Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

Amazingly beautiful. Lots of nice hiking also. We did the Grand tour and saw Bald Eagles. Loved the crazy bar on Madeline Island.

1.9 Mile hike to get to the first sea caves & cliffs overlooks. The beach was super clean and not crowded. Made a gorgeous backdrop for my clients engagement photos. Rangers were very kind and knowledgeable. Hike was a good workout, would say someone out of shape can do this hike with water & breaks.

It's 2.6 miles to see the bowl, well worth the hike. Beautful place to kayak and explore caves. Water was super clear.

I'm a fan of the National Park Service and their sites, and it would have been better to have the Visitor Center open to see a video or learn more about it. I took the ferry to Madeline Island and went to Big Bay State Park to get a great view of Lake Superior.

Absolutely outstanding. We were at the Lakeshore trail to sea caves.. so worth the walk. Stayed at mainland campsite 3, great place, beach access. The rangers, especially Eric, were amazing.

Beautiful scenery. On the Apostle Islands Cruise, we saw a bald eagle, a baby eagle in its nest, lighthouse, etc. We will definitely return amd highly recommend.

Well worth the trip (weather dependent). Absolutely stunning views. Incredible. Beautiful. Ferry tour is a MUST (and very reasonably priced). Kids loved it (and hung in there for all 3 hours).

The captain did a great job navigating the boat in the choppy waters and his narration was informative. The sea caves at Devils Island were beautiful.

Visit for the Sea Caves! We spent 4 days in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore - 3 days of camping on Sand Island and a full day touring the surrounding area. Skip Madeline Island if your schedule is tight. Highlights: Sea Caves - my favorites were the northeastern edge of Sand Island (next to Justice Bay). They are so breathtakingly beautiful, especially in sunrise or sunset lighting. Since we took our boat, we were able to get up close to see all the spectacular details. If you don't have a boat, rent kayaks and a tour guide to get up close views. Grand Tour - we drove to Bayfield to ride a large catamaran boat for a 3 hour tour of the Apostle Islands. Visitor Centers - they were full of interesting info and has some fun merch for souvenirs. Many people rave about their experience visiting Madeline Island (the largest island) which isn't actually a part of the National Lakeshore, but we found it rather outdated and boring and left on the very next ferry.

Great area with some beautiful scenery. We stopped at 2 mainland visitor centers for about 30 minutes each and learned a bit about the islands. The Little Sand Lake visitor center we could have actually spent more time if we'd had the luxury but we had an appointment to keep. I could see spending about an hour there. I recommend visiting both centers and taking a ferry/tour of the islands. If you want to do it all give yourself 3+ days. Otherwise you could probably hit the highlights in 1.5 days.

My husband and I toured the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore recently; we didn't have enough time to take a cruise through the islands or take the ferry out to Madeline Island, but we were able to stop at most of the sites on the mainland. Taking Hwy 13 (Wisconsin Lake Superior Scenic Byway) is the best method; it's a lovely drive that winds along the Wisconsin coast from the edge of Brule State Forest and the town of Orienta in the west to the town of Ashland in the east. Our first stop was the town of Cornucopia; although not strictly part of the National Lakeshore, it's definitely worth a stop. The beach is less than a mile off the road, and there's an artesian well where you can fill your water bottle with tasty, pure water, as well as public restrooms that were still open to the public. The views from the beach are lovely, and there's a museum (the Green Shed) that unfortunately was closed for the season. There's also a little marina lined with pretty little boat houses, like a village around a small lagoon. Our next stop was the Meyers Beach trailhead (east of Cornucopia, west of Russell); even though it was overcast and intermittently misting, it was a lovely stop. The Park rangers were very helpful in giving us recommendations about what to do and see at this trailhead as well as further along the Lakeshore. There is a short flight of steps leading from the parking area to the beach. There is also the Lakeshore Trail that follow the cliffs' edges above the beach, directly from the parking area. Traveling on, we came to Little Sand Bay in Russell; it's about 5 miles off Hwy 13, so be prepared for a bit of a drive. Although all the buildings were closed for the season (including the bathrooms!), there was an open-air kiosk with a fishing boat and interpretive plaques about the fishermen of Lake Superior. We were also able to walk out to the breakwater and take in the lovely panorama of the lake. There are even mounted binoculars available to see some of the Apostle Islands on a clear day. Our next stop was to be Frog Bay in the Red Cliff Tribe of Lake Superior Chippewa Reservation. But either we took the wrong road, or the signage was badly placed, because we ended up on a dirt trail lined with mobile homes. So we turned around and made it back to SR 13 eventually. Our favorite stop on the journey was Bayfield; the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Visitor Center and Park Service Headquarters was closed to the public, but there was a small kiosk open in the back where we could stamp our National Parks Passport. And the building itself was lovely, made of huge blocks of rose-grey brownstone. The Bayfield Heritage Museum and Maritime Museum were also closed for the season. But it was lovely to stroll around the town of Bayfield, which is right on the lake and has a marina and pier available for viewing the open waters. Our final stop was the city of Ashland; again, not strictly part of the National Lakeshore, but definitely worth visiting. We drove along the Main Street Historic District and made our way over to the old train depot, which had been lovingly restored and repurposed as several shops and businesses. On our way out of town, we stopped at Maslowski Park and Beach which also had an artesian well; I filled up a cup in the car and, again, it tasted refreshingly pure. Touring the National Lakeshore was a full day for us, but extremely rewarding in the gorgeous vistas and charming towns we visited.

