Rock Island State Park
Two ferry crossings lead to limestone shore, walk-in camping, a vast stone boathouse, and Wisconsin’s oldest lighthouse on a roadless Lake Michigan island.
Artwork inspired by Gerhard Miller
Rock Island begins with logistics: drive or cycle to the Washington Island ferry, cross, travel to Jackson Harbor, park, then board a passenger-only ferry. That separation protects a car-free landscape of beaches, cedar forest, campsites, stone structures, and Pottawatomie Lighthouse at the island’s northern end.
The boathouse called Viking Hall reflects Chester Thordarson’s estate, while the lighthouse interprets nearly two centuries of navigation. There are no stores or vehicle rescues on Rock Island. Carry food, water capacity, weather layers, and everything needed for the return; ferry cancellations can follow wind and lake conditions even on a bright morning.
- Access
- Passenger ferry only
- Vehicles
- None on island
- Lighthouse
- Wisconsin’s oldest station
Quick guide
- Confirm both crossings
- Washington Island and Rock Island ferries are separate operations with different schedules and capacities
- Choose lighthouse or shore
- The lighthouse walk is substantial
Treat the two-ferry journey as part of the island
- Confirm both crossings
- Washington Island and Rock Island ferries are separate operations with different schedules and capacities.
- Pack past the dock
- No cars or stores means every meal, layer, and piece of camping equipment travels by hand.
- Choose lighthouse or shore
- The lighthouse walk is substantial; do not combine it casually with every beach and structure.
- Watch the return weather
- Wind can change the final ferry plan before conditions look severe from land.
Good to know
Reaching the park requires two separate ferries, and the Rock Island boat does not transport cars; missed or canceled returns have serious consequences.
Notice these
- Viking Hall
- Pottawatomie Lighthouse
- Car-free shoreline