Lake Superior Water Trail – Wisconsin Segment

• Trail Map
• South Shore
• First Nations
• More Information

The Wisconsin segment of the Lake Superior Water Trail covers more than 400 miles of diverse shoreline from the Montreal River at the Michigan border to the city of Superior.

• Trail Map
• Trail Tips & Safety

The trail is an ongoing effort to connect the 3,000 miles of shoreline that border Lake Superior along Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Ontario, Canada. The trail will link communities and inspire travelers to safely explore new regions of Lake Superior. The trail was formed on the philosophy that low-impact recreational use and stewardship of the land and water protects local, natural and cultural resources.

Sandstone outcrops and sea caves highlight the Apostle Islands.
Photo © Wisconsin Department of Tourism

The South Shore of Lake Superior

Known for its clear, cold water and mix of dramatic cliffs and sand beaches, Lake Superior is the largest, least populated and cleanest of the Great Lakes. The south shore is the sandy side of the lake blessed with miles of beaches, sandstone formations and red clay cliffs, including dramatic sea caves. Shrouded in boreal and hardwood forest, the south shore is also host to some of the finest and wildest estuaries in Lake Superior.

The St. Louis River estuary with a mix of wild wetlands and the busy Duluth/Superior harbor define the western terminus of this water trail section. from the city of Superior to the town of Port Wing, a traveler passes miles of clay bluffs, small streams, and the Brule River State Forest. Past the scenic village of Herbster, the shoreline begins to reveal sandstone outcrops, which culminate in dramatic cliffs and sea caves in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.

Lighthouses like the one on Sand Island can be found along the shoreline.
Photo © Wisconsin Department of Tourism

The shoreline then passes the Red Cliff Indian Reservation and the historic town of Bayfield with its orchards, commercial fishing, sailing, and tourism. Turning south from Bayfield, the shoreline wraps around Chequamegon Bay with its sandy shoreline, parks, fishing, shipping history, and the communities of Washburn and Ashland. From Ashland the shoreline gives way to a wild sand shoreline and the internationally recognized Kakagan Sloughs - Wisconsin's Everglades - within the Bad River Indian Reservation and finally back to the red clay bluffs and sandy beaches reaching the Michigan border, east of Saxon Harbor.

First Nations

Native American peoples have inhabited the Lake Superior region for thousands of years. At the time of European contact, as many as six different tribes shared the south shore region. The Anishinabe, commonly known as the Chippewa or Ojibwe, were the dominate tribe when Europeans settled the area. Today the Anishinabe nation is one of North America's largest native nations.

Native Americans continue to live along the south shore, harvesting wild rice, fish and wild game. The Red Cliff and Bad River Bands of Lake Superior Chippewa each have a reservation with growing populations and economies that contribute to the diversity of Lake Superior. Madeline Island is a cultural hub of the Anishinabe Nation. Both Red Cliff and Bad River communities are working to protect and restore their natural environment. The reservation shorelines should be respected as private property. Red Cliff has developed shoreline campgrounds at Point Detour and at Buffalo Bay.

Area Resources

Apostle Islands National Lakeshore [exit DNR]
Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce [exit DNR]
Bayfield Chamber of Commerce & Visitor's Bureau [exit DNR]
Big Bay State Park
Brule River State Forest
Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior [exit DNR]
Washburn Chamber of Commerce [exit DNR]
Lake Superior Water Trail - Minnesota Segment [exit DNR]

More Information

Inland Sea Society [exit DNR]
National Park Service - Rivers & Trails Program [exit DNR]
National Park Service Challenge Cost Share Program [exit DNR]
Northwest Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission [exit DNR]
Wisconsin Coastal Management Program [exit DNR]