National Park Guide: Wisconsin's Apostle Islands
— -- You won't find lions and tigers on the Apostle Islands in Lake Superior, but campers who leave food out might just come face to face with a curious bear.
A resident population of black bears is just one feature of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, a collection of mostly wild islands in the far northern reaches of Wisconsin that's a popular Midwest paddling destination.
"It's become a real kayak mecca," says Julie Van Stappen, a resource management chief with the park service.
The park includes 21 of 22 islands of the Apostle Islands archipelago. Madeline Island, the largest of the Apostles, is developed and not part of the National Lakeshore. Islands in the park range from 3 acres to more than 10,000 acres, and the islands stretch 18 miles out into Lake Superior.
Gail Green, owner of outfitter Living Adventure, says there isn't much motorized boat traffic around the islands.
"On those peak (summer) weekends, yes, you'll see people out there, but as you get farther out into the islands … you can get a real wilderness feel, where you won't see any, or very few, people," she says.
Scott Nesvold, a guide with Trek & Trail in Bayfield, says a popular kayak excursion is a 7-mile paddle that includes a visit to some of the park's sea caves. The sandstone caves carved by waves are best seen by boat, he says.
"They are definitely kind of a unique spot," Nesvold says.
Visitors don't have to grab a paddle to enjoy the Apostles. The park is served by Apostle Islands Cruises, which departs from Bayfield. People captaining their own vessels can find public docks on 13 of the islands.
Hikers can explore 50 miles of maintained trails. Campers will find sites on 18 of the islands.
"It's a pretty amazing area because of the national beauty and the purity," says Pete Kuhn, a kayaker from Chaska, Minn., who leads overnight trips.
And those bears? Van Stappen says they present a problem only when people don't take precautions.
"We have had bears become way too comfortable with grabbing food," she says. The park now has bear-safe food lockers in all of its campsites.
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About the park
Size: 69,371 acres, including 12 miles of coastline and 21 islands
Visitors: 176,040 in 2011
Established: 1970
History: The islands were originally home to Native Americans. The written and oral history of the Ojibwe indicates they were the original residents of the Apostles. Later, European settlers arrived and farmed and fished on the islands. In 1970, Gaylord Nelson, a U.S. senator who founded Earth Day, sponsored legislation that established the park.
When visiting: The park's Bayfield headquarters is located at 415 Washington Ave., Bayfield. There's also a Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center, not affiliated with the park, at 29270 County Highway G, in Ashland. Visitor information: 715-779-3397.
Of note: The Apostles include the National Park Service's largest collection of lighthouses. Six are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. They can be found on Michigan, Raspberry, Sand, Devils and Outer Islands. The oldest, on Michigan Island, entered service in 1857.
Jones also reports for The Post-Crescent in Appleton, Wis.
