Big Bay Town Park

This is a trip we make every summer and it’s always magical. The campground is perfect for us. Some sites are closer to each other and privacy is a little hard to come by sometimes because the camp is almost always full. Because it’s not an easy place to get to (you have to take the ferry. It’s not cheap) the people that do come are top notch. There’s an electric area and a non electric. The camp host is a little out there but in a good way. They do sell ice and wood and have WiFi at the camp host building. There are nice flushable toilets and showers (Bring quarters). The walk to the beach isn’t terribly long but there are quite a few stairs so a wagon isn’t really a good option. We wish we could bring kayaks but the steps also make that a little hard to maneuver through. Someone with lots of man power could probably swing it. We love spending days out on the beach searching for agates and other cool rocks. We have picnics, take floaties, and bring our giant bubble wands to keep us entertained. We spend another day at the state park hiking. We always pack a lunch and spend the entire day out there because you don’t want to leave!! It’s so much fun!! There are rocks you can jump off to go swimming and it’s actually pretty safe considering it’s the Great Lakes. I’ve never kayaked there yet but we see kayaks all the time. It’s usually just a little too choppy for my liking. The water isn’t the warmest but who cares! It’s amazing. We also take one day to head into town and hang out at Tom’s burned down cafe. Usually we get one rainy day when we’re there (last year we were lucky and no rain!) so we throw on our rain gear and head to Tom’s for bloody Mary’s. Their bartenders are a hoot. The place is so easy going. The roof is definitely a tarp 😋 so dress accordingly if the weather isn’t perfect. There are places to rent mopeds and bikes in town. There’s an ice cream shop and a few markets if you forget anything they probably have you covered. We’ve never really went to eat in town so I won’t be helpful in that area. I know the hours are weird on the island so that’s always something to be mindful of. The place is epic. I would say Madeline island is one of my favorite places I’ve ever been. I look forward to this trip every year.

Big Bay Town Park We enjoyed our stay on Madeline Island towards the end of June. We stayed in in a travel trailer with our dog on the“modern” side which has electric service and is on the other side of the road from the office. The campsites on the lake side are rustic only. The modern sites are secluded with a good buffer of woods between them. Nice privacy. 

There is no WiFi or cell service, however there is good WiFi at the office. 

There are 30/50 amp hookups, a picnic table and a pad for a tent. There are 2 bathroom facilities with water spigots. The bathrooms are new and well maintained. There is a pretty trail that connects the 2 bathroom buildings. Unfortunately, the shower house is across the road in the office building.$1.75/3 Minutes. 

The staff was very friendly and made sure we had all the information to enjoy our time on the island. Since the weather was pretty rainy, there weren’t a lot of people on the island, so it was very quiet. There were only 4 other campers in modern side, and a few tents on the other side. 

The only thing that was kind of a bummer is that we brought our own kayak, but there really wasn’t a good way to carry the kayak down the many steps to the beach. The park has kayaks for rent on the honor system at the beach. The park parking lot is on a bluff above the beach with steps leading down to the water. The beach was nice to walk on. Our dog loved it. We only ate in town once, but the food was fantastic.

All in all I was happy with this campground. It was close to the water, just a walk away from a beach and hiking trail. The campsites were fairly private as far as car camping sites go. There was adequate spacing between sites, and I never felt crowded, however I did visit during slow season. Because it was just a walk away from recreation, there were many people arriving and departing from the parking lot and camping area throughout the day, to make use of the beach and trails. I imagine that during busy season it is quite popular and quite a bit louder. There were canoes you could take out (rent) onto a lagoon between the lake and the campsites, and while I didn't end up trying one, it looked like it could be fun. The trail from the beach was nice, and went past some really interesting storm damage. They have signs up talking about the storm and how it changed the island. The trail is in the woods rather than right on the water for the most part, but close enough that you can get off at certain points and take a look. Because there was the lagoon area between the campsites and lake, the sites were pretty sheltered. Way less wind than near the lake. It wasn't too far from town, either.

This fun little campground has about 25 sites. Reservations can be made ahead of time, and there are 5 plots on a first come, first served basis in case the main sites are full. There's a main office building with free WiFi (though its range and strength are very small). The same building also has the the showers and toilet, and a water fill station.

Each campground has a fire pit and a picnic table, with parking space for vehicles or RVs, and ample space for two or maybe even 3 tents per plot/site.

You are walking distance to a beach, accessed by stairs. The approx 2.5 mile beach also has a boardwalk that continues to be extended parallel to the beach. There's also this great opportunity to rent canoes on the honor system with money through a mail box slot, so I took out a canoe and was able to paddle around this nice inlet. I was also lucky and managed to get really close to some loons fishing on the lake. You can also meet at this spot at various times during the day to get a boat tour on some canoes or kayaks.

I would recommend coming here with a bike so that you can explore the island. Near the ferry terminal you can check out the Burn Down Bar and they have a convenience store to stock up on the food and things you forgot.