The greatest lake
Run the steps and switchbacks, go for a swim from our private beach, host a campfire, watch the sun rise, meet with friends at the amphitheater, or just sit and listen to the water - Concordia's Great Lakes shoreline is a beautiful place to experience God's creative majesty.
We acknowledge that the campus acreage we inhabit is a small part of the traditional homelands of the Potowatomi (Bodéwadmiké) and Menominee (Mamaceqtaw) nations along the western shores of Lake Michigan. Before European settlers arrived more than 400 years ago, the Great Lakes basin was made up of tallgrass prairies, oak savannas, woodlands and wetlands. Containing both a coastal wetland and a perched wetland, the habitat along our shore is home to native plants and animals offering an up-close opportunity for environmental study. In fact, the Concordia Center for Environmental Stewardship was created to host coursework for local elementary, middle, high and homeschool classes as well as our own university students.
Lake Michigan facts
- If you stood on the moon, you could see Lake Michigan.
- At its deepest point, Lake Michigian is 925 feet deep. That's the height of the Chrysler Building in NYC.
- Because of its proximity to the lake, Concordia's campus is slightly warmer in the fall and early winter and somewhat cooler during spring and early summer
- The maashkinoozhe or muskie are Wisconsin's state fish and are being re-introduced into Lake Michigan. They are known for their ferocity and are the most sought-after trophy fish in the state.
- Our shoreline is a highway for the monarch butterfly as it migrates from Canada to Mexico every year
- The open coast provides one of the most important flyways for migrant songbirds in the United States hosting up to 300 different species in a season
- Two passenger and vehicle ferries connect Wisconsin and Michigan, running from May to October taking anywhere from 2-1/2 hours to 5 hours
- You can get to the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico from Lake Michigan! An ingenous series of channels, canals, locks and river systems host commercial barge traffic most of the year.