Madeline Island is the largest of the Apostle Islands and the only developed island of the archipelago. This reason alone makes it the easiest of the Apostle Islands for travelers to visit. You can bring your car or bike and explore what the island has to offer from scenery to an interesting history and culture.
In this post, I’ll cover everything you need to know about taking a day trip to Madeline Island. Even though the island is small, there’s still a few fun things to do.
Top Things To Do On Madeline Island
I’ll cover the logistics of getting to Madeline Island later on in this post. For now, I want to start by focusing on what you should do in Madeline Island once you arrive.
Visit Big Bay State Park
Big Bay State Park is one of four state parks in northern Wisconsin (the other three parks being on the mainland), so if you’re venturing out to Madeline Island, it just makes sense to visit the park and do a bit of hiking.
From the ferry terminal, you’ll need some kind of transportation as the state park is a few miles away. If you brought your car over, you can drive. If you came as a passenger only, consider renting a bike (I’ll cover this in a little more detail shortly) to get yourself to and from the park.
There’s several hiking trails in the park, but on my visit, I stuck to the Lake Superior shoreline. There’s a lovely flat and well maintained trail that runs right along Lake Superior. My friend and I did a 3 mile out and back hike, the the trail goes on even longer than that. I visited on a cold, not so great day, so that put a bit of a damper on my hiking plans.
Rent a Bike
You can bring your own bike on the Madeline Island Ferry (though you will have to pay for it) or you can rent a bike in the main town of La Pointe. Visit the website for hours, prices, and more information.
Madeline Island is not huge. If you’re driving, it takes only 30 minutes to circle the entire island, but I think that getting out on a bike and exploring is going to offer a more fun experience.
Since I haven’t biked on Madeline Island, I reached out to my parents who brought their eBikes to the island and cycled around. They recommend biking on the island. They headed east from La Pointe to the the marina and then up to Big Bay State Park, before returning to La Pointe. My dad loved biking on Madeline because the car traffic was very minimal and the views were great.
Rent a Canoe or Kayak
Looking for a chance to get out on the water? You can rent a canoe or paddle board on Madeline Island to get out on Lake Superior. Though if you’re interested in kayaking, you’ll have to sign up for a tour.
I’ll be honest. I’m not a kayaker and my one experience with canoeing did not end well for anyone involved, so I skipped this activity, but it’s still a totally valid way to spend your time. You’ll find kayakers all over this small area of Lake Superior.
Enjoy the Beach
Madeline Island is located in the middle of Lake Superior and not only has great views from the hiking trails, but there’s plenty of beach to enjoy. While you have several options, Big Bay State Park is a good starting point as they have 1.5 miles of Lake Superior beach to enjoy. Slightly further north you’ll find Big Bay Town Park with even more beach. And that’s just two options on the island.
Drive Around the Island
Madeline Island isn’t that big. It takes about thirty minutes to drive the loop around the entire island. As you’re driving, you can forget you’re on an island as the views of the lake are blocked by the trees and forests. And by taking the time to do this drive, you will ditch all of the other tourists you rode on the ferry with. Few people make it to the far side of the island.
Shop for Souvenirs
The ferry drops you right in the main city of the island called La Pointe. Yes there is more on Madeline Island than just La Pointe, but if you’re looking for shopping, it’s going to be in La Pointe. Don’t expect a lot (Madeline Island may be a tourist destination but the summer population is still small), but you’ll find a few fun stores. My favorite were the art galleries with works from local artists.
And yes, there are more shops and activities beyond La Pointe, but this is without a doubt the main hub of the island.
Visit the Madeline Island Museum
If you are interested in the history of Madeline Island, you can visit the museum to learn more. Don’t be deceived when you first walk in. It’s bigger than it looks and walks visitors through the history of the only developed island in the archipelago. From the Native Americans to the fur traders to logging and mining operations, the history of this island goes back centuries.
