Apostle Islands

https://www.nps.gov/apis/index.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostle_Islands_National_Lakeshore The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore consists of 21 islands (Apostle Islands) and shoreline encompassing 69,372 acres (28,074 ha) 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. Imagine that moment, being in that perfect spot as the sun rises, and everything comes into focus. A rocky shoreline suddenly reflects the world around you. Waiting for you among the water, land, forests, and history is that moment. How will the islands inspire you? Apostle Islands National Lakeshore features several points of interest with much of it only accessible by water. Bayfield Headquarters Visitor Center The park's headquarters is located in the Bayfield, WI in the old Bayfield Courthouse Building. This iconic, brownstone building is easy to recognize from Washington Ave. Headquarters offers orientation and information, camping permits, museum exhibits, a park film, and the America's National Parks bookstore. The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Headquarters is open seasonally. The visitor center and administrative offices are located in the Old County Courthouse in the city of Bayfield, WI. Located one block off of Highway 13. Little Sand Bay Visitor Center This seasonal visitor center is brand new in 2020. Exhibits on the grounds tell the story of Little Sand Bay and the challenges and joys of living in the North Woods, including the restored Twilite fish tug. The center offers orientation and information, camping permits, kayak safety guidance, and the America's National Parks bookstore. The visitor center and fishery exhibit at Little Sand Bay is accessible by road (off of Old County K) or lake access, 13 miles north of Bayfield. Presque Isle Campground - Stockton Island Boat-in only campsites scattered along the shore of Presque Isle Bay on Stockton Island, 14 miles offshore from Bayfield, WI. Island access is extremely limited in winter and challenging in spring and fall. Cruise boat and/or water taxi access available from late spring to early fall. The island features 15 miles of hiking trails, three beautiful beaches, and supports a population of black bears. Campsites include picnic tables, a fire ring, a tent pad, and a bear proof food locker. Camping reservation fee 10.00 The camping reservation fee covers the cost of reserving the campsite on-line at www.recreation.gov Individual Campsite Nightly Camping Fee 15.00 The campsites at the Presque Isle campground can each be used by 1 to 7 campers with up to 3 tents. The maximum stay is 14 nights. the reservation guarantees a site in the campground, but the sites are occupied on a first-come first-served basis. Once campers select a campsite, they must register at the visitor center (when the site is staffed). Presque Isle Campsite #2 Campers enjoy a picnic on an October Day Campsite #2 is only a couple hundred yards from the Presque Isle boat dock. Presque Isle Campsite #13 Campsite #13 is a half mile from the Presque Isle dock. Some campers like to be removed from the activity near the dock and visitor center. Presque Isle boat harbor Two docks enclose a small boat harbor near the Presque Isle visitor center and campground. Dock space is available to boaters at Presque Isle on a first-come first-served basis. Campers gather near the Presque Isle Visitor Center A visitor center, vault toilets, and potable water are located near the Presque Isle docks. Park staff greet campers at the visitor center in summer to explain camping procedures and register which sites are occupied. View of the Bowl at the Mainland Sea Caves Tree-covered red cliffs meet greenish blue water, in a bowl shape. Hike or paddle to views of the sea caves along the mainland unit of the park. Raspberry Island Lighthouse A two story white house with a light tower in the middle, reflects the colors of the setting sun. Step into the past with a visit to Raspberry Island Lighthouse. Julian Bay Sunrise illuminates a long beach near calm water. Julian Bay is a popular beach to visit on Stockton Island. Rocky Shorelines A rocky shoreline meets the calm water of a lake at sunset. Experience the setting sun along a rocky island shoreline. Emerging Concern Among “Every Day Chemicals” You may have heard the saying “all drains lead to the lake,” but it can be hard to remember that includes what is sent down sinks, toilets, and washing machines. Many things we do in the course of a day can contribute to the contamination of surface waters (lake and streams) in ways we cannot see. Some of these “every day chemicals” are known as contaminants of emerging concern. Person in stream collecting water sample Lead Contamination in Bald Eagle Nestlings Bald eagles can tell us a