Aug. 22, 2020, my friend MariEllen and I arrived in Bayfield, Wisconsin to explore the Apostle Islands. We decided to start our visit by exploring via kayak!
Here we are at Nader's Point.
We saw and kayaked through sea caves and got a great visual of 5 of the Apostle Islands.
Next, we boarded a ship ran by the Apostle Islands Cruises to do the "Grand Tour." This was a 2.5-3 hour long narrated boat ride that went all over the Apostle Islands. We saw ~12 of the 22 Apostle Islands including two (of the six) lighthouses, a brownstone quarry site, a historic fishing camp and cruised around Devils Island to view the sea caves.
With so much closed right now due to COVID-19, we were lucky to be able to do this. They were operating at 50% capacity and had a mandatory mask policy.
Devils Island Lighthouse
The beacon on Devils Island was lit in 1891.
Devils Island became the last manned station in the Apostle Islands after, one by one, they all became automated. The Coast Guard maintained a five-man crew here until 1978, when the Devils Island light became automated as well, marking the end of over a century of light keepers in the Apostle Islands.
Although no longer used, the original Fresnel lens is still in place.
The famous sea caves of Devils Island. They really were quite the sight to behold in person!
The lighthouse on Raspberry Island
Known as the "Showplace of the Apostle Islands."
The lighthouse was completed in 1862, but the lens did not arrive (from France) until 1863, so that is when it officially started operation.
She's a beauty!
After spending our entire first day exploring the Apostle Islands by kayak and boat, we decided to spent the next day by actually going onto an Apostle Island.
We took the ferry over to Madeline island, the largest of the Apostle Islands.
We brought our car on the ferry and drove all over the island exploring everywhere.
Here we are at Big Bay State Park.
Madeline Island has ~300 permanent year-round residents, but has 2,000-3,000 that live here during the summer. It is 14 miles long and three miles wide and is the only developed island of all the Apostle Islands.
Verdict: YES! I loved the Apostle Islands. It is an absolutely beautiful area. It is so fun to explore by boat or kayak. Between the sea caves, the lighthouses, the island (Madeline) you can visit and the town of Bayfield (the access area to the Apostle Islands), the whole area and experience is remote, nature-filled, quaint, charming, unique and an all-around enjoyable experience. I can definitely see why it made it into the book and I agree it is a must do!
COST: Apostle Islands Kayaking: $63.60/person for a 3 hour kayak tour
Apostle Islands Cruises Grand Tour: $47.95 + tax/adult for a 2.5-3.0 hour boat ride
Ferry ride to Madeline Island: $8.00/adult each way, $3.50/child each way, $13.50/car each way
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