Getting to Madeline Island
Madeline Island is an island, so you can’t just drive to Madeline Island (unless you’re visiting in the winter and the ice on Lake Superior is thick enough for you to drive). Therefore, you’ll need to take the ferry. The Madeline Island Car Ferry makes regular and frequent departures throughout the summer shuttling passengers between Bayfield and Madeline Island.
For a full schedule, check out the Madeline Ferry Website.
The ferry schedule has changed since I made the trip, which is great. Services now start as early as 7:00 am (compared to 10:00 am when I visited).
Ferry tickets cost $18 per adult (12 years and older) for a round trip ticket.
Keep in mind that if you’re bringing your vehicle (ideal for if you want to really explore the island), you’ll need to purchase a ticket for your car as well. Vehicle reservations cannot be made for a specific time. Instead, vehicles are loaded onto the ferry on a first come, first serve basis.
Do You Need a Car on Madeline Island?
Technically you don’t need a car on Madeline Island, but I recommend having some form of transportation. The ferry drops off in La Pointe and while there are a few things to do in La Pointe, there’s not much unless you want to exclusively relax on the nearest beach. If you want to visit Big Bay State Park, or any areas of the island besides La Pointe, you need transportation. We used a car, but a bike would also be sufficient (that’s what my parents did). So either bring your own car or bike, or plan to rent a bike when you arrive in La Pointe.
When to Visit Madeline Island
When people think of Wisconsin weather, they likely think of snow and cold. That’s not an unreasonable assumption as winters here can be cold, snowy, and brutal. While you’ll find some winter activities here like cross country skiing, snowshoeing, and a few others, for most visitors, you’ll want to look to warmer weather.
By far the most popular time to visit northern Wisconsin is during the summer months. This is when you’ll have the warmest weather (a definite plus while spending time near Lake Superior) but also the highest prices. Summers in Wisconsin can also get humid, so keep that in mind.
During the fall months, the changing leaves make everything in Wisconsin a gorgeous color. Temperatures are cooler which can be both good and bad. Summer crowds have also diminished but that may mean limited availability for activities near the Apostle Islands.
Where to Stay
While you can stay on Madeline Island, hotels are limited and expensive. That’s not to say that the mainland isn’t expensive, or has a lot of hotel options, but you’ll find a few more. If staying on the mainland, you can stay in the tiny town of Bayfield. This is closest to the ferry to Madeline Island but hotels are limited. About a half hour drive away is the city of Ashland, one of the largest cities in northern Wisconsin. While there still aren’t a lot of hotel options, here’s where you’ll find the most. I stayed in Ashland and had no issues with adding a little extra driving to my itinerary.
My Experience on Madeline Island
I visited Madeline Island on a summer weekend with a friend. What should have been a great trip turned out to be a mediocre trip as the weather did not cooperate with us. We drove across Wisconsin on Friday and had phenomenal weather. Then on Saturday, our main day for exploring, the weather was rainy and windy and just not great. Our boat tour of the Apostle Islands was cancelled and the weather wasn’t the most ideal for visiting Madeline Island.
That all said, I’m glad that I went. After spending nearly 30 years in Wisconsin by that point and had never made it up to the Apostle Islands. Still, I couldn’t help but wish that we could have experienced Madeline Island in better weather. I firmly believe that it would have made our trip go from ok to amazing.
Final Thoughts
For a great weekend option in Wisconsin, don’t overlook the Apostle Islands and Madeline Island.
Continue Your Adventure
More in Wisconsin: In Door County, don’t miss the gorgeous parks and endless hiking opportunities. Further south on the shores of Lake Michigan is Kohler Andrae State Park, which is one of my favorites. About an hour north of Madison, you’ll find Wisconsin Dells and Devil’s Lake State Park.
More in the Midwest: South of Wisconsin is Illinois and the city of Chicago. Slightly east of Chicago is Indiana Dunes National Park. To the southwest of Wisconsin is Iowa with its fun Maquoketa Caves State Park.