—we asked. Avoid touching wild parsnip as it can give you a blistering chemical burn. All in all, I’m glad I visited here, we did have fun, but I see no reason to return. There are lots of other state parks and I’d like to visit as many as I can.
Cons: Pit toilets are the worst, heavy traffic noise, Hag’s Crag is closed, screaming kids, wild parsnip burns, Ishnala Supper Club.
Depends: sites are a bit close together, beach is small.
Details: There are some paved trails and some dirt trails, so you get to take your pick, they were all nicely wooded. Echo Trail and rock were very beautiful. The Amphitheater is something you can tell they spent A LOT of money on and the polka band that played there Saturday night was terrific. The camp host had three hummingbird feeders set up and it was fun to watch them compete for the nectar. Kayaking is easy on this lake/river and it’s got some pretty scenery, but unfortunately the highway noise kind of ruins it. The main, big bathrooms are wonderful - clean and well lit. However, we nicknamed the pit toilets Hell’s Maw because they stank really, really badly, and there were hundreds of flies down in the pit and when you sat down, they flew upwards and landed on your butt and flew from between your legs. So disgusting, I took one look and never used them. My friends gave me that description. Why don’t they put lids on the toilets??? We saw many interesting birds, as we are avid birdwatchers, so that was nice. I’m not a huge beach fan, but my friends told me they considered this beach small and when you waded in, it was very mucky. They took us to Castle Rock beach instead. The campsites are pretty nice and level, I thought. My friends said they were not as level as they would have liked. We had 28 and 30. Number 30 was a little gravelly, so we chose to stay on 28. But number 30 has a trail leading directly to the nice bathroom (the others don’t have a trail), and it’s the furthest away from the traffic noise. I’ve stayed in parks where the campsites are too close to each other, and some where you’re far away from other campers. This was in the middle. Close enough to hear and see screaming children, but you aren’t literally right next to them as you would be in say, an RV park. The Ishnala Supper Club is nearby and looks great from the lake, but when you get on the grounds, you kind of wish you hadn’t come, for a wide variety of reasons. Hag’s Crag is listed on the trail maps, but not on the map they give you when you arrive. Turns out it’s been closed for three years and no one knows why—we asked. Avoid touching wild parsnip as it can give you a blistering chemical burn. All in all, I’m glad I visited here, we did have fun, but I see no reason to return. There are lots of other state parks and I’d like to visit as many as I can.
Written July 19, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
timjstark
Shorewood, WI688 contributions
Apr 2021
After a long day hiking at Devil's Lake, I chose to come here the following day for a hike that was less challenging, but still zen and very satisfying. As the elevation gain is so much less than the routes at Devil's Lake, I was able to hike every single trail here within the scope of one day without too much effort. The signage here is great, the trail connections good, and the trails themselves are well maintained. The scenery here is not as stunning as at Devil's Lake, but my hiking day was well worth the visit.
Written April 12, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sonia R
11 contributions
Aug 2020
I would have given it 5 stars for camping but our campsite was noisy from the highway trucks passing over the bridge nearby. The bridge goes over the lake and it's quite noisy, it echoes. I like to go camping and get away from the city noise. Also, since you are near the Dells, we heard helicopters at night and sirens. I was so irritated the first night. If it wasn't for that noise i would have rated it higher. The bathrooms are very clean. Easy rental of canoes and kayaks on the lake.
The lake is nice for canoeing and kayaking, very family friendly. I really wanted to like it and maybe the sites closer to the lake are quieter or the ones at the other campsite (Bluewater). We stayed at Sandstone Ridge and i think all the 100's sites are noisy. I don't want to dissuade you from going because i would go back to try the other sites and hope they are quieter. Other than the noise, i really liked it.
The lake is nice for canoeing and kayaking, very family friendly. I really wanted to like it and maybe the sites closer to the lake are quieter or the ones at the other campsite (Bluewater). We stayed at Sandstone Ridge and i think all the 100's sites are noisy. I don't want to dissuade you from going because i would go back to try the other sites and hope they are quieter. Other than the noise, i really liked it.
Written August 3, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Linda_R1801
Marshfield, Wisconsin785 contributions
Jul 2020
We didn't camp this time around, but the campground is excellent. We just came for the afternoon on our way home to do a little hiking.
We chose the short hiking trail behind the campground that crosses a bridge and ends up at Ishnala. The trail is paved and level.
We also went down by the boat landing. The water near the landing was quite green and scuzzy, but the lake itself looked clear. Lots of people were out kayaking and canoeing. Wish I could have joined them!
We chose the short hiking trail behind the campground that crosses a bridge and ends up at Ishnala. The trail is paved and level.
We also went down by the boat landing. The water near the landing was quite green and scuzzy, but the lake itself looked clear. Lots of people were out kayaking and canoeing. Wish I could have joined them!
Written July 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TeutonicNight
Antioch, IL99 contributions
Jun 2022
Spent some time paddling Mirror Lake and biking some of the trails at this park. The scenery is absolutely gorgeous. The park offers stand-up paddle boards, kayaks, canoes, and pontoon boats if you don't have your own watercraft.
The entire lake is no wake, so no real concerns about paddlers getting run over by motor boats.
