Wisconsin's breathtaking Lake Superior shoreline is featured in an upcoming episode of the nation's longest-running tourism TV show, Discover Wisconsin.
Airing this weekend, "Wisconsin's Northern Shore-Lake Superior" was produced in partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Tourism and Coastal Management Program.
"Travelers spend $137 million annually in the three counties that border Lake Superior, supporting over 2,000 jobs for local residents," Tourism Secretary Stephanie Klett said. "That's why we are so pleased to partner with the Department of Administration and Discover Wisconsin to produce a show that beautifully showcases the region's spectacular outdoor recreation. It will help grow the tourism economy along Lake Superior by encouraging travelers to visit a destination that is a source of pride for Wisconsin."
With more surface area than any other freshwater lake in the world, Lake Superior is the largest of the five Great Lakes.
Host Emmy Fink begins her northern coast tour on the western tip of the lake, in Superior -- one of the busiest harbors on the Great Lakes. It's also home to the second largest sandbar in the U.S., stretching from Duluth to Superior. Near Wisconsin Point is the Osaugie Waterfront Trail, a multi-use path for hikers, bikers, horseback riders, snowmobilers and ATV riders. Fink and the Discover Wisconsin crew also take views on a virtual tour of Lake Superior Water Trail, a path defined by the land features found along its route like high, step clay bluffs and urban waterfronts, all of which serve as access points, trailheads, picnic areas and camping sites. Also featured in the show is Saxon Harbor, a popular spot for campers and beach-goers.
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"Filming this episode really reminded me how lucky we are to have this majestic body of water right off our northern shore," said Danielle Bernard, writer and producer for Discover Wisconsin. "From the beach or out on the water, there's just no comparison to the beauty of Lake Superior and the Apostle Islands."
Twenty-one islands and 12 miles of mainland make up the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and Discover Wisconsin visited a few including the largest isle, Stockton. There's more than 10,000 acres on Stockton Island and 23 miles of shoreline, and visitors can camp right along the shore. Fink also toured Raspberry Island Lighthouse, one of the few surviving wood framed lighthouses on Lake Superior.
Discover Wisconsin featured Big Bay State Park on Madeline Island and Frog Bay Tribal National Park on the mainland of the Red Cliff Reservation, the latter of which was developed with assistance from the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program and is the first of its kind in the nation.
At just over 1,300 feet, Lake Superior is the deepest of all the Great Lakes. The crew met with Keith Meverden of the Wisconsin Historical Society to learn about shipwrecks in Lake Superior that provide tourists a unique diving and snorkeling experience. Heading south to Ashland and Chequamegon Bay is the four-mile long Waterfront Trail, which stretches along the bay and winds along the town's historic Main Street and area parks. Chequamegon Bay is regarded as a top smallmouth bass fishery.
Many of the destinations featured in the "Wisconsin's Northern Coast-Lake Superior" episode are Travel Green Wisconsin certified, an accreditation program that recognizes tourism businesses committed to reducing the impact on the environmental. In fact, Bayfield has more Travel Green businesses than any other community in the state.
Discover Wisconsin airs locally at 5:30 p.m. Sunday on WDIO TV, Channel 10.
For more information, visit DiscoverWisconsin.com.