I did it! First day open of the Apostle Islands Ice Caves this season and my boyfriend and I packed up our dogs, made the drive from the twin cities, and hiked our cold asses to the caves. We got to the scene at 11am, there were already miles of cars. Crap. We had a good half mile walk to just the entrance, then another half mile to the parking lot, where we had to pay $5 per person for our tickets. We forgot the cash...okay, I forgot the cash, this isn't going well. Luckily the very nice park director there said we could pay when we drove through Bayfield where their headquarter was. He said karma could get us if we decided not to. I'm scared of bad karma.We drove through later and paid up. Thank you, very nice sir for not making us walk back! Then on to another mile to the first of the caves. It wasn't a pleasant hike, there was still snow on the ground so you're trudging through that, and the wind was blowing right into us. You kind of go through that cold and hot at the same time body feeling. You're on ice too so you had to step carefully. We had our icetrekkers on, which you definitely will need, and some poles. The ice formations were beautiful, they were coming off of high cliffs, surrounding it, underneath, above, and along the sides. Some of the icicles had sand trapped inside making it pretty pink and brown colors. I don't know that the formations this year were anything extraordinary. I'm glad I saw them, but sounds like last year was the time to go. The lake itself was super freaky! You can see the huge boulders at the bottom of the lake in clear spots, and shapes of ice plates that had broken and frozen over again. It was pretty amazing. It was also really fun to watch the dogs out maneuver around on the iced over lake! When we headed back we thought we'd take the second entrance out, which we thought was a shortcut. NOPE! That was over a mile uphill, then to top it off once we got to the road we realized we were over a mile away from our car. We spent a good 3 hours there, the majority of it walking to and from. Definitely map out where you're going to save on time. There were tons of people there. I believe I read afterwards, 7,000 visitors that first day. Since there's no telling if it'll be iced over again next year you should try to get out and see the caves. Just maybe go on a weekday, you might be able to avoid the larger crowds.

Great weekend getaway. Highly recommend the private tour around the islands. It's breathtaking and beautiful.

A really beautiful place. Great wildlife and plant life. Nice hiking trails. A little challenging to access a lot of the park because they are islands but worth a trip to check out.

Beautiful hiking, beach and kayaking. Note that there is a parking fee ($5 for cars, more for larger vehicles). Keep an eye on the weather radar because storms can move in quickly from the lake.

If you ever get the chance to explore this little part of Wisconsin, absolutely do it. This place is beautiful. It's breathtaking! The caves are incredible, and the ice caves, completely overwhelmingly jaw dropping. In the summer, you can kayak through the caves, and in the winter, when it's cold enough and the ice is safe enough, you can walk through those same caves. It's really a unique experience to view the same land formations in such drastically different lights. The area surrounding the Apostle Islands is fantastic for exploring as well. There are hotels, resorts, adorable little shops and cafes. The people are genuine and friendly. There are literally multitudes of activities to try out, so it's fun for a family trip, something to do with buddies, or turn into a romantic get-away. But the most important thing to remember to do is: take in the sheer beauty of nature that is the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. It is something you will never in your lifetime forget.

