Although the Bayfield Peninsula lies just over a mile away, visitors are rewarded with the isolation and solitude of an island experience. Low cliffs of brown sandstone or banks of broken stone and red clay meet Lake Superior along Basswood’s shoreline. An isolated sandstone block, called “Lone Rock” or “Honeymoon Rock” lies off the island’s north tip. A dense growth of forest is broken only by several small clearings, the result of historic activities.
Devils Island is located 20 miles from Bayfield. It is the farthest north of the 22 island archipelago. The small island boasts intricate sandstone sea caves, a one mile hiking trail connecting the north and south end of the island, a lighthouse, and one campsite near the dock on the southern end of the island. The sea caves and cliffs under the lighthouse are some of the most alluring within the national lakeshore.
This seasonal visitor center was 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 and audio stories from the community. The center offers orientation and information, camping permits, kayak safety guidance, and the America's National Parks bookstore.
Long Island (at least for now) is not an island at all! It changed from an island to a continuous part of a peninsula many times, usually persisting in one form or the other for a few decades. It is presently part of a peninsula and has been since the mid-1970s.
Michigan Island is one of twenty one islands in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. It is on the eastern edge of the archipelago. Due to its location and exposure it can be a challenging islands to reach. Two lighthouses are located on Michigan Island built in 1857 and 1929. There is a rich history of lighthouse keepers, their families, and guiding ships through the islands to discover when you visit Michigan Island.
Oak Island rises to 1,081 feet above sea level making it the highest point in the Apostle Islands. Wind, waves, and ice have carved spectacular features here including the highest bluffs on Wisconsin’s Lake Superior shoreline.
Outer Island is one of twenty one islands in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore archipelago. It is located 24 miles from Bayfield to the southern sand spit. There is a lighthouse located on on the northern edge of the island built in 1874.
Raspberry Island is located on the inner island ring 14 miles from Bayfield and 6 miles from Little Sand Bay. This little island has a lighthouse built in the 1860's and is known as the "Showplace of the Apostle Islands." It was designed to guide ships through the west channel around the Bayfield Peninsula. During the summer months you can visit the island and get a ranger led tour of the light station and grounds to imagine what it was like to work as a keeper in the 1900's.
Sand Island has a little bit of everything for you to enjoy. With a lighthouse, camping, hiking, sea caves, and a rich history, you could spend an entire day exploring the island and discovering new things.
No island is blessed with more spectacular and diverse sandy areas than Stockton. The 10,054 acre island features sand beaches at Quarry, Presque Isle, and Julian Bays. The bridge of sand connecting Presque Isle Point to the rest of Stockton Island is an outstanding example of a geologic feature called a “tombolo”. The tombolo is home to a variety of plant communities (bogs, dunes, lagoons, savannahs, and pine forests), the park’s largest campgound, and “singing sands."
