Wisconsin Point

About Wisconsin Point

Wisconsin Point, along with Minnesota Point, are one of the largest freshwater sandbars in the world.

Highlights of Wisconsin Point:  229 acres, with 2 3/4 miles of beach Bird watching, hiking, beach use, and duck hunting Watchable Wildlife area Historical marker for a sacred Chippewa burial ground Superior entry lighthouse Water quality is monitored at Wisconsin Point.  Please consider checking the website Wisconsin Beach Health to see if there are any advisories/closures of the beach areas on Wisconsin Point prior to your visit.  Wisconsin Sea Grant collaborated with the staff at Upham Woods Outdoor Learning Center in the Division of Extension at UW-Madison. They created an Ecological Restoration of Wisconsin Point Interactive map. You can view this interactive map here.

Rules and Regulations

Motor vehicle traffic and parking is prohibited between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m. on Wisconsin Point Road, including any parking areas, beyond Lot #1, and also all of Moccasin Mike Road and Lakeshore Drive, except during the spring smelt run season as defined by the Parks and Recreation Department Glass beverage containers are prohibited Fires may not be started closer than 10 feet from the nearest plant life Camping is not allowed except during the spring smelt run  Horseback riding is not allowed on Wisconsin Point (see Superior Municipal Forest page)

  


Wisconsin Point was named as Best Strolling or Swimming Beach by Lake Superior Magazine in 2019!

For information regarding Wisconsin Point beach closings, please check this site:  Wisconsin Beach Health.
    
View the Wisconsin Point Area Management Plan
 
Check out the St. Louis River Estuary page where you can learn about plans for the restoration of Wisconsin Point. Be sure to click on and enjoy exploring the "Story Maps" which are a great feature of the site!

Restoring Wild Rice In The St. Louis River Estuary
Wild rice, or manoomin in Ojibwe, is a nutritional grain that is central to the cultural identity of the Ojibwe people. It’s also an important ecological resource within the St. Louis River estuary. Historically, the St. Louis River estuary may have sustained up to 3,000 acres of wild rice — one of the richest concentrations in the region. But over the past 125 years, industrial development, pollution and logging nearly wiped it out. Now, only a few isolated pockets are found in the 12,000-acre estuary. This video shows how we are working with the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission and other partners to restore 275 self-sustaining acres in the AOC. 

Protecting Dunes And Restoring Piping Plover Habitat On Wisconsin Point

Wisconsin Point is an important wildlife habitat, migratory bird stopover and historical site with great cultural significance. One project on the point led by the city of Superior protected sensitive dune habitats and historical sites while also improving public beach access. Another project created 14 acres of new habitat for the endangered Piping Plover at the DNR-owned Wisconsin Point Bird Sanctuary. This project, in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, placed clean dredged material from the Duluth-Superior Harbor at the sanctuary to build sand and cobble beach for the rare shorebirds’ nesting and foraging habitat. It’s a great example of beneficially using material that needed to be dredged out of the commercial shipping channel. 

Lessons Learned from Wisconsin Points' Restoration Efforts

Wisconsin Point's restoration focuses on making the point resilient to future storms.  The restoration projects include dune revegetation and the construction of a living shoreline. This short video highlights these projects and shares lessons learned.

Photos courtesy of Tom Bridge