Wisconsin Dells Cabins and Lake Houses: Where to Stay

The Wisconsin River cuts a gorge through sandstone laid down 510 to 520 million years ago, more than five miles of cliffs, side canyons, and rock formations, some of them more than 100 feet above the water. The city of Wisconsin Dells grew up beside it on boat tours of that rock, long before it became known for waterparks. Wisconsin Dells cabins and lake houses split along that same line: some are a short walk from the slides, and others are out among the gorges and state parks to the south.

The Gorge

During the last glaciation, by the account of the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey, the Green Bay Lobe of the ice sheet pushed against the east end of the Baraboo Hills and dammed the river, and glacial Lake Wisconsin backed up behind it across south-central Wisconsin. Late in the glaciation the dam failed. The lake level fell perhaps 100 feet in a few days, and the water tore through a gap in a ridge of glacial debris called the Johnstown moraine, stripped away the loose sediment, and cut into the soft sandstone underneath. That flood cut the Dells.

The survey thinks the same drainage cut the smaller gorges around the city. Two of them hold state parks.

Kilbourn Dam, finished in 1909, splits the river into the Upper and Lower Dells. Along the river, 1,386 acres form the Dells of the Wisconsin River State Natural Area, owned partly by the Department of Natural Resources and partly by private landowners. Its named places include the Palisades, Chapel Gorge, and Louis’ Bluff. The bluff rises more than 200 feet above the valley floor. It is private, and both its land and its shore are closed without the owner’s permission.

Town and Lake Delton

Begin downtown, one block from the river, at the H.H. Bennett Studio, a state historic site kept by the Wisconsin Historical Society. Its shop still sells original Bennett prints of the gorge. It opens from late May through late September, Thursday through Monday, and closes for the winter. Boat tours of the cliffs have left from this stretch of river since the 1850s, and the visitor bureau lists the boat and duck tours as starting each March and continuing well into fall.

The village of Lake Delton adjoins the city to the south. Its lake is a reservoir of about 267 acres. On June 9, 2008, after days of heavy rain, the water broke through part of the shore and the whole lake drained into the Wisconsin River within two hours, carrying homes and part of a county road with it. The lake was rebuilt and refilled. Ask any lakeside host about the dock, the shoreline, and how the water level changes through the year.

The River

Two state-run entrances lead to the gorge on foot. On the east side, the Chapel Gorge Trail is a 1.5-mile loop down to a beach on the river, reached from Highways 12 and 13/23 by going east on Highway 13 for 0.6 miles and north on River Road for 1.7 miles. On the west side, Cambrian Overlook has an observation deck on the bluff top. Its parking lot and restrooms are open from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and the lots require a Wisconsin state park sticker.

Paddlers can carry a boat about 225 yards down a steep lane from Cambrian Overlook and float four miles to the city boat landing. On summer weekends the river is crowded with power boats and tour boats, and the Department of Natural Resources suggests a weekday or the off-season. Climbing, campfires, and collecting rocks or plants are prohibited throughout the natural area.

South to the Parks

Rocky Arbor State Park is about 1.5 miles from the city, to the northwest, with pines and sandstone bluffs along a gorge about a mile and a quarter long and up to about 100 feet deep. It is the nearest quiet walk to the waterparks.

Mirror Lake State Park is just southwest of the village of Lake Delton, reached from U.S. 12 south of the Dells. Its 2,200 acres surround a lake the state describes as “often so calm that not a ripple marks its surface,” set in its own gorge about two miles long, with cliffs up to 50 feet and a swimming beach. Dell Creek was dammed to make it. Cross-country skiers 16 and older need a state trail pass here in winter.

Farther south, past Baraboo, Devil’s Lake State Park fills a gap in the Baraboo Hills. Quartzite bluffs rise 500 feet above a 360-acre lake, and the Johnstown moraine stands about 65 feet high at both ends of the gap. It is part of the same glacial ridge the flood broke through to cut the Dells. The park has nearly 30 miles of trail and lies on the Ice Age National Scenic Trail.

