Make Memories On The Exciting Madeline Island Ice Road
For something different to do, drive over Lake Superior’s Ice Road To Madeline Island on your winter getaway. Most know Bayfield and Madeline Island as the gateway to the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in Northern Wisconsin. Sure, people kayak around its sea caves but also create memories by driving the ice road. If you’re fortunate enough to drive the ice road, consider it a feather in your cap.
About Lake Superior
Lake Superior ranks as the largest of the Great Lakes and the world’s largest freshwater lake by surface area. In fact, it holds ten percent of the world’s surface freshwater.
Even though Lake Superior’s maximum depth reaches 1,333 feet, the channel depth below the Madeline Island Ferry Line drops to 160 feet.
About Bayfield & Madeline Island
The small town of Bayfield serves as the starting point for the Madeline Island Ferry Line. That said, when Lake Superior freezes so the ferry can’t run, an ice road becomes the only way to reach Madeline Island.
Most people know Bayfield for the Bayfield Apple Fest and its incredible sea cave kayaking opportunities around the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Otherwise, visiting local shops, bakeries, ice cream shops, fudge shops, and the Apostle Islands Sled Dog Race can’t go wrong.
Madeline Island is the largest of the Apostle Islands at 14 miles long by 3 miles wide and the only one with residents. Most of them live in La Pointe.
About 250 residents live on Madeline Island year-round, but 2,500 can easily populate the island when tourists come.
Once you arrive on Madeline Island, whether by ferry or ice road, you’ll find plenty of activities. There are museums, local shops, miles of beaches, hiking, biking, kayaking, and restaurants and bars. In the winter, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, fat-tire bikes, snowmobiles, and ice fishing, to name a few, make for a fun day out.
Tip: Rent a bike or E-BIKE for a fun way to see the island.
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Before The Ice Road Is Ready
The Madeline Island Ferry Line runs most of the year except for a few months during winter. The ferry runs if some ice is present, but if it becomes too thick, people need other ways to go back and forth. When ice becomes too thick for the ferry but not strong enough for vehicle traffic, a custom-made windsled is used. Only during the coldest months of winter can an ice road work.
A locally designed, built, and operated windlsed was built to transport students and people across delicate ice. In particular, Madeline Island students attending Bayfield school needed a vehicle to cross for times when the ferry couldn’t run and when the ice road became frozen enough for vehicles. A state senator fought for funding by arguing that a windsled serves the same purpose as a big yellow school bus. His argument eventually won, and they received a half-a-million-dollar grant from the federal Department of Transportation for a specially designed windlsed.
In 2000, the town received its 9,000-pound windsled with enough seating for twenty students. Basically, it’s an enclosed flat-bottom boat with huge twin-propeller fans. It’s used between the ferry season and the ice road because it can float if it falls through the ice. Anyone can ride for 10.00 cash each way but don’t expect a luxurious journey. Customers receive hearing protection, padded benches, and heat. Along with this modest ride, expect a loud bumpy commute at eighteen miles per hour. Nevertheless, don’t look too close to the hull because it has been welded back together in several places. The Nelson family, who owns and operates Windsled Transportation, say this makes a smoother ride.
When The Ice Road Is Ready
The Ice Road is important because Madeline Island residents must go to the mainland for work, shopping, and everyday events. During ferry season, everything must be planned between the first and last boat. If they can’t make the schedule, they must stay at a hotel overnight on the mainland. The ice road becomes a relief since they can come and go as they want without following a schedule.
As the ice thickens, workers drill holes with augers throughout the path where the ice road will go. Ice must be at least eleven inches thick before cars, and light trucks can safely drive on it. Snow acts as insulation, so workers plow the road path to bare ice so it will thicken quicker.
What To Expect When Driving On The Madeline Island Ice Road
Although the two-mile-long Madeline Island Ice Road is frozen water, it’s the only designated ice road that appears on official state maps.
Beneath the ice road, water depths can be as shallow as 50-60 feet while in other places over 250 feet. It’s common to see many cracks refroze in the road along with layers of bubbles. The ride is bumpy for some years, while it can be smooth for others. Sometimes you can see Lake Superior through sections of clear ice. In addition, you will often hear sounds like a window shattering when driving on an ice road.
