Big Bay State Park — Attraction in Town of La Pointe

We took the ferry with our car so we could drive and get around Madeline Island, planning to make a day if it with hiking. We decided to do Big Bay over the reserves based on reviews and hiking trails. Once we got in we picked up flyers and realized the boardwalk trail and beach were listed for No Dogs (we take our beagles with us for our hikes).

We decided to start on the east end trail near the camp ground, this was about 2 weeks ago almost and it rained the night before. We expected mud, and the trail was pretty muddy. The kids and my wife wanted to turn around but I insisted on continuing. The mud got fairly bad at times, I carried our 7 year old over the spots that didn't have an easy way around since he only had tennis shoes. While we soldiered on, the flies started getting bad.

The good news is, we never saw a mosquito! But the flies? Have you seen cartoons with clouds of bugs chasing people? Well, that happens in real life too. Holy cow. I have never seen flies by the hundreds or thousands swarming someone, gathering by the hundreds on spots on the dogs backs and heads. These flies do bite, they seemed to bite some more than others, sadly for our 9 year old. She went into hysterics trying to run away from them...only to be followed by a literal cloud of insects. We decided to beeline to the nearest parking lot as they got worse while my wife ran back to get the car after about .75 miles in. Bug sprays did nothing to deter them. Some people on the trails seemed less bothered by them, but we found them miserable.

From there, we decided to head to the beach to hopefully let the kids swim a bit and forget about the flies. They did enjoy that. The flies were biting a bit on shore but were not nearly as bad as in the woods. The beach was nice, pretty big, so there was enough space for people, and it is in a bay and very calm compared to the beach in town.

Overall it was hit and miss for us. It was nice, but the flies ruined it for us. This was end of June, so I cannot say if that is normal for them or if they are worse because of all the rain we've had this year so far. Beach was nice, but it would give more options if dogs were allowed in more areas for those that travel and...

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...

What a disappointing experience. The park is not very dog friendly. Dogs are prohibited in most of the main areas. Our campsite was also quite different than listed. All the trees had been removed/cut down that we were planning on using for our hammocks, and per the parks guidelines hammocks must stay on the gravel pads. No bear boxes for food at the walk in sites made storing our food nightly a chore.

The ticks and mosquitoes were relentless. Make sure to do a tick check multiple times daily. We found multiple on our dogs and one on ourselves.

As other people have stated the annual pass is NOT an annual pass unless you purchase on January 1st. We paid full price for ours in June and it will only last six months, as it expires at the end of December. Sort this out Wisconsin, it’s an easy fix!

On the plus side, the bathrooms were clean and fresh water was available.

In summary, if you are planning on using a hammock make sure to call ahead and speak with someone to guarantee the state of the campsite you are booking. If you have dogs, I would suggest finding a...