The Department of Natural Resources warns of long entry lines from May through October, especially on weekends and holidays, with lots often full before 9 a.m. and entry sometimes restricted until traffic clears. Roadside parking is not allowed. The state’s advice is to come Monday through Thursday, buy the vehicle sticker in advance, and use the outlying lots at Steinke Basin and Roznos Meadow when the shore lots are full. All three parks open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. year-round and require the sticker.

Seasons

Summer is the peak. The outdoor waterparks open from about Memorial Day to Labor Day, the visitor bureau names June through August as the busiest stretch, and the river and Devil’s Lake are crowded on weekends. Come in July for the slides. Do not come on a July weekend for the bluffs.

September is the month to come for the land. The outdoor waterpark season ends around Labor Day. The visitor bureau counts fall as the quietest season, while the boat tours keep going. Plan around two closings: the Cambrian Overlook lot and restrooms after Labor Day, and the Bennett studio at the end of the month. October brings color. The state’s Fall Color Report tracks it county by county through volunteer spotters. Jet boat tours end that month.

In winter, the indoor waterparks stay open. A hotel here opened what is credited as the first indoor waterpark in the United States in 1994, built to draw visitors in winter, and the city now calls itself the Waterpark Capital of the World. The state parks stay open. Devil’s Lake has cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and ice fishing. March brings spring break crowds and the first boat tours of the year.

Where to Stay

The city of Wisconsin Dells and the village of Lake Delton hold the waterparks and the boat tours. A rental there puts you a short drive from both. For hiking, look south toward Baraboo and Devil’s Lake. That side means a longer drive back to the Dells. Mirror Lake falls between the two, with calm water for paddling and a beach.

Local rules shape what you can book. Wisconsin law bars cities and villages from prohibiting rentals of seven days or longer. Shorter stays are theirs to regulate. Lake Delton regulates them. Its ordinance forbids renting single-family homes and duplexes in its residential districts and its Waterfront Commercial District for less than seven days. A two-night stay in a house in those districts is not allowed, so ask the host which district the house is in and which village permit it holds.

The same ordinance sets limits that apply to guests:

• Maximum occupancy is two people per bedroom plus two, so a three-bedroom house sleeps eight.
• Parking is tied to occupancy, at 1.25 to 1.5 on-site spaces for every four guests depending on when the permit was issued. Ask how many cars fit.
• No grills on decks or balconies, or within 10 feet of the house.
• A wood stove or fireplace must be inspected or blocked off.
• Three verified noise complaints in a month can suspend the permit for at least 30 days.

Lake Delton adds a 5.5% room tax. The city of Wisconsin Dells sets its own rules, so ask a host there what permits the property holds. Every rented house in Wisconsin also needs a state tourist rooming house license. For a bigger party, see the guide to large group stays, and for a multigenerational trip, the family reunion guide. The questions to ask a host cover parking, noise, and checkout.

For another Wisconsin trip, see the guide to Door County cabin rentals, between Green Bay and Lake Michigan. More sandstone gorges are in the guide to Hocking Hills cabins in Ohio.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you rent a house in Lake Delton for a weekend?

Not in every district. Lake Delton forbids renting single-family homes and duplexes in its residential districts and its Waterfront Commercial District for less than seven days. Ask the host which district the house is in and which village permit it holds.

How many people can stay in a Lake Delton rental?

Two people per bedroom plus two. Under the village ordinance, a three-bedroom house sleeps eight.

When is Wisconsin Dells least crowded?

Fall is the quietest season by the visitor bureau’s count. In September the boat tours keep going after the outdoor waterpark season ends around Labor Day.

Do you need a sticker for Devil’s Lake State Park?

Yes. Devil’s Lake, Mirror Lake, and Rocky Arbor all require a Wisconsin state park vehicle sticker. The state advises buying it in advance.

How were the Wisconsin Dells formed?

A glacial flood cut them. When the ice dam holding back glacial Lake Wisconsin failed, the lake fell perhaps 100 feet in a few days. The water tore through the Johnstown moraine and cut into the soft sandstone underneath.