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Big Bay State Park is located on Madeline Island, the largest of the Apostle Islands in Lake Superior. A commercial ferry delivers visitors to the island in northern Wisconsin from April to January.
Big Bay's centerpiece is a 1.5-mile beach, and there are amazing sandstone rock formations at Big Bay Point. Small caves are tucked into the seaside bluffs. A boardwalk leads to the lake and parallels the beach for a mile.
Five miles of hiking trails weave through enchanting woodlands with many varieties of ferns, mosses and wildflowers. An acid-bog lake covers 120 acres, providing one of the richest bog floras around Lake Superior.
Camping is permitted at 53 drive-in sites and at seven hike-in sites. Interpretive programs are offered during the summer months.
Winter pastimes include cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, hiking and camping. Most winter visitors reach the park by car, traveling across the frozen lake on a plowed "ice road." When the ice is too thick for the ferry, but not thick enough for car travel, a wind sled carries passengers to the island.
Distance from mainland to island is about three miles.
Outdoor Activities |
