Big Bay State Park
| Big Bay State Park | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Interactive map of Big Bay State Park | |||||||
| Location | Ashland County, Wisconsin, United States | ||||||
| Coordinates | 46°48′0″N 90°40′22″W / 46.80000°N 90.67278°W | ||||||
| Area | 2,350 acres (950 ha)[1] | ||||||
| Elevation | 643 ft (196 m) | ||||||
| Established | 1963[2] | ||||||
| Administered by | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | ||||||
| Website | Official website | ||||||
| |||||||
Big Bay State Park is a state park of Wisconsin, United States, on Madeline Island, the largest of 22 Apostle Islands in Lake Superior.[3] The 2,350-acre (951 ha) park has picturesque sandstone bluffs and caves and a 1.5-mile-long (2.4 km) sand beach. It encloses unique habitat types including lakeside dunes, sphagnum bogs, and old-growth forest. Bald eagles return annually to the park to nest and rear offspring.[4]
Recreational features
The park offers picnicking, camping, and more than 9 miles (14 km) of trails, including nature trails. The park is open year-round, with winter visitation mostly limited to hunters, snowshoers, and cross-country skiers.[4]
Access
Reaching the park requires a 20-minute ferry ride from Bayfield, Wisconsin, and traveling approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) east on Highway H.[4]
Darkness
Big Bay State Park is 1 of 3 Wisconsin State Parks that one would have the best view the Milky Way from, in regards to available Wisconsin State Parks.[5]
References
- ^ "Big Bay State Park: Recreation". Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
- ^ "History and Timeline of the Wisconsin State Park System". Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. 2025. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
- ^ "Madeline Island". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ a b c "Big Bay State Park". Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. May 9, 2012. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved June 30, 2012.
- ^ R, Mike (August 24, 2021). "State Park Bortle 2 Scale Information In The US". CosmosPNW. Archived from the original on January 24, 2022. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
External links
- Big Bay State Park Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
- Big Bay State Park Map Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources