A quaint village tucked into the pristine Upper Peninsula, Big Bay is wildly beautiful and full of natural contrasts. Drive roughly 30 miles from downtown Marquette to find breathtaking vistas, sprawling forests, and seasonal adventures set against the shores of Lake Superior. Discover Big Bay for yourself with some of our favorite photos.
A lot of activity in Big Bay centers around the Thunder Bay Inn. This historic hotel features period furniture and a lively restaurant with an extensive menu. The Inn was once a favored vacation spot of automaker Henry Ford and filmed in the acclaimed courtroom thriller Anatomy of a Murder.
Get your heart pumping on the Powell Township Recreation Area trails. This system of groomed wilderness trails offers scenic grounds for mountain biking and hiking in the warmer months and skiing and snowshoeing in the winter.
Take a dip in Lake Independence in Perkins Park, in the heart of Big Bay. This county park has a sand beach, as well as facilities to camp, picnic, fish, play, and more.
Big Bay is a favorite spot for fishing enthusiasts with many lakes, streams, rivers, ponds, and bodies of water that are ideal for fishing. Grab your fly fishing gear and patiently wait for the trout to bite or set your sights on Lake Superior for the tasty lake trout.
With so much wilderness and so little development, it is no wonder that Big Bay offers star-studded evenings. From August to April on a clear night, you might be lucky enough to see the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights. The Upper Peninsula has some of the best views in the continental USA because of its dark nights and high latitude.
The shores of Lake Superior are laced with history and the Big Bay Point Lighthouse is no exception. The circa 1896 lighthouse was built in the Late Victorian style to light Lake Superior and was leased to the U.S. Army in the early 1950s for anti-aircraft artillery training. It is now a boutique bed and breakfast with beautiful views of the lake and surrounding wilderness.
Big Bay is bursting with fall colors when autumn rolls around. Swathes of oranges, yellows, greens, and golds can be seen decorating highways (County Road 510 is a popular spot for fall leaf-peeping), hiking trails, and hangouts.
Chasing waterfalls is a favorite pastime in Big Bay, home to several stunning cascades. While there are many hikes, which end with waterfalls, Yellow Dog Falls is a favorite. Start out in the Yellow Dog Community Forest and stroll along the Yellowdog River through trees to the tiered waterfalls.
Big Bay draws snowmobilers from all over the Midwest to cruise through their consistently snowy slice of paradise. Big Bay’s designated snowmobiling trails offer varied terrain and enchanting landscapes with rivers, waterfalls, lakes, and forests.
When the snow comes to Big Bay the landscape is dazzling. Trees are dusted in white, the rolling hills are blanketed in snow and Lake Independence freezes over allowing for ice fishing. But, the vast Lake Superior remains blue throughout the winter for the most dramatic scene.
