Apostle Islands

Apostle Islands National Lakeshore
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)
A sandy beach at the Little Sand Bay Visitor Center
Location	Ashland County and Bayfield County, Wisconsin, USA
Nearest city	Bayfield, Wisconsin
Coordinates	46°57′55″N 90°39′51″W / 46.96528°N 90.66417°W / 46.96528; -90.66417Coordinates: 46°57′55″N 90°39′51″W / 46.96528°N 90.66417°W / 46.96528; -90.66417
Area	69,372 acres (28,074 ha)[1]
Established	September 26, 1970 (1970-September-26)
Visitors	176,040 (in 2011)[2]
Governing body	National Park Service

The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is a U.S. national lakeshore consisting of 21 islands (Apostle Islands) and shoreline encompassing 69,372 acres (28,074 ha)^[1] on the northern tip of Wisconsin on the shore of Lake Superior. It is known for its collection of historic lighthouses, sandstone sea caves, a few old growth remnant forests, and natural animal habitats.

Introduction

The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is located off Wisconsin’s peninsula in Lake Superior, the “largest, cleanest, and coldest of the Great Lakes.” ^[3] The lakeshore comprises beaches, cliffs, water, and 21 islands.^[4] Madeline Island is the only one of the Apostle Islands not included in the national lakeshore, although a portion of the island is protected as Big Bay State Park. The island's accessibility by ferry or ice road, along with the shops, restaurants and other commercial establishments of the island town of La Pointe, make it popular with visitors to the national lakeshore.

Beginning in the west, going north around the outer islands, then west, then east, ending with the southern most island, the islands are:

• Eagle Island
• Sand Island - dock, ranger station, camping and lighthouse
• York Island - camping
• Bear Island
• Devils Island - dock and lighthouse
• Rocky Island - dock, ranger station, and camping
• South Twin Island - dock, ranger station, and camping
• North Twin Island
• Outer Island - dock and lighthouse
• Cat Island
• Ironwood Island
• Otter Island - dock
• Raspberry Island - dock, ranger station, and lighthouse
• Oak Island - dock, ranger station, and camping
• Manitou Island - dock and ranger station
• Stockton Island - two docks, ranger station, and lighthouse. Sites include Trout Point Logging Camp and a sandstone quarry
• Gull Island
• Michigan Island - dock and lighthouse
• Hermit Island - includes a sandstone quarry
• Basswood Island - dock, ranger station, camping and the McCloud-Brigham Farm
• Long Island - modern lighthouse on the point

Historical evidence suggests that another island formerly existed alongside Eagle Island. It was known as Steamboat Island, although this name was apparently also used for Eagle Island itself, in which case Steamboat Island was called "Little Steamboat Island." Multiple sources dating from August 1901 document the disappearance of the island around that time, due to unknown natural forces.^[5]

History

The Apostle Islands are a result of the glaciers that once covered North America. “Geologically they are originally part of the main land at the edge of the great riff or fault which formed the depression to which the waters of Lake Superior collected.” ^[6] When the glaciers melted, waves from the waters of Lake Superior caused erosion that formed the islands. The islands are composed of mostly red sandstone because of the glacial shift.^{[7][clarification needed]}

It is widely assumed that Indians were the first to inhabit the island. “There is some evidence that they were seen and possibly visited sometime in the fourteenth century by Indians who were making their way to Isle Royale near the north shore of the land in search of copper.” ^[6] Not long after, the islands were visited by Étienne Brûlé, a French explorer who, like many French Canadians, was trying to discover a new way to the East Indies. "The French are believed to have named the islands 'Apostle' meaning 12, because they believed in the practice of giving names of religious significance to geographic locations."^[8] It is said that fur traders were the first explorers to settle in the area, building a village from the money they brought in.