lot about contamination in aquatic systems because they are on top of the food web and fish are their primary prey—a food source they share with humans. From 2006 through 2015, the Great Lakes Inventory and Monitoring Network collected blood and feather samples from bald eagle nestlings to monitor contaminants in three upper Midwest national park units. This resource brief describes the results for just one of those contaminants: lead. Two eaglets in a nest with the remains of a fish. A Legacy of Contamination Production of DDT and PCBs was banned in the United States in the 1970s, but they continue to be found in the blood and feathers of bald eagles. What does our monitoring of eagles in three Great Lakes Network parks tell us about these "legacy contaminants"? A bald eagle nestling stands on sand with sun at his back. People can be seen in the background. Great Lakes Mapping Great Lakes Network staff assisted Midwest Region staff in a mapping project that reveals a whole new way of looking at the Great Lakes parks. oblique view of the Gull Island shoal, Apostle Islands NL, Lake Superior Connecting with Our Homelands in 2019 Throughout the 2019 academic year, Hopa Mountain, in partnership with the National Park Service, awarded Connecting with our Homelands travel grants to 21 different indigenous organizations, schools, and nonprofits. These are glimpses into some of these trips. Students look at a forested landscape. 2019 Connecting with our Homelands Awardees Hopa Mountain, in partnership with the National Park Service, is pleased to announce the 2019 awardees of the Connecting with our Homelands travel grants. Twenty-one Indigenous organizations, schools, and nonprofits have been awarded travel funds for trips to national park units across 12 states/territories within the United States. An elder and young student talk while sitting on a rock. NPS Geodiversity Atlas—Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Wisconsin Each park-specific page in the NPS Geodiversity Atlas provides basic information on the significant geologic features and processes occurring in the park. Links to products from Baseline Geologic and Soil Resources Inventories provide access to maps and reports. shoreline with rock arch Nighttime Navigation and Light Station Landscapes Lighthouses of the Great Lakes region are historic navigational aids that have guided sailors under dark skies, around dangerous coast lines, and through treacherous weather. The light station landscapes are an important cultural resource, representing developments in navigational technology and patterns of commerce and settlement. The landscape features suggest the lives of the keepers and their families who operated these lights, guiding ships through dark waters. Aerial view of a light station with cylindrical light tower, surrounded by trees and grass. Devils Island Light Station Cultural Landscape Devils Island Light Station is one of six light stations in Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. The cultural landscape is a collection of features that remain from its development as a light station over one hundred and twenty years. It represents changes in maritime navigation and lighthouse engineering and technology in Lake Superior. Top of the cylindrical light tower at Devils Island against a blue sky. Using Lake Superior parks to explain the Midcontinent Rift Explaining the spectacular scenery around Lake Superior resulting from the 1.1 billion–year–old Midcontinent Rift System gives park interpreters an opportunity to discuss some of the most important processes that shape our planet and influenced the region’s settlement and growth. Kayakers paddle past sandstone rocks at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore (Seth Stein) 2015 Freeman Tilden Award Recipients Meet the recipients of the 2015 Freeman Tilden Awards, the highest National Park Service honor for interpretation, and learn more about their exciting programs. Ernie Price Letter to the Editor The EPA updated its criteria for assessing water and sediment quality. This enabled a more nuanced analysis of water quality conditions in the Great Lakes. Our analysis suggests that parks would benefit from additional work on water clarity. Nearshore water quality monitoring station near Sand Island, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Prescribed Fire Restores Cultural Landscape at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore During October 2014, wildland firefighters from the National Park Service at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore (NPS) and the Bureau of Indian Affairs Great Lakes Agency partnered to conduct a prescribed fire at Devils Island Light Station. The fire helped maintain the view to and from the light tower, which still serves as a