Intense lumbering on the Apostle Islands began in 1871 after
the great fire that ravaged two-thirds of Chicago. Lumbering
continued for the next 60 years until the Great Depression of
1929 when home purchases plummeted.
WI, Apostle Islands
National Lakeshore, shoreline view
The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and its nearby neighbor, the
Sleeping Bear Dune Lakeshore of Michigan are both located on the
2,300 mile Great Lakes Waterway leading from Duluth to the
Atlantic Ocean. The Apostle Islands located on the shipping lane
from Duluth to Sault Saint Marie connecting Lake Superior to Lake
Huron. Sleeping Bear on the route from Chicago to the Mackinac
Straits connecting Lake Michigan to Lake Huron.
As is the case with both these island lakeshores, there are
numerous lighthouses built to aid navigation along the waterway.
Before radar, satellites, and Lorans, these lighthouses provided
captains with critical bearings necessary to navigate these
sometimes treacherous inland waters.
There are six 19th century lighthouses on the Apostle Islands.
Many have been completely renovated and allow visitors to climb
to the top of the tower in the summer. Automation has modernized
the lighthouse operation but the exterior remains about the same
as it did hundreds of years ago. The oldest of the Apostle Island
lighthouses is the Michigan Island Lighthouse which stands 102
feet high and was built in 1857 before the Civil War began.
WI, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Lighthouses.
Apostle Island's wildlife includes a wide variety of birds
that nest on its secluded shores. The most common birds are gulls
and cormorants. Bald eagles are present although rare. Beavers,
otters and whitetail deer are the most abundant mammals.
Predators include black bears and coyotes which are occasionally
seen.
WI, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Sand Island Lighthouse, built in 1881 of locally quarried brownstone.
WI, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Michigan Island Light, built in 1857 of masonry and steel.
Camping is limited to island campsites only ($15 permit required for any number of nights up to fourteen).
Island camping is permitted on most of the Apostle chain. Other nearby mainland campgrounds include those at Chequamegon National Forest
which is located about 15 miles south of the Apostle Islands and Big Bay State Park.
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, www.nps.gov/apis, Rt 1, Box 4, Bayfield, WI
54814 (715) 779-3397. Big Bay State Park, Box 589, Bayfield 54814-0589. (715) 779-4020; Summer: (715) 747-6425 www.travelwisconsin.com/
WI, Apostle Islands
National Lakeshore, view inside these offshore rock formations
