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| Cliffs along Lake Superior at Big Bay State Park. Photo courtesy of Wisconsin DNR. |
Quaint village
popular throughout
summer, autumn
Bayfield County ranks among Wisconsin’s most popular tourism destination, attracting skiers, boaters, campers and sightseers. It also offers dozens of miles of trails for those who love hiking.
Consisting mainly of forestland and lakeshore, each Bayfield County village feels like a quaint throwback to years past. Only one of them boasts a population close to 3000 people.
Ten villages can be found there, with the majority of them hugging the lakeshore or a county line. Among them is Bayfield.
Though a small village of little more than 500 people, you wouldn’t know that when visiting in summer and early autumn. During festivals, 40,000 people can descend upon the village in a weekend.
The village is named for Henry Bayfield, a British Royal Topographic Engineer, who explored this region in 1822-23. Today, the Bayfield Maritime Museum and Bayfield Heritage Museum pay homage to him and the region’s colorful history. The annual Apple Fest, held the first weekend in October, and the Race Week Regatta, held in early July, attract tourists from multiple states. On other weekends, the fine weather, port to the Apostle Islands, and several art galleries achieves the same.
Popular day hiking trails in the Bayfield area include:
g Brownstone Trail
g Jerry Jolly Hiking Trail
g Madeline Island – Big Bay State Park
g Mawikwe Bay sea caves
g Roundup of area trails, Part I
g Roundup of area trails, Part II
Read more about day hiking Bayfield County, Wisconsin, in my Day Hiking Trails of Bayfield County guidebook.
