You Can *Legally* Drive Your Car Across Lake Superior This Winter

Madeline Island is located just off the northern coast of Wisconsin a few miles off shore in Lake Superior. During the majority of the year, the only way to access the island is by ferry, or some other boat.

However during the winter months there's another way to get to the idyllic island. If you've ever been ice fishing before you know how much weight a frozen over lake can handle. They take advantage of that in northern Wisconsin and open up an ice road every year that you can take to Madeline Island.

There are many ice roads across the country during the winter, but this one that connects mainland Wisconsin to Madeline Island is the only one that is recognized by an official map.

The 1.9 mile "road" connects to the mainland in the city of Bayfield and attracts fisherman and other nature lovers all year long.

Once opened, the highway is regularly monitored for safety. If officials feel that the ice has gotten too thin, they will shut it down until it is safe again.

Even when the ice is at its thickest, signs are there to remind you that there is always some danger when travelling along an ice road.

One cool feature of the road is that discarded Christmas trees are used every year to line the road. An ingenious use of biodegradable trash that is a yearly problem to dispose of properly.

Along with car traffic, bikers and hikers are welcome to make the trek along the ice road.