Nebbish Island remains wonderfully undeveloped. Even though only four of its 21 square miles are state owned, people have not rushed to build cottages here, as they have on Sugar Island to the north.
The island has been settled since the 1880s. Its name is an Indian word for "where the water boils," referring to the once-furious rapids along its western side. Today those rapids are greatly diminished, due to a deep channel dug in 1908 to permit freighter traffic. During World War II, the Coast Guard had a camp here, and before that there was a busy sawmill at Johnson Point. A couple who live on the island operate the ferry. It takes cars and people from Barbeau ($8 round-trip for car and driver, $2 for passengers over 12 years old) until the ice bridge forms just upstream after the Soo Locks shut for the season January 15. Ever since the little convenience store burned down, there is no place to buy food on the island. That can be a problem when the Coast Guard comes through in late March with an ice breaker that demolishes the half-mile-long ice bridge to the mainland. Often this is done so early that ice quickly again forms, too thin to walk on but thick enough to prevent the ferry from operating, thus stranding the islanders, sometimes for two weeks until a permanent water channel is reestablished.
The Coast Guard's eagerness to open the water channel is because the giant freighters must carefully maneuver around Neebish Island in order to move through St. Marys River to the Soo Locks and into Lake Superior. Boaters and ferry passengers can see the sheer limestone rock of "The Cut" if they look south from the ferry dock. The Corps of Engineers first created The Cut around 1900 to open up a second shipping channel, and has widened it to accommodate longer and longer freighters. The original channel was on Neebish Island's east side. Today it handles the upbound traffic and its western side the downbound traffic. Neebish is also known for unusual birds. A family of great grey owls, much bigger than most owls, lives here. There are also snowy owls, northern hawk owls, red -and white-winged crossbills, northern shrike, and rough-legged hawks.
Back to Les Cheneaux Islands, Drummond Island & the St. Mary's River
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NEEBISH ISLAND
RESTAURANTS,
LODGINGS
& CAMPGROUNDS
These are our choices, not ads.
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NEEBISH ISLAND
RESTAURANTS
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NEEBISH ISLAND
LODGINGS
GAINES RESORT
(906) 632-3956
Tucked in the southeast corner of the island is an old resort with remarkably inexpensive cabins. The Gaineses live in a converted 1890 barn. This place and all its cabins have views of the east (upbound) shipping channel. Deer hunters, duck hunters, and fishermen are guests in spring and fall, but many summer guests are families with children. Each cabin has a heater, refrigerator, stove, hot and cold running water, and comes with a 14-foot aluminum boat with oars. Two little one-bedroom cabins overlook the water, with a view of Rock Island, a slender island made by the Corps of Engineers from waste rock created when the St. Marys River shipping channel was widened. The cabins rent for $175 a week. Each has its own bathroom in a little adjacent bathhouse. Another one-bedroom cottage with inside bathroom is $190/week. A three-bedroom sits by itself a little up the hill. It's $300 a week or $60 a night.
17655 South Parr Rd., Barbeau, Michigan 49710. Open from May 15 thru deer season. Handicap accessible.: no. Family friendly. Pets: no, except for duck hunters,.
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NEEBISH ISLAND
CAMPGROUNDS
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