guidepost to lake mariners. Nearshore conditions in the Great Lakes national parks: A baseline water quality and toxicological assessment Field survey results suggest generally good water quality, although nutrient concentrations were unexpectedly high near several parks, and metals and legacy pollutants continue to affect sediments and fish. Nearshore water quality monitoring station near Sand Island, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Invasive Species Matching Activity Your mission today, should you choose to accept, is to match the image of an invasive species with its name and description. What is an invasive species you ask? It is any non-native plant, insect, animal or pathogen, which is introduced into an area and damages the environment, human economy, or human health in that area. Three long, narrow sea lamprey, two are showing their round sucking mouth full of teeth. Junior Ranger Activity Guide Apostle Islands National Lakeshore has a lot to explore, both in the park and online. Open up a Junior Ranger Activity Guide to learn more about the park, while you're here or from the comfort of your home. Become a Junior Ranger Today! Cover of the Junior Ranger Book, showing blue water, lighthouse, a penciled in ranger and child. Signs of Spring Word Scramble Unscramble these words that are signs of spring around the Apostle Islands. Think about using all your senses and imagine traveling through the woods, wetland, and waters that surround us. What things might you see, hear, touch smell or observe? A close up of a small snowshoe hare with mottled brown & white fur. Animal Word Search Search your way through the jumble of letters and find some of the animals who call the Apostle Islands home (even if just a summer home). Imagine you're searching for these animals on the islands...how might you feel if you found one? A black bear stands to scratch its back against a tree. A Kayaking Ad Lib This week, you can help us finish a story about getting ready to go kayaking on the Big Lake. That’s right! You, a kayak, and Gichigami. You need to plan if you going to achieve great things safely. A kayak is seen on the water in front of a sandstone cliff with a cave carved into it. Animal Word Scramble We are presenting you with the scrambled letters of animal names. As it turns out, animals in the area know the letters in their names but not the correct order of those letters. Ranger Steve wrote them down as he was told by those animals, but needs some help to get the spelling right. A small grey and white bird with a black collar, stands on the beach. Water Quality Word Scramble Have you ever thought about owning something monumental? Imagine, if you will, that Lake Superior belongs to you. It is yours! As the owner of this freshwater gem, what are your responsibilities? Do you think about its future? Perhaps you see yourself as steward, caretaker, and protector of this natural wonder? Unscramble these words to help increase your understanding and awareness of factors that affect our water and our lives. Looking through tree branches at a huge, blue lake as far as the eye can see. Lighthouse Word Search Try your skill at finding all the "lighthouse" words in this lighthouse. Imagine that you are a lighthouse keeper charged with maintaining these lifesaving navigational aids to ships coming into La Pointe and Chequamegon Bay. All you do is flip a switch and you have light, right? Wrong! The light needs you! A white house with a lighthouse tower stands with a taller metal lighthouse tower behind it. Life at Michigan Island Light Station: Tending Beacon, Landscape, and Family Lighthouse keepers were responsible for keeping the lamp lit, but the duties didn't stop there. The individuals employed as keepers maintained and improved the landscape, lighthouse, the lamp, and other outbuildings. In a place like Michigan Island, the isolation influenced nearly everything, from construction to gardening. Before each of Lake Superior’s lighthouses became automated, more than sixty women held positions of authority at many stations in the Great Lakes region. A row of women in long dresses standing in front of the Michigan Island light station house. Animal Track Matching Your assignment today, we mean your super-fun, mind-blowing activity, is to match animal tracks with the proper English or Ojibwe name and its definition. Bear tracks visible in the sand beach. Piping Plovers On The Move A flurry of activity early in the 2019 nesting season. Piping plovers spent time exploring the park early last spring looking for suitable nesting sites. Birds were reported on Cat and Michigan Islands at first but they ended up nesting on Long, Stockton, and Outer Islands. Small white and grey bird standing on the sand. Michigan Island Lighthouse The first lighthouse