Big Bay State Park

Reviews

Reviews are sorted by relevance, with the most helpful and insightful feedback listed first for easy reference.

  Vicki Kilps
6 months ago
Beautiful park with scenic trails. Boardwalk takes you between Lake Superior and the lagoon. You won't see too much wildlife. We only saw birds and squirrels. No movement on the lagoon from any wildlife. If you visit Madeline Island, the park is a must-see.

  Todd Bavery
7 months ago
Had a great Labor Day weekend at Big Bay.Updated bathrooms and showers - very clean. Newer 50 AMP service sites were large and well maintained.Ferry cost was $226 round trip for Truck & Camper. Hiking, kayaking, Beach and a lot of relaxing.

  Wander_Woman
3 months ago
AMAZING state park on Madeline island in Wisconsin. Stunningly beautiful beaches and cliffs.Visiting is always a summer treat, creating cherished memories!

  Britta Hulden
7 months ago
Such a fun park to get to and be at! There are such great beaches and trails, some wheelchair accessible. We camped and had plenty of room. The bathrooms and showers were good. The water and views are worth coming back for! But reminder to bring cash, food and fill your tank before heading over on the ferry.

  Jessica Kampa
9 months ago
Wow!! What a beautiful and well-maintained state park. We camped here for three nights recently. We loved our campsite and most of the campsites had at least some shade and privacy. It was also a fairly quiet campground (minus the annoying kid constantly bouncing a basketball) and it was very quiet at night. The vault toilets seemed new and were the cleanest and most well-maintained I ve ever seen. The shower house was also very clean. The campground hosts as well as the rangers were friendly and helpful. Wood was available to purchase for campfires- $7 per bundle or 3 bundles for $20.This state park offers amazing views of Lake Superior, and our 11 year old enjoyed cooling off at Barrier Beach. My husband and I loved the walk along the boardwalk and did this each day!This is perhaps a spendier camping trip than most due to the fact that you have to take the ferry from Bayfield (it cost us $120 round trip for a family of 3 pulling a pop-up camper). However, the views and nature s serenity were worth it to us.Big Bay is definitely a campground we will visit again.

  Aimee Hodorowski
6 months ago
One of our absolute favorite places to camp. Beautiful trails, beaches and Madeline Island is beyond charming. Small campground but absolutely perfect if you want that remote camping experience

  Aaron E
9 months ago
Once I found out that I could camp on and island, I had to go. It was a very nice campground with new bathrooms. The boardwalk was very impressive too with great views of the lake and lagoon. There is a speed bump once you turn into the park that is a bit excessive so if you are on a motorcycle like I was, go around it. Or else it will scrape your undercarriage.

  Shalon Johnson
a year ago
Really beautiful island itself. The Big Bay State Park has gorgeous viewpoints of Lake Superior. The water is so clear and beautiful. I came here for a few days and camped at the State Park as well. The trails are relatively easy. If you want to complete the full hike it is about 13 miles; however the best trails are definitely Bayview which is a trail on the coastline as well as Woods Trail which has beautiful mushrooms growing everywhere. Highly recommend checking out the State Park.

  Thundup Tamang
6 months ago
For decent hour to hour long straight hike do the boardwalk trail. The beach is nice with clean water. Entry for day for vehicle is $11. Other trails leading upto the blue lagoon too for longer hike.

  Noah Raisanen
7 months ago
Awesome spot to camp. My friends and I bike packed out and used the hike-in sites. Pictured is site #39. They've got bathrooms and showers, you can buy wood there too.

  Aj Sue
7 months ago
Big bay state park is a beautiful park with wonderful campsites! This place is so full of quiet and beauty! The beach is beautiful for walking and relaxing. Facilities are nice and easy to access. Good hot showers tooPicnic area: Nice access and pretty

  Isaac Christenson
a year ago
I love Big Bay State Park - camping here is peaceful, especially late in the season. There are improvements being made to the pit toilets which will be a nice upgrade for campers. Thank you for separating the camp sites so that those that don t want or need power don t have to deal with the noise of RVs. Beautiful landscapes and trails. My only wish is that they would open up the boardwalk and beach to pets later in the season when it isn t as busy. I d be nice to let the dogs swim off leash on the beach.

  R.J. Anderson
10 months ago
There are many trails, breathtaking views, and a beach where you can relax by the waves of Lake Superior Definitely worth the ferry trip over!

  April Lee
a year ago
Beautiful scenic hike right next to the massive rocks and cliffs! Many places to stop to climb and jump into the water. Use caution as there is little to no cell service if you get hurt! It was fairly busy mid July though so at least other people are around!

  Jon Lynch
2 years ago
This is a beautiful state park that has quite a bit to do. Kayaking in the bay is perfect for kiddos as they can see the bottom. Kayaking along the shore was gorgeous. The trails are well kept. The campground and facilities were completely acceptable and quite clean. We will be returning.

  Donnie Bogle-Boesiger
a year ago
Beautiful state park right on lake superior! Campsites are spacious and offer TONS of privacy!! Short drive to town if you forget anything or want some luxury during your camping stay. One of the main trails was closed due to maintenance and bear activity so most of our hiking occurred across the island outside the park. But would go back in a heart beat!!

  Philip Schwartz
2 years ago
All the pics are from the bay itself. Nice campgrounds and some better views elsewhere in the park and on Madeline Island. Some good trails as well. Roundtrip on the Ferry is $48. Second time camping here. My only objection is the people in the local business are not very tourist friendly. If we have to eat or shop we do in Bayfield where they cater to tourists. The last pic says it all about the attitude on the island. Also skip Beach Club for food, nothing here but attitude.

  SUO Family
a year ago
This state park is located in Madeline Island WI. We spent the whole day in the island. There is not much to do in this island, but if you are a beach lover and love hiking, this is one of the places you can enjoy the whole day. The beaches are super nice on a sunny day. Some beaches are Sandy while other beaches has nice rolling pebble stones. Luckily we take our car with us so it was easy for us to visit places in short time. It s a big island. There are bikes or moped in the island to hire. Three of and the car cost is $80, and it s worth considering the time spent on the island. E enjoyed the beaches in the Lake Superior.

  Sarah
3 years ago
Great state park for hiking and swimming! We hiked almost all the trails, and our favorites were the Point Trail and Bay View Trail. There were some great views of the lake and the bay. Barrier Beach was gorgeous! The water was very clear and calm. It was a great spot to relax after hiking. So peaceful.

  Carrie Wilmot
a year ago
We hiked a loop taking the wood trail first. At 8 am it was cooler and the bugs were sluggish (bug repellent absolutely required). It was very muddy but gorgeous: verdant mosses, star flowers, bunchberry beginning to bloom and carpets of blue forget-me-nots. As the temperature rose during the morning we were on the lakeside path with a welcome breeze. The scenery was spectacular and there were many places to get out onto the rock bluffs. There appeared to be a long sandy barrier beach on completion of the walk, but dogs were not allowed on the beach so we only observed it from a distance. We had the walk to ourselves until the last half mile. I highly recommend a weekday morning if you like to have trails to yourself. The park has a campground or you can take the ferry from Bayfield for the day (which we did).

  Christine Cartwright
a year ago
Camped for one night. The site was a walk in tent site. Overall no issues. The spot where the tent should go was pretty wet. Able to find a decent spot but it was on the rocks. Bugs were bad but that is to be expected. The restrooms are a jaunt from the walk in sites so plan accordingly. They were clean and well lit. The overlook area is a mile away from my camp site. There wasn't great signage to let you know that. The beach area is closer. Seemed very quiet everywhere I went. The boardwalk is very nice.

  Bruce Wilk
9 months ago
Great state park on Madeline Island with camping, trails and a nice long beach. Boardwalk from the parking lot to the beach was pretty sweet!

  Rita Mullen
8 months ago
This is the most beautiful park. I walked the trail around the shoreline. I couldn't believe how clear the water was and how far out from the shore I could still see the bottom.

  Prerna
10 months ago
The park is good for camping but not much do there. There is one view point that looks over Lake Superior.

  Alpha-32
6 months ago
The loop trail would be my recommendation. Follow Wilderness road due east until you hit the dead end parking lot. You ll see the trail head near the restrooms. Have fun!

  Matthew Denn
a year ago
Took the ferry from Bayfield to La Pointe and rode my electric mountain bike out to Big Bay State Park on Sunday, 9/11/22. Free admission for those biking into the park which was great! If you take a bike over on the ferry you ll save about $30 versus a car and $8 on the day pass which was great! Sunbathing on the beach was very relaxing and therapeutic. Tested water and it appeared still warm enough to swim in, albeit a little cold. If biking, bring your bike lock as bikes aren t allowed on the boardwalk or on the trails. Disappointed that the showers and flush toilets were closed. Wanted to check them out for camping. Camp host said they were really nice but were closed and didn t elaborate. WIDNR website says, The campground toilet/shower building at Big Bay State Park is closed until May 2023 due to replacement of the building septic system. Portable toilet facilities are available, and campers may use the coin-operated showers at Big Bay Town Park. Would be nice if campsites were closer to the beach so you could hear the waves from the campsite. No food available for purchase at the ranger station. About 14 miles from La Pointe to Big Bay State Park and back. Would be nice to have electrical hookups at sites. Shower building appeared to be small, dated, and maybe an expansion or renovation needed. Be aware that the campground fills up during the summer so be sure to reserve well in advance. My friends and I tried to reserve last summer on short notice and were unable to make a reservation due to the campground being full. Campground still appeared to be half full as of 9/11/22. Was still about 71 degrees although a little chilly due to the wind hitting me as I was riding. Enjoyed my time at Big Bay State Park. The WIDNR should invest in some improvements and expansions for this park as this is the nicest park I ve ever been to in Wisconsin, it sees heavy use, and the few lodging options on the island are extremely expensive. It would be really cool to see some yurts or cabins built. 4/5 stars.

  Brodie Pues
a year ago
I visited this state park back in October 2020 and I wish that I could go back again. This park is one of two in Wisconsin located on an island, with the other being Rock Island in Door County. Madeline Island, the island that this park is located on, is one of the Apostle Islands and is the only one that is not federally protected. This park is stunning and offers many beautiful views of Lake Superior and is very quiet. When I went, I also caught a snowstorm passing by in the distance. This park is heavily underrated and I would love to visit this park again soon.

  Krista Hoffman
4 years ago
An absolutely stunning park. Everyone should experience it. The trails and views are second to none.Be aware that there are only 4 flush toilets and 2 showers per gender for the entire park. It's not a huge camping area so it wasn't a big problem, but you may have to wait for a shower. The only reason I gave it 4 stars rather than 5 is because only 2 of the 4 toilets flushed properly and they could have been cleaned better. There were the same smears on the walls the whole 6 days we were there and it could have easily been wiped off. Also be advised that you need to go to the airport for a dump station.The beach is amazing as are the trails around the park. You can fairly easily bike into town and there are little stores that have everything you need. I am so glad we had the opportunity to camp in this park. The pictures do not do it justice.

  T W
7 months ago
Gorgeous views, like an ocean. We spent two hours yet not being able to finish half of the trail but our hearts are full of memories

  Janie Starzewski
a year ago
We had a great camping experience here! The kids really enjoyed the beach area, and the hiking was neat, too. We especially liked the Bay View trail and Boardwalk.