How To Drive On The Ice Road
Start by rolling your windows completely down, then remove your seatbelt. If you fall through the ice, you’ll only have a few seconds to escape. The shock of freezing water and frigid temperatures can quickly cause hypothermia, heart attacks, and even death. Next, slowly ease your way onto the ice road from land. Always follow orange cones that mark where the road goes. Do not drive off the marked road because the road might have been rerouted due to cracking and weak ice. Used Christmas trees also line the side of the ice road in case winter weather becomes bad, making the road hard to see from snowdrifts and blowing snow.
This is important. Do not exceed 15 mph, and keep plenty of space between vehicles.
When driving on an ice road, a vehicle naturally causes a shallow depression around it. The faster the speed, the bigger the depression. As the depression moves along below the vehicle, the shifting water produces waves beneath the ice. When the waves reach the shore, they ricochet back, colliding with more incoming waves. Thus, creating a blowout in the ice. For this reason, ice roads close to shore run at an angle.
Other Ways To Have Fun On The Madeline Island Ice Road
- Snowmobile
- Fat Tire Bike
- Cross-Country Skiing
- Snowshoe
- Walk
- Run
- Skijor
- Skate
- Ice Fishing
See another fun activity on ice, Now Is The Perfect Time To Crokicurl.
Final Thoughts
Driving to Bayfield is a perfect opportunity to travel through neat small towns. See how Lake Superior influences each town’s personality as you drive through their streets. We have a blast discovering small towns and their local businesses; we think you will too.
Take plenty of photos on the Madeline Island Ice Road because you’ll talk about this experience for the rest of your life.
Have fun, and stay safe. Thanks for reading Make Memories On The Exciting Madeline Island Ice Road.
Tom and Kristi
13 Comments
Carina | bucketlist2life
12/14/2021 at 10:04 amThe thought of driving an ice road intrigues me. Can you just take your regular car or do you need 4WD or special tires?
Tom
12/14/2021 at 10:10 amHi Carina. You can drive a regular car with regular tires. They put sand on the road in places that could need extra traction and it’s not too bad since you’re driving at a slow pace.
Steven Jepson
12/14/2021 at 1:35 pmRoll down your windows and take you seatbelt off in case your car falls through the ice??!!! Has it happened?
lensofjen17
12/14/2021 at 7:16 pmIt’s amazing to think about a town that finds relief when it’s so cold that there can be an ice road. What a town! And what an experience! Thank you for sharing it with us.
kmfiswriting
12/14/2021 at 8:08 pmI’ve got Madeline Island on my list, but hadn’t thought of going in the winter. This sounds fun to make memories on the Madeline Island Ice Road. Need to make that happen this season!
wendy white
12/15/2021 at 6:50 amOk so I thought this sounded like a lot of fun until your warning of leave windows open and seatbelt undone as you have only minutes to escape if you sink. Think this has put me off haha
Peggy Zipperer
12/15/2021 at 6:44 pmFascinating!! We took the ferry between Bayfield and Madeline Island last summer & loved both places. What a fun adventure, although not one I’d want to do often.
Becky Exploring
12/15/2021 at 11:51 pmThe thought of driving on an ice road both intrigues and terrifies me. Having never lived in a climate cold enough to drive on ice, I’d be afraid of falling through it. And that warning about taking off your seatbelt and rolling down the window – yikes! Very interesting to read about the ice road experience, but I’d probably visit Madeline Island during ferry season anyway. 🙂
Adria frie
01/02/2022 at 2:42 pmIs the ice road open ?
Tom
01/02/2022 at 5:44 pmHi, not yet, but you can call 715-747-2051 24 hours a day for updated info on the ice road.
Madelyn
01/05/2022 at 1:20 pmNo. At this time, there is no ice road.
Stefan (Berkeley Square Barbarian)
01/04/2022 at 11:14 amWhat a fascinating post, Tom. There’s a reason why there are TV shows about ice roads, I can see that now (I never watched any of them, but might do so now). It’s proper danger and adventure.
The warning to take off seat belts and lower windows ‘just in case’ wouldn’t necessarily make the experience feel a whole lot more enticing to me haha… kudos to you.
Tom
02/08/2022 at 8:48 amHi Stefan,
Taking off seatbelts and rolling down the windows isn’t very comforting!