in the Apostle Islands was built on Michigan Island in 1856, providing a beacon for sailors navigating the water and weather of Lake Superior. In 1929, a taller tower was installed to extend visibility of the Michigan Island light. The periods of use, disuse, and preservation of the Michigan Island Light Station are reflected in the landscape. A walkway leads beside a tall metal structure, past lawn and gardens, towards a short lighthouse. A Visit to Raspberry Island Lighthouse Raspberry Light is one of nine island lighthouses within Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. While these islands are challenging to reach, you can take a virtual tour of the Raspberry Island Lighthouse in 1920 with keeper Lee Benton and experience the joys and challenges of living on an island in Lake Superior. Keeper Benton tells stories about the community of keepers and their families who lived on these remote islands ensuring the safety of passing ships. A man waves from the front step of a two story white home with a lighthouse tower. Julian Bay Trail Virtual Hike Hi! My name is Ranger Melissa and Stockton Island is my summer “office” at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore! I love when visitors join me for a hike along the Julian Bay Trail. I wish everyone could experience it. And now you can! Join me for a virtual hike to one of the Lakeshore’s most beautiful beaches. I’m so excited to share this special place with you! Sunrise along a beach with rocks in the foreground and trees in the background. 50th Anniversary Junior Ranger Activity Guide In 2020, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore turns 50 years old. Fifty years is a long time, and we want you to join us in the festivities with this Junior Ranger Activity Guide. Become a 50th Anniversary Junior Ranger today! Artistic representation of rocky shoreline, open water, island, and the sun. Superior Ad Lib We want your help to finish writing a story about hiking along the Mainland Trail. Just like a hike, this won't be easy. A view of the cliff with caves carved at the water. National Park Service Commemoration of the 19th Amendment In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the passing of the 19th Amendment the National Park Service has developed a number of special programs. This includes online content, exhibits, and special events. The National Park Service’s Cultural Resources Geographic Information Systems (CRGIS) announces the release of a story map that highlights some of these programs and provides information for the public to locate and participate. Opening slide of the 19th Amendment NPS Commemoration Story Map Home of the Ojibwe This area named the Apostle Islands is home for some of the Ojibwe people who live throughout the Great Lakes. According to their written and oral history, the Ojibwe were the original inhabitants of this area. In order to gain the materials they needed to survive, they traveled throughout the islands with their main village being Madeline Island, which is known as Moningwunakauning: "Home of the yellow breasted woodpecker." A historic photo of five Ojibwe men wearing traditional clothing. Series: Apostle Islands National Lakeshore At Home Activities Want to learn about the park from the comfort of your own home? Stuck inside and need something to do? Grab one of these activities and take your brain on a visit to the Apostle Islands. Keep checking back as we add more activities every week! A youth sits on the ground, leaning on a tree, and writing in a notebook. "Safer at Home" Scavenger Hunt Bingo While we can't all visit the Apostle Islands right now, that doesn't mean you should miss out on the nature and special places right around you. Go on a scavenger hunt! Look out your window or go out into your yard and explore the world near you. A patch of small blue flowers. Wildland Fire in Red Pine and White Pine The red pine and white pine forest inhabits the cooler climates of the upper Midwest. They once covered large areas of northern Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. Red and white pine forests owe their presence and persistence in large part to fire. Although both types of trees can live in areas without fire, especially on very sandy soils, frequent fires are necessary for healthy forests. Small flames consume dead pine needles and log under red and white pine trees. Formation of the Stockton Island Tombolo: A 6,000 Year Process A tombolo is a landform that develops over time between two formerly separated islands due to specific conditions. Subsequently, tombolos are quite rare. At Apostle Islands, the largest tombolo extends between the previously separate Stockton and Presque Isle Islands. The location and orientation of these islands, and the direction of prevailing storms and