MADELINE ISLAND

MOONINGWANEKAANING-MINIS

@ericpetersen73

INCREDIBLE VIEWS & ISLAND VIBES

Madeline Island, the largest of the Apostle Islands and the only one not included in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, is 2.5 miles across the channel from Bayfield, just a 20 minute ferry ride away. In spring, summer, and fall it is accessible via the Madeline Island Ferry Line or private watercraft. In the wintertime, when the lake is frozen, visitors and locals alike use the Ice Road to drive back and forth. The Ice Road uses a similar route as the ferry, but instead of gliding over open water, travelers navigate their own vehicle over frozen Lake Superior. Upon arriving on Madeline Island, visitors are welcomed to the historic town of La Pointe, with a year-round population of about 250. Boasting shops, restaurants, lodging, and a marina, La Pointe also features a Wisconsin Historical Society museum. Big Bay State Park and the adjacent Big Bay Town Park are not to be missed. Each park offers sand beaches, hiking trails, camping, picnicking, and incredible views of rock formations above the crystal clear Lake Superior water. (Ahem... photo opportunities!) The Anishinaabe name for Madeline Island is Mooningwanekaaning, which means Home of the Golden Breasted Woodpecker. The island is rich in culture and tradition and is the spiritual center of the Lake Superior Chippewa, the Anishinaabe people. Public signage on Madeline Island is bilingual, with place names written in both English and Anishinaabe.