Big Bay State Park Conditions

Conditions as of Monday, January 4, 2010:

• Camping
• Getting to the Park
• Trails

Getting to the Park

Big Bay State Park is about 6 miles from the Town of La Pointe on Madeline Island. Access to the island and the park are usually done with the use of the Madeline Island Ferry [exit DNR]. The ferry service runs 7 days per week between Bayfield and La Pointe and can carry passengers and vehicles along with campers and buses. Ferry rates and scheduled running times are posted on their website, or by phone at (715) 747-2051.

The ferry line is still running a limited schedule until complete "ice up". The route taken by the ferry has just started to form some ice along Madeline Island, and with the cold temperatures this ice may advance rather fast. We will post when the ferry line shuts down for the season and the "Wind Sled" and ice road season begins.

Trails

Our trails are in moderate shape so far this season. We have seen a considerable amount of snow, but the lake has not frozen, making our snow disappear on our trails fairly quickly. We have been able to press our ski trails to maintain a measurable base. We are unable to set classic ski tracks on our trails due to snow and temperature conditions. As soon as we see another round of measurable snow we plan to set classic track immediately. Please contact the park for more information.

Please stop at the entrance station for more information on where to go within the park for your desired activity. Pet owners are reminded that pets must be on a leash at all times while visiting the park.

Camping

Winter camping at Big Bay can be an enjoyable event and or adventure. Because our park is on an island on Lake Superior, you are welcomed to warmer than usual temperatures in the winter with the thermal effects of the open water of the lake. We maintain and plow out 5 of our electric sites (25-30) for winter camping and we have firewood available at our woodshed near the park office. If you would like a more challenging camping experience, you may hike in and camp on any of our other sites, which we do not maintain.

For the 2010 summer camping season: We usually fill our campground every night of the week in the summer, so we strongly recommend getting reservations if you plan to camp at Big Bay State Park from April 15 through November 1, 2010. Reservations may be made up to 11 months before your arrival date.

Any firewood brought in from more than 50 miles away or from a quarantined area [PDF, 102KB] or from out of state will be confiscated due to the potential of carrying harmful emerald ash borers [exit DNR].

Firewood rules

More Information

Weather [exit DNR]

For more information, ask Big Bay State Park, (715) 747-6425.

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