 Big
Bay Depot Motel
On Lake Independence Country Road 550 Your Hosts are Nancy and Jan
Located on Lake Independence, 23 miles north of Marquette in Big Bay, in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Sitting on the shores of Lake Independence, the Big Bay Train Depot has been refurbished into 5 uniquely decorated suites with fully equipped kitchens and is open year round with easy trail access. All the suites are facing the lake and have two double beds, a comfortable bedroom and sitting area, and limited TV plus a VCR. Bring your tapes or rent them. The large deck on the second floor
overlooking Lake Independence is available for all
and has abundant tables and umbrellas. One of the first floor suites even contains a
bay window which was formerly the ticket office for
the train station. Boat launch nearby. Stop in the office to see pictures of the original station and learn a little history of the building and the area. The Big Bay Depot Motel has direct access to the sandy beach on Lake Independence for swimming or docking your boat. There is a new 32 foot long dock with a bench on the end for sitting. Great for fishing, sunning, or relaxing and enjoying the view.
The grounds in front of the depot have grills and picnic tables. After a busy day, relax outside and enjoy cooking your dinner on the grill, perhaps your catch of the day. Groceries, meat and your favorite beverages are available across the road at Crams General Store. Fish are available in the lake. If you do not feel like cooking, restaurants are within walking distance. The suites and the gounds of the Big Bay Depot Motel have the little touches that make the Big Bay Depot a very comfortable place to stay.
Recreation in Big Bay Big Bay is one of the best 4 season outdoor recreational areas. Fishing is spectacular on Lake Independence and Lake Superior. Nearby streams are filled with trout. To the west of Big Bay is the McCormick
Tract, a half-million acres of land for public use
with non-motorized vehicles. This land is criss-crossed with logging
trails that make it ideal for mountain bikes,
hikers, climbers, cross country skiers and
snowshoers. ATVS are also welcome here on the many logging trails outside of the wilderness and on the old train track bed coming into Big Bay. Local tour guides are available for all your sports interests. The color season must be called a "colorama" with all the hardwoods in the wilderness area. The breathtaking colors must be seen to be believed. Bring your camera! Late September and the first week of October are usually the peak times for color, but the trees are stunning throughout most of September. Call us at 1-906-345-9350 for daily reports on the color.
Hunting is great for deer and bear and winter brings an incredible amount of lake effect snow that falls almost daily. This is considered real snowmobile country and the local trails connect to the 2,500 miles of trails crossing back and forth throughout the Upper Peninsula. Snowmobile rentals in Big Bay. Ice fishing produces plentiful catches of perch and northerns. Back country skiing and snowshoeing let you move quietly through the massive forests, giving you the opportunity to see the deer, foxes, rabbits and other non-hibernating animals. You might even see a moose. and make the Big Bay Depot Lodge your headquarters for a grand vacation. Call Nancy or Jan at 906-345-9350 for
reservations. Children and Pets are very welcome. On the main Big Bay page, the top photo of Lake Independence was taken from the deck of the Big Bay Depot Motel. Back to Upper Peninsula Towns and Cities Page Back to Upper Peninsula Lodging Back to the Upper Peninsula Traveler Registered Copyright 2001-06 by Vivian Wood, webmaster. All Rights Reserved. Except as permitted under the Copyright Act of 1976, as amended, this web site may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any manner. Unless authorized by the webmaster, reproduction of any picture, web page or pages on this website, www.exploringthenorth.com, for placement on the internet is a copyright infringement. All right, title and interest in and to the material on these web pages, the web site, in whole or in part, and in and to this url and the urls contained within, is the property of the webmaster. All website design, text, graphics, selection and arrangement thereof are the copyrighted works of Vivian Wood. Web site created on an Apple G-4 Big Bay MI motels & suites on Lake Independence. Open year round. |
