Back
County Road 550: Marquette to Big Bay, Marquette County, Michigan
Photo: Max Bender maxwbender

Drives Michigan Michigan's Upper Peninsula

County Road 550: Marquette to Big Bay

CR 550, Big Bay Road · Marquette → Big Bay

Leisurely24 mi35 min1,000 ft climbHigh point ≈ 800 ftOne way
Scan to drive it in CarvePoint a phone's camera here. It opens ready to drive.
Drive it in Carve, free

Opens this route in the app, or where to get it.

Drive this road
in the appOpen

The drive

County Road 550 runs north from Marquette to Big Bay, a small community in northern Marquette County about 28 miles northwest of Marquette. Big Bay sits near the shore of Big Bay on Lake Superior, and Lake Independence occupies the southern part of the community.

The drive is 24.2 miles and takes about 35 minutes, a rolling two-lane road with gentle curves. Big Bay's claim to fame is the 1959 film Anatomy of a Murder, which was shot at places including the Thunder Bay Inn.

Along the way

  1. Marquette
  2. Sugarloaf Mountain
  3. Big Bay
Elevation
1,000 ft of climbing · high point ≈ 800 ft
MarquetteBig Bay
Curves
Mostly gentle curves
MarquetteBig Bay
GentleHairpins

Good to know

  • Wildfires have burned in Marquette County, so check current conditions before you go.

Open all year, weather permitting. Roads close for snow, fire, storms and repairs: before you set off, check MDOT MiDrive.

Questions about this drive

How long does County Road 550 from Marquette to Big Bay take?

County Road 550 from Marquette to Big Bay is 24.2 miles and takes about 35 minutes.

How far is Big Bay from Marquette?

Big Bay is about 28 miles northwest of Marquette.

Is County Road 550 twisty?

It is rated Leisurely: a rolling two-lane road with gentle curves, about 1,000 feet of climb in all.

What you get in the app

Turn by turn, on this roadSpoken directions along the exact route. Carve never reroutes you onto a faster one.
Preview it in 3DFly the whole drive over satellite and terrain before you go.
Drive it with no signalAPEXDownload the map and every turn before you go.
Live Group TrackingAPEXEveryone on the route, on the map, by name.
Road conditionsAPEXWet or dry, ice, fog and wind along the road before you go.
Record your drivesAPEXRecord a drive and turn it into a route to drive again or share.

Free on iPhone and Android. CarPlay and Android Auto come with Apex.

Download on theApp StoreEarly access onGoogle Play

More drives near here

All 18 drives in Michigan ›

Distance, time, elevation, curves and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-28.

+ Plan a new route
Map of County Road 550: Marquette to Big Bay, from Marquette to Big Bay