Touring the Great Lakes: the Great Lakes in Wisconsin

You have options when choosing to visit the Great Lakes in Wisconsin. You can spend time at Lake Michigan on the east side of the state or drive up to Lake Superior to the north.

The state of Wisconsin is known for its environmental efforts and awareness. This makes a visit to either of the Great Lakes in Wisconsin a clean, safe and winning proposition. Not only that, but the lakes themselves promote much in the way of water sports, historical landmarks, lighthouses, and natural waterfalls. Fishing is also a popular pastime along the Great Lakes in Wisconsin where you could bring home a variety including bass, salmon, and trout. Wisconsin is the place for some of the best salmon fishing in America.

Lake Superior happens to be the largest, coldest, and deepest of the five Great Lakes. It covers 31,700 square miles and could contain all the water of the other Great Lakes and then some. Major cities along Lake Superior in Wisconsin include Superior and Ashland. Ashland refers to itself as Lake Superior’s hometown. The Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center is located in Ashland and contains many exhibits based on the culture and history of the Lake Superior region.

Visitors have the option of using the Lake Superior Circle Route that begins just south of the town of Superior and then heads northeast to Amicon Falls State Park and travels through Bayfield, Ashland and Hurley. This route is perfect for waterfall enthusiasts are there are several to see along the way. Or you can spend some time at the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and its array of islands and Lake Superior coastline.

When switching to what Lake Michigan has to offer, Door County is a well known tourist spot popular for vacations because of it natural beauty and leisurely atmosphere. Door County is home to many galleries, museums and theatres. It also has five state parks, over a dozen conservation areas, ten lighthouses, and at least 300 miles of Great Lake coastline.

Lake Michigan encompasses over 22,400 square miles and is the only Great Lake located completely within the United States. Technically both Lake Michigan and Lake Huron are the same large lake connected only by the Straits of Mackinac.

Whichever one of the Great Lakes in Wisconsin you decide to enjoy, you will not be disappointed by the picturesque beauty of the Wisconsin outdoors and the appeal of the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes in Wisconsin are known for their cleanliness and safe environments with plenty of attractions to keep vacationers busy.

Great Lakes of Wisconsin

The state of Wisconsin borders two of the five Great Lakes that naturally separate the United States and Canada in the Rust Belt. Lake Michigan borders the state’s east coast, and Lake Superior borders a fairly small bit of northern Wisconsin, but includes the city of Superior and the metro the city shares with Duluth, Minnesota. Tourism in Wisconsin’s Great Lakes is really popular amongst divers, as there have been many shipwrecks along Lake Michigan. There are tours the family can take where you dive down and check out ship wrecks that happened in the late 1800’s first hand. The Lake Superior area, is more known for it’s beauty rather than the misfortune of others. Pattison State Park in Superior is known for having Wisconsin’s highest waterfall which has a drop of over 150 ft.

Numerous lighthouses fill up the coasts of both lakes and the islands that rest within the lake. Another really popular thing to do, is on the coast of Lake Michigan, people often take ferries between the states of Wisconsin and Michigan. On the Lake Superior coastline they do have ferries too, but it is for the islands that are in the state, such as Madeline Island near Bayfield. There is much fun to have in Wisconsin and it’s Great Lakes. We hope you decide to travel here soon!

Best Reasons to Visit Wisconsin

Some of the best reasons to visit Wisconsin :

- Door County, along the banks of Lake Michigan, claims more miles of shoreline, state parks and lighthouses than any county in the U.S.
- At the state’s northern tip is the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, a scenic chain of 22 islands
- The Wisconsin Dells, in southern Wisconsin, features the Wisconsin River, flanked by 100-foot cliffs and a multitude of attractions including river cruises and the nation’s largest water park
- Madison, the state’s capital, is built on an isthmus between two glacial lakes offering an abundance of recreational activities including sailing and fishing and miles of walking and biking trails
- Milwaukee, the state’s largest city, is located on Lake Michigan. It is known as the “City of Festivals” with Summerfest and numerous ethnic festivals throughout the year.