Best trails for seeing wonders of Wisconsin’s Big Bay State Park

Boardwalk Trail

Among the best ways to see the top sights in Wisconsin’s Big Bay State Park is via a day hike. Just three short trails will allow you to enjoy each of the park’s highlights – fantastic Lake Superior views, a romantic sunset, and a barrier beach pine forest.

Lake Superior views
Stretching for 31,700 square miles east and north of Madeline Island is Lake Superior, the world's largest freshwater lake, at least by surface area. Point Trail and a portion of the Point Trail Loop skirt the shoreline with a beach area for a 1.7-mile hike.

Romantic sunset
On a clear evening, the sunset casts Lake Superior in a golden glow that darkens with the sky from orange to purple to midnight blue, a perfect hour to spend with your loved one. Though facing east, the 1.3-mile Bay View Trail marks a good location to cuddle and watch Mother Nature’s free light show.

Barrier beach pine forest
Barrier beaches are common along the Atlantic coastline, and a microcosm of one with its own forest of red and white pines sits on Madeline Island. The 0.5-mile Boardwalk Trail heads through the woodlands on Big Bay Sand Spit.

Find out about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.