Washington Island Ferry Line — Local services in Town of Washington

I have been coming up to Washington island for 35 years, usually with family but now with close friends. The ferry service has steadily grown and adapted to the needs of its tourist crowd, with it's staff/crew remaining effective and courteous in the execution of their duties. They run the boats like very large Swiss watches, typically with at least 4 people on board and maintaining a closely monitored time schedule. These boats barely run during the Winter because of slow traffic, but they do run. Summer offers the opposite issue: far too many cars, in non-covid years especially. A crossing will take you anywhere from 30 minutes to one hour, depending on the number of cars on board and the weather between the peninsula and the island. Kids will get a kick out of the view and the idea of traveling on such a large boat, Parents will appreciate the stability of the ride and the safety features. Don't misunderstand, in heavy waves these things will rock and roll just like any Lake-bound craft, but the captain is pretty diligent about finding the safest and fastest route. If you're going up for the day, perhaps avoid weekends when the wait in line can be anywhere from 1 to 3 hours. But if you have business or family on Washington island, a 5 day excursion is well worth the ticket price and there is plenty to do. The Madonna is the newest ship in the fleet, but the other ships have an interesting history all their own and run as dictated by passenger demand. Consistent service and travel prices have always made it worth the trip for us. We look forward to coming back for the...

When getting in the line of cars we where unsure what lane to be in. one of the lady's was telling my husband to get behind the truck, as he proceeded to go toward the truck she told him it was the wrong lane and really wanted him behind the suv. So another lady working chimed in telling him sternly "she told you behind the truck." He said the other lady was standing in front of the truck and he was afraid he would run her over.. cutting him off mid conversation she replied to him that she was no where near the truck. Extremely rudely, now I am not one to normally pull the race card but in this instance I am going to. Because I can guarantee that if a man who was white was in the vehicle driving she wouldnt have spoken to him any type of way and if I wasn't out of the car (mid transaction)purchasing the tickets for the ferry, I would have liked to give her a piece of my mind and maybe would have caused a scene. But instead our whole first time ferry experience was absolutely horrible and I dreaded the ferry on the way back do to the situation we had on the way there. Thankfully the men on the way back were extremely nice. But they did not make up fully for the issue we had prior. I think I will try the island clipper next time and just rent bikes when I get there. Or a cart or something. Anything to avoid giving my money to...

This is how you get to Washington Island. At present a round trip for two adults and your car will cost you $56. Getting onto the ferry is a little unnerving. Vehicles are packed in tight. If you have minimal ground clearance and a low exhaust system, you might lose it.We had a empty headed kid ding our new car by carelessly opening his door. On the trip back, I had to back in and park behind and perpendicular to the other cars. My wife has always been amazed by my parallel parking skills, this time she was impressed. The ferry runs all year. During the peak season it runs every 45 minutes. Tickets are first come first serve. The crew are friendly and efficient. Make sure you pay attention to them. There is an observation deck and a heated cabin (the crossings can be chilly). Bring your camera as the trip is very photogenic. Make sure you set your parking brake, as the trip can be choppy (it is called Deaths' Door). I watched the truck next to us slowly bounce forward into the car in front of it. The trip takes about 30 minutes. Unless you have your own boat, this is how you get to...