winds, contributed significantly to the tombolo formation. Sandy area with low bushes and interspersed tall, pine trees. Invasive Mussels at Apostle Islands: They're Hardier than You Thought Lake Superior was once thought to be inhospitable to zebra and quagga mussels because of it’s cold water and low calcium levels, yet they have been found in the waters of Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in recent investigations. What is the National Park Service doing, and what can you do to help? A map of the western end of Lake Superior, including Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Historic Manitou Fish Camp For centuries, people fished the waters around the Apostle Islands. Traces of their work – fish bones from Native American archeological sites, a decaying net reel on Rocky Island, entire buildings at Little Sand Bay – provide glimpses into these past lives. Manitou Fish Camp tells another of these stories. Historic black and white photo of a fisherman holding a lake trout. Bats of the Apostles Apostle Island National Lakeshore hosts up to seven bat species: big brown(Eptesicus fuscus), eastern red(Lasiurus borealis), hoary(Lasiurus cinereus), silver-haired(Lasionycteris noctivagans), little brown(Myotis lucifugus), northern long-eared(Myotis septentrionalis), and tricolored (Perimyotis subflacus) bats. Big brown, little brown, and tricolored bats are each listed as threatened in Wisconsin, while the northern long-eared bat is both state and federally threatened. Colored drawing of a northern long-eared bat. Historic Hokenson Brothers Fishery In 1927, the Hokenson brothers began their fishery, entering an industry that had thrived in the Apostle Islands area since railroads linked this remote region to the markets in Chicago and New York. They used skill, strength, and courage to profitably harvest fish from the largest expanse of freshwater in the world. Historic photo of five men holding nets in a small boat. 2020 Freeman Tilden Award Recipients The Freeman Tilden Awards for Excellence in Interpretation and Education recognize an individual and a team for excellence, achievement, and innovation in the profession of interpretation, education and visitor engagement. Congratulations to the national 2020 Freeman Tilden Award recipients, Justin Olson of Apostles Island National Lake Shore, and Anne Monk and Sabrina Oliveros of San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park. Photo of Anne Monk and Sabrina Oliveros smiling on top of a ship with a marina in the background. American Marten on the Apostle Islands American martens are a small rare species of weasel that live in mature forest stands in the upper Midwest. These animals are state endangered, with animals only existing in small populations on the northern limits of their previous range. American martens are often confused with Fishers, but can be identified by their smaller size and proportionally larger ears. A marten perched on a branch. Sea Lamprey around the Apostle Islands The Sea lamprey is an ancient parasitic, jawless fish native to the Atlantic Ocean. Its presence was first documented in Lake Ontario in 1835, and into Lake Superior by 1938. Its parasitic apparatus and opportunistic life cycle permitted it to easily adapt to the plentiful spawning and larval habitats, availability of host fish, and lack of predators found in the Great Lakes and thrive. Looking into the mouth of a sea lamprey Black Bears at the Apostle Islands Black bears regularly inhabit Stockton, Sand and Oak islands, and, due to their mobility, may be found on just about any of the Apostle Islands. Black bear in the forest, sticking out its tongue. Remote Wildlife Camera Use at Apostle Islands Remote wildlife cameras have allowed researchers and park users to take a look at the Apostle Islands like never before. Trail camera image of a red fox standing on a log in a forest. Investigating Jack Pine Cone Serotiny on a Dynamic Barrier Spit The purpose of this study was to compare jack pine cone serotiny in Great Lakes coastal habitats at different successional stages (open beach and forested). Serotiny refers to the ability of some tree species to retain seeds in their crowns for years until a disturbance, such as fire, creates conditions that promote their release. Long Island is the primary location that supports jack pine in the park. Pine branch with closed cones. I Thought I Had to Be Dead! A diatom found in a sediment core collected in 2007 from Apostle Islands National Lakeshore turned out to be a previously unknown species. The new species is one of only three others in the genus Semiorbis. The scientist who found it named it after a now-retired aquatic ecologist with the NPS Great Lakes Inventory and Monitoring Network. Three views of a microscopic diatom Changing