Apostle Islands Overview

The National Lakeshore protects 22 breathtaking islands off the coast of northern Wisconsin, as well as a 12 mi. stretch of mainland shore. Bayfield, a tiny mainland town, serves as the access point to the islands. Tourism is primarily focused on the mainland and Madeline Island, where inns draw families looking for a back-to-nature weekend. Local adventure companies allow summer tourists of all levels of experience to enjoy kayaking, hiking, and camping among the sandstone bluffs.

Practical Information. Most excursions begin in the sleepy mainland town of Bayfield (pop. 611), in northwest Wisconsin on the Lake Superior coast. The Bay Area Rural Transit (BART), 300 Industrial Park Rd., 21 mi. south on Rte. 13 in Ashland, offers a shuttle to Bayfield. (☎682-9664. 4 per day M-F 7am-5pm. $2.25, students $1.25, seniors $1.) The Bayfield Chamber of Commerce is at 42 S. Broad St. (☎779-3335 or 800-447-4094; www.bayfield.org. Open M-F 8:30am-5pm, Sa-Su 9am-3pm. Lobby with free local phone open 24hr.) National Lakeshore Headquarters Visitors Center, 415 Washington Ave., distributes hiking info and camping permits, and screens a short film about the islands. (☎779-3397. Open mid-May to mid-Sept. daily 8am-6pm; mid-Sept. to mid-May M-F 8am-4:30pm. Permits $10 per night.) The Bayfield Carnegie Library, 37 N. Broad St., provides free Internet access in 30min. slots. (☎779-3953. Open M-Tu and Th 1-7:30pm, W and F 9:30am-5pm, Sa 9:30am-3pm.) For short-term work picking apples or raspberries, contact the Bayfield Apple Company, on County Rte. J, near Betzold Rd. (☎779-5700 or 800-363-4526. Raspberries in season mid- to late July; apples late Sept. to mid-Oct. Open daily 9am-6pm.)

Post Office: 22 S. Broad St., in Bayfield. (☎779-5636. Open M-F 9am-4:30pm, Sa 9am-11am.) Postal Code: 54814.

Accommodations. In summer months, the budget pickings are slim in Bayfield; rooms should be booked weeks in advance for trips during July and August. For cheaper lodgings, check the motels along Lake Shore Dr. in Ashland, an easy 30min. drive south of Bayfield. Rooms start at $40, even in high season. The Seagull Bay Motel 3, off Rte. 13 at S. 7th St., offers spacious, smoke-free rooms with cable TV, free Wi-Fi and a clear lake view. (☎779-5558; www.seagullbay.com. Rooms mid-May to mid-Oct. $70-100; mid-Oct. to mid-May $40-70. MC/V.) Greunke’s Inn 4, 17 Rittenhouse Ave., has been accommodating guests for 140 years. Quaint country rooms and a homey atmosphere make this a great place to experience Bayfield hospitality. (☎779-5480 or 800-245-3072. Open May-Oct. Shared baths. No A/C. Rooms $55-130. AmEx/D/MC/V.) Dalrymple Park 1, mi. north of town on Rte. 13, has 30 campsites and a sweeping view of Madeline Island. (Open mid-May to mid-Oct. No showers or electricity. Self-regulated. No reservations. Sites $15.) Apostle Islands Area Campground 1, mi. south of Bayfield on Rte. J off Rte. 13, has 60 campsites buried deep in the woods of Bayfield. (☎779-5524. Open early May to early Oct. Reservations recommended 1 month in advance for July-Aug. Tent sites $20, with hookup $24, with full sewer and electricity $28. Primitive cabins $40. Cash only.) Campers in the Bayfield area should come prepared to battle fierce mosquitoes in summer.

