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Apostle Islands National Lakeshore
Moonlight over the Apostle Islands. Courtesy National Park Service.
Associate Pages
Visitor Statistics
Apostle Islands NL
254,952 Visitors#169 Most Visited
Source: National Park Service Ranking of 387 park units, 2022.
Park Size
42,161 acres (Federal), 69,377 (Total)Park Fee
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is one of the parks in the National Park system that has a variety of fees depending on what you want to do. Camping is $15 per night with charge for reservations. Docking fees are $15-30 depending on the size of your boat. Interpretive ranger programs are $5 adults, $3 children under 16, and $10 family. Parking costs $5 to $10 depending again on the length of the vehicle. Little Sand Bay parking is free. There is a charge for the Ice Cave Event; $5 adults, free 16 and under.Apostle Islands Weather
Weather changes here on Lake Superior, with quick changes, fog, rought seas, and squalls. Although daytime temperatures in summer peak between 60 and 80 most days. Water temps are still in the 40's in May and June and rarely crack 60 degrees in the summer. Waves are normally 1-4 feet, but can reach 12 feet during stormy weather.
Photo above: Honeymoon Rock at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Courtesy National Park Service. Photo right: Raspberry Island Lighthouse. Courtesy National Park Service.
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore
You'll want to head first to one of the four Visitor Centers that can help you orient to the history, recreation, and how to get around the park aspect of Apostle Islands. To view by tour or your own watercraft, that's just what you have to do. The islands in Lake Superior are surrounded by islands. Islands here. Islands there. And lighthouses that guard them. Don't miss out of the spectacular nature of this Wisconsin lakeshore; take a guided tour, either by ranger, or on one of the official shuttles. It's the only way to get a real grasp on just what this island puzzle is all about.
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Apostle Islands Then
Of course, there was a whole lot of history here long before it became a water haven for tourists. Its said that the earliest
settlers, non-European, were the Anishinaabe around 950 AD. The Ojibwe would use the islands in other ways as the centuries passed; copper was prevalent in the area, rice cultivation by boat, and fishing. Other tribes would move west, becoming part of the Ojibwe nation, which controlled most of the Lake Superior region.
The first contact with Europeans in the area came in 1640 when French traders arrived and made settlement a La Pointe, becoming an official fort and trading post in 1693.
War would come with the United States as the Ojibwe, under Chief Buffalo, participated in Tecumseh's War at first, then was convinced that by treaty and peace he could further the Ojibwe cause. The American flag was raised in the region in 1816. Chief Buffalo spent his entire life fighting over lumber and other commercial interests there that pushed his people off the islands and into reservations.
As shipping of these goods became the goal of the European traders, the construction of the Apostle Islands lighthouses, would emerge, particularly after the St. Lawrence Seaway connected Lake Superior to the east. Six of them still exist and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Michigan Island Lighthouse, two, built in 1857. One each were placed on Raspberry Island in 1862, Outer Island Lighthouse 1874, Sand Island Light in 1881, and Devils Island Lighthouse in 1891.
Photo above: The landing at Devil's Island, 1898, Detroit Publishing Company. Courtesy Library of Congress. Below: Archway at Swallow Point in winter. Courtesy National Park Service.
Apostle Islands Now
There's twenty-one islands inside the National Lakeshore, only Madeleine was left out. That's Stockton, Gull, Eagle, Outer, Oak, Sand, Basswood, Bear, Michigan, Hermit, Cat, Otter, Manitou, Rocky, Long, Ironwood, York, Raspberry, Devils, South Twin, and North Twin Islands. Wonder what Madeleine did to them.
You can go to the beach on the mainland at Meyer's Beach, which is at the southwest end of the park or you can grab an island shuttle and explore all around the park. You can visit six lighthouses, watch films in the visitor centers, and take a bunch of hikes. Don't forget all that boating denotes; fishing, scuba diving, and exploring the nook of the islands is a treat.
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore
Things You Should Not Miss
1. First off, visit one of the Visitor Centers mainland to get a handle on just what the islands offer, how to get to them, and visit the exhibits and films there to see. And if there's a mainland ranger tour, they're always great.