Patterns of Water Availability May Change Vegetation Composition in US National Parks Across the US, changes in water availability are altering which plants grow where. These changes are evident at a broad scale. But not all areas experience the same climate in the same way, even within the boundaries of a single national park. A new dataset gives park managers a valuable tool for understanding why vegetation has changed and how it might change in the future under different climate-change scenarios. Green, orange, and dead grey junipers in red soil, mountains in background Songbird Monitoring at Apostle Islands, 2014-2018 A summary of songbird monitoring data collected at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore from 2014 through 2018. A conifer forest is silhouetted against a dimly lit sky with puffs of purple and orange clouds. Things to Do in Wisconsin Find things to do in Wisconsin. A sailboat on calm water near the edge of sandstone sea caves with trees growing on top. Project Profile: Designing Trails for ADA & Tribal Connection Apostle Islands National Lakeshore The National Park Service completed compliance and design for a proposed network of mainland trails to enhance health and fitness opportunities for nearby residents including Red Cliff Tribal members and to expand mainland trail experiences for visitors of Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. a forested area with view between the trees of a marshy area The Current: Spring 2023 The Spring 2023 issue of the Great Lakes Newsletter contains articles on the changing ways we produce and look at data, staff changes, the field season schedule, an overview of a project to look at songbird data from all three Midwest networks, and a listing of new publications. A white page with a black border at the top and the words The Current: Fall 2023 The Fall 2023 issue of the Great Lakes newsletter contains articles on planning for the future of the Inventory and Monitoring Division, retirement and departure of staff members, a summary of the Western Great Lakes Research Conference, a field season summary from each of our monitoring programs, and a list of new reports and publications. The front page of a newsletter, with a photo of a dragonfly perched on hiking boot. Amphibian Monitoring in the Apostle Islands, 2014-2019 A summary of amphibian monitoring at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore from 2014 through 2019. A toad sits on a maroon-colored shelf fungus attached to paper birch log lying on the ground. Amphibian Monitoring in the Great Lakes Network Parks: 2023 Update A summary of amphibian monitoring data collected in seven Great Lakes Network parks as of 2019. A light green and gray frog sits in the crotch of a tree branch at the trunk. Bat Monitoring in Great Lakes Network Parks, 2024 A summary of acoustic bat monitoring in Great Lakes Network parks from 2015 through 2019. A bat with large, round ears hangs from a rock. NPS International Activities Update, July - December 2023 During the second half of 2023, the U.S. National Park Service undertook many exciting international conservation projects. Following are summaries of notable cooperation between NPS staff and international counterparts between July and December 2023. Bat Monitoring in the Apostle Islands, 2015–2019 A summary of bat monitoring at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore from 2015 through 2019. Seven round photos of individual bats, four on the top line and three below. The Current: Spring 2024 Spring 2024 issue of the Great Lakes Network newsletter, "The Current," featuring science stories, a farewell, the 2024 field season schedule, and recent publications. Woman wearing a backpack and carrying a GPS unit and a compass wades through water and shrubs. Updated Species Database Will Help Boost Amphibian Conservation Across the National Park Service To steward amphibians effectively, managers need basic information about which species live in parks. But species lists need constant maintenance to remain accurate. Due to recent efforts, the National Park Service now has an up-to-date amphibian species checklist for almost 300 parks. This information can serve as the basis for innumerable conservation efforts across the nation. A toad sits on red sand, looking into the camera. How Pollinator Inventories Can Inform Park Management Decisions Pollinators play a crucial role in national park ecosystems and beyond. In the national parks, species inventories help managers know which pollinators are present, and in what abundance, to better understand the state of park ecosystems and make decisions about how to manage them. From 2024 to 2026, 17 parks across the country will be surveyed for bees and butterflies. Bee laden with pollen sits atop a purple flower.