Food. The bright pink exterior is just the beginning at Maggie’s 2, 257 Manypenny Ave., where charbroiled burgers ($6.50-7.75) and zesty fajitas ($10) complement the kitschy flamingo-themed decor. (☎779-5641; www.maggies-bayfield.com. Open M-F 11:30am-9pm, Sa-Su 11:30am-10pm. AmEx/D/MC/V.) One of the oldest establishments in Bayfield, Greunke’s Restaurant 3, 17 Rittenhouse Ave., at 1st St., has been feeding hungry fishermen for over a century. These days, Greunke’s cooks up huge breakfasts by day ($7-10) and batter-dipped whitefish livers ($16) by night. Check out the shrine to the late John F. Kennedy, Jr., located next to the 1946 Wurlitzer jukebox. (☎779-5480. Fish boils Th-Su 6:30-8pm; $13.50, children $6. Open M-Sa 6am-10pm, F-Su 7am-9:30pm. AmEx/D/MC/V.) Egg Toss Cafe 2, 41 Manypenny Ave., specializes in breakfast, serving up eggs benedict with crab cakes ($10), and staple breakfast dishes such as huevos rancheros ($8.25) and whole wheat pancakes with eggs and sausage ($6.75) that are sure to please. (☎779-5181; www.eggtoss-bayfield.com. Open daily 6am-2pm. AmEx/D/MC/V.)

Sights And Outdoor Activities. The recently completed Bayfield Heritage Center, 30 N. Broad St., offers glimpses into the settlement’s past as a lumber boomtown and fishing village. (☎779-5958; www.bayfieldheritage.org. Open mid-June to mid-Sept. T-Su 1-4pm. Free) Spend an hour or two picking famously sweet strawberries up at the James Erickson Orchard & Country Store, 86600 Betzold Rd. (☎779-5438. U-pick strawberries $1.25 per lb. Open late May to mid-Oct. M-Sa 10am-5pm, Su noon-4pm; during late June berry season, open daily 9am-5pm). The best beach on the mainland is Bayview Beach, 6 mi. south of Bayfield along Rte. 13. Look for the green signs marking Bayview Park Rd., then turn down the dirt road to access Bayview’s soft, red sands. Even after the summer hikers and beach bums head home for the season, Bayfield manages to attract ample tourism with its annual Apple Festival. An incredible 50-80 thousand visitors pour into town during the first full weekend of October. The slopeside Big Top Chautauqua, 3 mi. south of Bayfield off Hwy. 13 on Ski Hill Rd., draws folk and bluegrass headliners like Arlo Guthrie, in addition to staging ever-popular “house shows,” original musicals about life in northern Wisconsin. (☎373-5552 or 888-244-8386; www.bigtop.org. Open June-Sept. Call for showtimes. Tickets can be purchased at the Bayfield Branch Box Office at Rittenhouse Ave. and 1st St., next to Greunke’s. Reserved seating for house shows $18, under 17 $8; general admission $15/4.)

While Madeline Island (see below) is the only one of the Apostle Islands with a year-round settlement, hikers and outdoors enthusiasts use Bayfield as their gateway to a number of the other islands. Nearby Stockton Island and Oak Island are among the most popular for campers, although private sailboats dock out as far as Rocky Island and York Island. The lighthouses on Raspberry and Michigan Islands are open for tours in summer, while experienced kayakers can explore the breathtaking sea caves on Devil’s Island. The Apostle Islands Cruise Service runs a narrated 3hr. tour that provides newcomers with a scenic overview of the islands.For travelers hoping to do more than look out the window, the Cruise Service also drops campers off at Stockton and Oak Islands during July and August. (☎779-3925 or 800-323-7619; www.apostleisland.com. Tours depart the Bayfield City Dock mid-May to mid-Oct. daily 10am. $38, children $23. Reservations recommended. Round-trip shuttle to Stockton or Oak Island $40, children $24. Reservations required.) Trek and Trail, at 1st and Washington St., in Bayfield, rents bikes and kayaks. They also lead sea kayaking tours, ranging from a 2hr. intro to a 6-day odyssey through the outer islands’ caves and quarries. (☎800-354-8735. Bikes $5 per hr., $20 per day. 4hr. kayak rental from $20. All renters must complete a 3hr. kayaking safety course, offered daily 8:30am and 1pm. Safety course $50; reserve at least 1 day in advance. Tours from $30-99. Open June-Oct.)