The biking trails are not paved or gravelled, so be prepared for dirt, grass, sand, and wood chips. The sand especially can be easy to get caught out on. There is also plenty of elevation change, so not a ride for someone who isn't willing to work a bit.
The entire lake is no wake, so no real concerns about paddlers getting run over by motor boats.
The biking trails are not paved or gravelled, so be prepared for dirt, grass, sand, and wood chips. The sand especially can be easy to get caught out on. There is also plenty of elevation change, so not a ride for someone who isn't willing to work a bit.
Written June 13, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ozbound08
Texas361 contributions
Sep 2021 • Solo
Nice impromptu stop in my travels. This is my first Wisconsin park, so I had to navigate the paper sticker/ admission forms (need cash) due to unmanned Ranger station, but hopefully I worked it out correctly.
I arrived in the afternoon, so I only managed to hike the blue trails and sit on the beach a bit. The trails were fairly well marked, HOWEVER, they do get confusing as one just sort of turns into another. There are multiple signs in opposite directions for the same trail. Ended up turning onto what I thought was the Ishnala loop, but I walked down the "steep hill" right into a different colored trail. I was a little distracted by the wrong way ski sign... There is a wild mix of nature and city here. The wind in the trees is just so calming. The trails also run along some of the roadways, so traffic can be heard. I do love that the same path is asphalt, grass, leaf covered dirt (it is about Fall), and gravel in different places; seems to allow for a nice shift for the feet.
The beach is somewhat small, but it is soft, not overly fine, sand all the way into the water- and quite clear water it is!! I was about knee deep and could still see my feet! The water had some green settling onto it from not being swished around but the sand felt great and it wasn't as cold as I'd expected. Plus the kayakers can have a quick chat with you as they float by.
The campsite looks nicely cleaned and those I saw had nice set ups. The toilets are hit or miss, some fairly clean with plumbing, some fairly smelly vault toilets. Overall, it's a very nice park in a wonderful location.
I arrived in the afternoon, so I only managed to hike the blue trails and sit on the beach a bit. The trails were fairly well marked, HOWEVER, they do get confusing as one just sort of turns into another. There are multiple signs in opposite directions for the same trail. Ended up turning onto what I thought was the Ishnala loop, but I walked down the "steep hill" right into a different colored trail. I was a little distracted by the wrong way ski sign... There is a wild mix of nature and city here. The wind in the trees is just so calming. The trails also run along some of the roadways, so traffic can be heard. I do love that the same path is asphalt, grass, leaf covered dirt (it is about Fall), and gravel in different places; seems to allow for a nice shift for the feet.
The beach is somewhat small, but it is soft, not overly fine, sand all the way into the water- and quite clear water it is!! I was about knee deep and could still see my feet! The water had some green settling onto it from not being swished around but the sand felt great and it wasn't as cold as I'd expected. Plus the kayakers can have a quick chat with you as they float by.
The campsite looks nicely cleaned and those I saw had nice set ups. The toilets are hit or miss, some fairly clean with plumbing, some fairly smelly vault toilets. Overall, it's a very nice park in a wonderful location.
Written September 20, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mimi1971
Chippewa Falls, WI591 contributions
Sep 2023 • Couples
We have been very excited to come to mirror Lake with all the beautiful pictures, but the water is now green and full of algae, so no kayaking for us. We do not hear any nature only traffic sounds from our campsite. We had a double campsite, which was really nice. So if you just want to be in the area to have easy access to all of the Dells has to offer and don’t mind the sound of traffic, this would be a good place for you, but for us, we won’t be back. We did go to the Ishnala supper club, and that was absolutely amazing.
Written September 17, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jpete02
Lansing, MI971 contributions
Jul 2024 • Family
Not very crowded state park near Wisconsin Dells. Highlight here is to rent a kayak or canoe and paddle around the lake. Great for first time kayakers or young kids because the lake is no wake and there is minimal boat traffic.
There are some trails here. Nothing as impressive as the rock formations at Devil’s lake but a few interesting rock formations.
There are some trails here. Nothing as impressive as the rock formations at Devil’s lake but a few interesting rock formations.
Written July 25, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Most of the sites look wooded. Any recommendations for sites? Would prefer electric with more sun than shade.
Written June 18, 2019
Would you recommend this place near Thanksgiving?
Written September 22, 2017
This is Wisconsin. Could be warm, or it could be -20 by Thanksgiving. However, if you are into winter camping, their website says there are a few campsites open: Winter camping is available in the Sandstone Ridge Campground in sites 58-65. Cliffwood and Blue Water Bay campgrounds and all shower building are closed for the season. Vault toilets are available behind site 59 and water is available at the park entrance station.
Written September 22, 2017
Anyone do any fishing on mirror lake? Catch anything?
Written June 18, 2016
you can fish for trout or bass, if you want to fish for muskie or pike you could go to Lake Wisconsin
Written June 19, 2016
What is the chance of us getting a camping spot if we come Tuesday, July 29th for a first come/ first serve campsite?
Written July 28, 2015
I'd say pretty good. Devil's Lake is way more popular and it's about 10 miles from Mirror Lake. Mirror Lake is not nearly as well known, plus you're going on a week day.
Written July 28, 2015
Showing results 1-6 of 6
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing