“Enjoy the Picturesque Bluffs!”
Big Bay State Park is in the U.S. state of Wisconsin on Madeline Island, the largest of 22 Apostle Islands in Lake Superior. The 2350 acre park has picturesque sandstone bluffs and caves and a 1.5 mi long 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. The park, established in 1963, has picnic areas with tables, grills, water and toilets; a campground with drinking water, showers and toilets; an indoor camp for nonprofit groups; an outdoor group camp; and more than 9 miles (14 km) of trails, including nature trails. The park is open year-round, though winter visitation is mostly limited to hunters, snowshoers and cross-country skiers. All vehicles are required to purchase an admission pass, though pedestrians and bicyclists may enter free. To reach the park, visitors must take a 20 minute ferry ride from Bayfield, then travel approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) north on Highway H.
Reviews of Big Bay State Park
7 people have reviewed this location
Ratings Summary
Cell Coverage
Verizon 4G/5G
Confirmed by 2 users | Last reported on August 24, 2021AT&T 5G
Confirmed by 1 users | Last reported on June 13, 2019The place itself is stunning. Lake Superior at its most beautiful -- sunsets, sailboats, sand, and sun. The campground is adequate. Pros: nice rangers and staff people, reasonably spaced campsites for privacy. Cons: the restrooms -- smelly, unclean, often out of order.
Sites are generous in size but there are only 60. Only a handful have electric. Most have sufficient shade for adequate privacy. Pit toilets throughout but only one bathhouse with flush toilets, showers situated between the two campgrounds. Only two showers/sinks and more than once, I had to wait to wash my hands. The water pump near site 12 did not seem operable. In addition to the cost of the campsite, you also have the cost of the ferry ($52 including vehicle for two people) and you will need your vehicle to get to the park. Campground was quiet on a Sunday night in September but there was a noisy drinking party on Saturday night! You can walk to Big Bay Town Park via a boardwalk but I really recommend taking a small boat tour out to explore some of the other islands, once you’ve come this far!
Nightly Rate: $35.00
Days Stayed: 2
Site Number: 6
Nice campground with limited # of electric sites. No Sewer or campsite water. They do have several potable water stations. Dump station is available offsite at the local island commuter airport. Park staff was very welcoming and polite. Beautiful surroundings with good hiking trails. Highlight is a boardwalk trail that runs the perimeter of Big Bay and offers stunning views of Lake Superior. Access to the park is a bit of a challenge but is also part of the adventure due to the fact you can only get to the island by ferry boat. You catch the ferry at nearby Bayfield, Wi and the boat ride is about 20 minutes. The Ferry can accommodate any size RV. The cost of the ferry varies depending on the size of your rig. I have a lite camper at 22 ft and it cost me $60 one way. In La Point, I recommend a visit to Tom’s Burned Down Cafe which as the names suggests is a never rebuilt burned down cafe turned into bar. It is a great watering hole with a Key West vibe. You will see many interesting locals there. I would recommend a visit to Madeline Island and Big Bay State Park.
Nightly Rate: $30.00
Days Stayed: 2
Site Number: 45
Cell Coverage Rating
Verizon 4G
AT&T
The highlight of this park is clearly the Lagoon/Boardwalk. Simply beautiful. Hard to imagine the beautiful soft sand and warm calm waters on Superior. The area was like somebody had perfectly landscaped the whole thing. And the crowds are limited because of the limited parking...perfect!
The campsites were OK, but quite small and offered some but not a lot of privacy. Some electric, some not. Overall the park was well maintained by the city. The hosts were helpful upon check in and usually around for ice and firewood. Beware of the firewood though. The price is $5 an armful. It was so wet they should have been paying the campers to take it! Not good. There are other places around to get it.
We were there on some clear nights and the stars are simply incredible!
As you drive around the island you will see many junk yards. Not sure why that is but sure wish the city would do something. It was the same way on our last visit about 10 years ago. Some things never change.
Loris grocery store is a joke. Be sure to do your shopping before hopping on the ferry.
No cell service except the WIFI at the office.
Nightly Rate: $40.00
Days Stayed: 5
Site Number: 36
Cell Coverage Rating
Verizon
We travel with our dogs, but we always mind them and follow the rules. That said, I had to ask the camp host to get his dog to stop his incessant barking one afternoon since it was tethered in front of their camper. Tethering usually ain’t even allowed in campgrounds? It was weird. There were also other dogs off leash off course which results in peeps having to yell at their dog to ‘come back’ or ‘get out of there!’ while the dog is wondering off into someone else’s campsite or dog’s space. Would be a lot easier and peaceful just to use a leash. Beautiful shoreline thought, just be well prepared for biting flies.
Beautiful day and gorgeous beach. Fun walk with the kids.
There's so much to do here and it's absolutely gorgeous! We visited in late fall and there had been a lot of rain already, so we weren't able to stay as long as we would have liked (temperatures dropped, storms rolled in, and our site was already partially under water). We'll definitely be back.
Be the first to add a review to the Big Bay State Park.
Big Bay State Park
Hours
Problem with this listing? Let us know.
Has RV parking changed? Let us know.
-
Parking
-
Pets Allowed
-
Restrooms
-
Wifi
-
Wheelchair Accessible
-
Credit Cards Accepted
- Affiliation
- State park or forest
- Last Nightly Rate
- 35.0
- Lowest Nightly Rate
- 20.0
- Max Stay
- 14
-
Fifty Amp
-
Full Hookup
-
Pull Through
-
Tent Sites
-
Dump Station
-
Big Rigs
-
Open Seasonally
-
Age Restricted
-
Boondock
-
Cabin Sites
-
Dispersed Sites
-
Firewood
-
Fulltime Residents
-
Group Tent Sites
-
Laundry
-
Mobile Homes
-
Permit Required
-
Potable Water
-
Propane
-
Public Water
-
Pull Through RV Sites
-
Reservations
-
Sewer Hookup
-
Showers
-
Standard Tent Sites
-
Water Hookup
Campground, Restrooms
Nearby Hotels
Related Trip Guides
The Great Northern is a 3,600 mile, cross-country odyssey
- 57 Places
- 69:15
- 3,565 mi
A road trip along the Great River Road
- 35 Places
- 37:29
- 1,907 mi