United States Senator Gaylord Nelson sponsored the federal legislation that established the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.^[9][10] Public Law 91-424 was signed by the President on September 26, 1970. It included 20 islands, a 12-mile (19 km) strip of the mainland, and approximately 1/4 mile of Lake Superior jurisdiction adjacent to each land unit.^[11]

Public Law 99-497 in 1986 added Long Island to the National Lakeshore and transferred ownership of all the light stations from the U.S. Coast Guard to the National Park Service.

After the National Park Service completed a wilderness study in 2004, and received overwhelming support from the public, Congress designated 80% of the land area of the national lakeshore as the Gaylord Nelson Wilderness on December 8, 2004. (Public Law 108-447, Division E, Section 140)

The National Park Travelers Club will hold its 2012 convention at the Apostle Islands.^[12]

Recreation

Many of the islands offer public docking; a small fee is charged for overnight use.^[13] The shoreline contains some historical sites, such as the many lighthouses throughout the islands. Fishing on Lake Superior is a popular activity for boaters and non-boaters alike. The lake holds several species of trout and some species of salmon. In seasons when the water is warmer visitors can catch fish from the shore in water as shallow as ten feet.

Camping is a popular choice of the islands' visitors. The options range from more civilized sites that offer many amenities, such as well water, vault toilets, and food lockers, to sites that are more remote, further from other campers and offer nothing more than a tent pad or fire ring. Camping is offered on 18 of the 21 islands in the national lakeshore. Permits are required from the National Park Service in advance; reservations for group sites begin most years in January and for individual sites 30 days in advance.^[14]

Hunting is permitted on some islands for certain periods of the year. Game include white-tail deer, black bear, grouse, and other small game. As white-tailed deer have become abundant in recent years, deer hunting opportunities have been plentiful, although the logistics of hunting on the islands can be difficult. Hunting black bears is limited to two islands, and there are rules and regulations that apply only to specific areas.

To get from island to island many visitors choose to kayak, either bringing their own kayaks and equipment or renting from a local shop. The islands also offer opportunities to scuba divers to view interesting rock formations and shipwrecks. Scuba diving within a quarter-mile of any island shore requires obtaining a free permit from the park's visitor center.

Lighthouses

For most of the century, the six Apostle Islands Lighthouses have guided ships and boats through the rough waters of Lake Superior, and through the Apostle Islands.

Sand Island lighthouse has been thought to be the most beautiful light house to visit. This lighthouse is approximately 44 feet (13 m) tall and was one of the first lighthouses to be lit in 1921. Boats tour this island June through late August every year on trips provided by volunteers of the National Park Service. The lighthouse on Raspberry Island has been completely renovated and is one of the most scenic in the Apostle Islands. Some other lighthouses are: Michigan Island, LaPointe Light on Long Island, and Outer Island Lighthouse.

Local communities

Bayfield becomes more popular during the summer months, when visitors travel to and from the islands. In Bayfield, visitors can locate "the headquarters and visitors center of the National Lakeshore, (which) can supply you with helpful materials to enhance your cruising among the islands."^[15]

Washburn, located 10 miles (16 km) from Bayfield, is another community associated with the Apostle Islands. The town has a marina. Washburn is "devoted mainly to country government and tourism."^[15]

Gallery

• 

  Sand Island Sea Caves

• 

  Some of the Mawikwe Bay Sea Caves, on the mainland near Cornucopia, Wisconsin.

• 

  Hokenson Fishery, a part of the Little Sand Bay Visitor Center on the mainland

• 

  Trail on Raspberry Island

• 

  Headquarters of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, in Bayfield, Wisconsin. The building is made of stone quarried from the Apostle Islands before they became a national park.

Notes

References

• Apostle Islands National Lake Shore. 2008. GORP. 4 Mar. 2008
• Black Phase Black Bear
• Bog on Stockton Island
• Gulls on Gull Island
• National Park Services (2006, August 23). National Park Service. Retrieved February 18, 2008
• Travel Wisconsin. 2008. Wisconsin Department of Tourism. 4 Mar. 2008
• White Manderin

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

• National Park Service: Apostle Islands National Lakeshore
• Wisconsin Stewardship Network

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