The Grand Island National Recreation Area is a national recreation area in Hiawatha National Forest under jurisdiction of the U.S. Forest Service. Located on Grand Island, Michigan offshore from Munising, Michigan, the Grand Island National Recreation Area covers approximately 13,500 acres of Lake Superior woodland.
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Spectacular scenery especially by water. We trailered our PWC's up from Sturgeon Bay to spend an amazing day circumnavigation the island yesterday. We packed, Cell phones, coolers, beach blankets, hand held VHF emergency radio and launched at Munising municipal boat lift at 10:00 am. Highly recommend wearing a wet suit under your PFD hut not mandatory as the water was pleasant especially o. The beaches. We emailed a "float plan" with family including details on our route, planned stops, and expected return time. Fortunately we were able to text a progress report from Trout Bay Beach area. We circled clockwise starting in smooth waves. By the time we reached the north side of the island, the waves had built to 2-3 footers. Living on Green Bay we were more than comfortable in these waves however, I would ot recommend doing this trip on a single PWC. Their are several stretches of 2-4 miles on the island that would not allow you to beach a boat or PWC. Please use caution and abundant safety. We took our time on the tour with abundant pictures and stopped at every beach. But spent the most time on the long beach at trout Bay on the South East side of the island. One of my favorite PWC trips we have taken. Do your weather planning, bring the proper gear, file a detailed float plan with...
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My dog Chacha and I took the Ferry to Grand Island on July 11, 2024. I had expected Grand Island to be a natural place with no private homes or vehicles, but I was wrong. The island had several homes with private beaches, their cars, and unfriendly signs deterring visitors from trespassing.
My dog and I took the right side of the road and went to a beach about two miles from the Ferry. It was annoying that the bus full of tourists kept passing us because there was no room on the road, so we had to move to the edge every time. We could not see the water from the road; the only wildlife we saw was a dead turtle, which was boring. When we finally arrived at the beach, it was nice but not better than the San Point Beach in town.
It would help to rent a bike or camp overnight to see the whole island.
After a few hours on the beach with boats full of tourists passing by, we returned to the Ferry. We were lucky we could fit in as the big group of tourists riding the bus was ready to leave. The last Ferry leaves at 6 p.m.
The best part of Grand Island was the Ferry. Don't waste your time and money seeing this island, which offers little in terms of natural habitat, wildlife, or solitude. That is why Grand Island is cataloged as a Recreational Area, not a...
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Leaving 3 stars for now, we did not get to experience the “good side”. Mainly wanted to write this for people to hear about renting the bikes. This is not a bash on the company renting them- the experience with them was smooth and they were friendly. But for visitors to keep in mind: This is not a leisurely ride around shores of a beach town. We rented bikes and had to ride counter clockwise due to the race. This is mountain biking- thru the woods, fighting various elevations and terrain. The bike seats of the rentals are so incredibly uncomfortable, absolutely zero padding. Again, not a bash on the company, just for people to be aware of. It’s not an easy ride unless you’re an avid mountain biker, then I’m sure it’s a breeze. Just sharing so no one is surprised and has an unfortunate experience like...
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