The Barker’s Island Inner Beach is 6.74 acres of public recreational area owned by the City of Superior. It is made up of 1,400 feet of Lake Superior shoreline access located near public boat launches and the marina.
This beach was restored in 2018. The restoration project was a collaboration with the Wisconsin DNR, City of Superior and Area of Concern partners. The project was designed to reduce levels of E. coli bacteria by optimizing the beach characteristics, managing runoff, enhancing wetland areas and deterring wildlife. Other improvements included additional parking, a raised boardwalk and restroom facilities. The project utilized low impact design principals and green infrastructure to achieve greater infiltration and storm water treatment at the recreation area. Approximately 1,750 feet of pedestrian trail was replaced with a raised boardwalk to maximize the ecological aspect of the area to improve water quality.
A long-term monitoring and maintenance plan has been developed for the beach. This plan emphasizes the important steps to keeping the beach clean and open for recreation. The City will maintain the area by protecting plantings, deterring waterfowl, and routine sand grooming. It is important that users of the park stay on designated paths and follow all rules including NO feeding of wildlife and putting all trash in trash receptacles. The area will continue to be monitored for E. coli levels.
Rules
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 beaches
Wisconsin Point Beach
Highlights:
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
Wisconsin Point, along with Minnesota Point, is one of the largest freshwater sandbars in the world.
Wisconsin Point was named as Best Strolling or Swimming Beach by Lake Superior Magazine in 2019!
Rules:
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)
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.
Photos courtesy of Tom Bridge
Additional information about Areas of Concern (AOC)
Harbors and waterways are being cleaned up around the nation. Learn how an Area of Concern transforms and get involved locally by checking out the Area of concern website.
Here is an area of concern videos made by the Wisconsin DNR, entitled AOC 101 Wisconsin.
Please consider checking the website Wisconsin Beach Health to see if there are any advisories/closures of the beach areas prior to your visit.