3. Take a tour of the islands by water. If you don't have your own boat or kayak to make the rounds, use the Apostle Islands Cruise service, or one of the local outfitters, and take a cruise. Yes, it's gonna be expensive. They range from $47.95 and up for adults; $28.95 for children (6-12); under 6, $1.00.
2. Take a hike. For many, its the trails that draw them to Apostle Islands, and with fifty miles of trails on the mainland, you don't always have to boat there. There's the Lakeshore Trail from Meyers Beach, trails that lead to old farms, lighthouses, and old logging camps. Ask at the visitor center which scene you'd like to hike to. On the islands, the trails are spectacular, too. Watch out for the black bears on Stockton islands; there's the highest concentration of black bears there than anywhere else in the USA. If its winter, there are Ice Caves to visit and a variety of other activities on the mainland side of the park.
Photo above: The Sphinx Rock formation at Apostle Islands, 1898, Detroit Photographic Co. Source Library of Congress.
T-Shirts and Souvenirs
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore T-Shirts and Gifts from the official souvenirs of America's Best History. Great for Wisconsin nature, national park, and heritage history fans.
Visitor FAQ
What's There Now
Visitor's Centers
There are four Visitor Centers around the area of Apostle Islands National Lakeshore that service the park with exhibits and information.
Headquarters Visitor Center is located in the Old Bayfield Country Courthouse. It provides orientation, camping permits, a museum, bookstore, and film about the park. There are restrooms inside and picnic tables outside.
Little Sand Bay Vistor Center is brand new in 2020. There's orientation here too, the Twilite Fish Tug, camping permits, exhibits on the Little Sand Bay and North Woods area, and more. There's also a boat/kayak launch here, plus restrooms, and picnic area. This Visitor Center is seasonal.
Stockton Island Visitor Center, located in the Presque Isle region, on one of the islands, is also seasonal with a few exhibits, orientation, and trail access to the Tombolo, Julian Bay, and Anderson Bay trails. There's also seventeen campsites here at Presque Isle and overnight boat slips. A boat launch is available for canoe, kayak, and small craft. Restrooms are on site.
David R. Obey Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center. This visitor center is kind of a catch all to the region, not specifically to Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. It's located twenty-seven miles south of Bayfield, but through its partnerships with the National Park Service, National Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, Wisconsin Historical Society, and the University of Wisconsin, plus a Friends Group, the center is large, comprehensive, with exhibits and film inside, and walking trails and picnic tables outside.
Photo above: Apostle Islands Headequarters Visitor Center. Courtesy National Park Service.
Lodging and Camping
Lodging - There is no lodging inside the mainland or islands portions of Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Search your favorite online travel sites for motels, bed and breakfasts, and other lodging choices around the communities of Bayfield and Ashland.
Camping - There are a variety of camping options. On the mainland, there's only one campground, but out in water land, there is camping on eighteen of the twenty-one islands. Yes, Madeleine has camping at two campsites at Big Bay State Park, which can be accessed by car ferry. On the mainland, there are other campsites that offer drive up service; Bayfield, Red Cliff, Cornucopia, Washburn, Ashland, and in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest.
Photo above: Kayaking in sea-kayaks at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Boats can be rented from outfitters or provided for a guided tour. Courtesy National Park Service.
Directions
Physical address of the Headquarters Visitor Center is 415 Washington Avenue, Bayfield, WI 54814. There are several other center accessible by road; Little Sand Bay Visitor Center located north of the main Visitor Center at 32660 Little Sand Bay Road,
Bayfield, WI 54814, and the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center,
29270 County Highway G, Ashland, WI 54806.
However, once you get to one of those Visitors Centers or Meyers Beach, the only way to get to the Apostle Islands themselves is by water. Your choice of boating, kayaking, or taking the official water shuttle and tours of the Apostle Island Cruises. There are also other outfitters that can take you there. You can also drive to Madeleine Island, car ferry, although it is not part of the National Lakeshore itself, but has interesting points of interest from a State Park to museums.
Photo above: Sand Island Lighthouse, built in 1881. The brownstone exterior was quarried from local quarries. Courtesy National Park Service/Eret.