The apostle islands is a wonderful place to come any time of the year! If you are planning a day trip here plan ahead!! If you are looking to go on a kayak tour we made the mistake of waiting until we were up there to find a tour company, and almost every single one was booked. Thankfully one squeezed us in for a sunset tour when someone canceled. It was absolutely breathtaking and serene. The caves are out of this world and seeing the sunset reflect on the water, and bounce off the walls of the caves was a sight to see. Next time I come I would definitely want to try camping on one of the islands or staying a little longer to explore the cute city more!

A GREAT PLACE TO ENJOY THE SERENITY OF AN ISLAND WITH VARIED GEOLOGICAL FEATURES AND BOTANICAL DELIGHTS. I spent three days in Bayfield, Wisconsin, spending two nights in a tent at Apostle Islands Area Campground. The campground is located on a hill that is away from any neighborhood streets. On the first day, I took a meal at Old Rittenhouse Inn, located 4 blocks from the Madeline Island Ferry. This meal was especially memorable because they served three types of home-made bread. The next day, I took a meal at Greunke's, and the meal was made memorable because the waiter had a tattoo. Greunke's is one block from the ferry. I took my automobile on the ferry boat, and this made it easy to travel the 20-mile round trip distance from the ferry terminal to the northern shore of the island and back. Attached are three photographs of me on the ferry boat. In these photos, Bayfield is visible in the distance. Also, attached is a photograph of me on a wooden boardwalk on Madeline Island. The boardwalk takes you over a marsh. The scenery on this island includes sea caves, arches, pillars, and wave-cut benches (these are stone shelves) that extend over the lake. I saw these stone formations during my day on Madeline Island. Details on the geology of the Apostle Islands can be found in, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Geologic Resources Inventory Report, National Park Service (104 pages). On page 23, we learn that during glacial times, the Bayfield Peninsula split the descending glacier into two distinct lobes, the Superior Lobe to the south and west, and the Chippewa Lobe to the east. Glaciers flowed in valleys between prominent knobs of bedrock that became the Apostle Islands. We learn that glaciers also flowed over Madeline Island and the result was drumlins (oval-shaped hills where the ovals are all aligned in the same direction, this being the direction that the glaciers flowed). To view the big picture, the entire State of Wisconsin is a teaching device for learning how glaciers altered the landscape. Lawrence Martin's book on Wisconsin's geology teaches words relating to glaciers, including, drumlins, moraines, drift, Driftless Area, kames, and nunataks. Taking a vacation trip in Wisconsin without knowing these words is like visiting New York City without experiencing a subway ride, the art museums, and the Statue of Liberty. I have always been a fan of marshes, bogs, and swamps, and Madeline Island is a great place to see these things. Big Bay State Park on Madeline Island provides a chance to see red and white pines covered with lichens, bearberry, low juniper, false heather, blueberry, and huckleberry. We also find a sphagnum-sedge bog, which is a floating bog that has been characterized as, "one of the richest bog floras in the Lake Superior region." Madeline Island also has a conifer swamp of white cedar, black and white spruces, and tamarack. I saw these things during my day on Madeline Island. Info about Big Bay State Park is found on pages 31-41 of "Superior Coastal Plain Regional Master Plan (2019) Wisconsin Dept. Natural Resources (DNR PUB-LF-112).

DITCH THE GPS, USE ROUTE 2 ========================== First, I would have to recommend to just ignore GPS and take Route 2 all the way to Bayfield, WI. The GPS will try to find shortest route but it's through gravel roads which is a bit annoying. Take the highway and you'll get there faster. BOOK YOUR TICKETS IN ADVANCED ============================== Second, book your cruise in advance since I didn't know that they put you in upper deck seats. Otherwise, you risk the chance of no seat or lower deck. Call the Apostle Island Cruise which the National Park Service has listed on their website. Then, call their reservation line to make sure you have your spots when you arrive. Morning complete island cruise at 10AM Evening complete island cruise at 4PM HIGHLIGHTS =========== Devil's Island is the best with its sea caves. However, the boat staff will make a call whether or not conditions are safe to navigate to the island. The morning cruise was shorted due to rough waters which made navigating difficult. Our evening cruise was lucky to venture further since waves calmed down. They will give you a full refund if they are uncertain about visiting Devil's Island and you decide to bail from the cruise entirely on the dock. Next best island would have to be Raspberry Island which has a cool lighthouse. There is a ranger's station as well which is nice. We didn't get to dock there but there are other tours that let you visit the lighthouse on Raspberry Island. Check boating schedules with the cruise lines. The only island for the most recreation would have to be Madeline Island (largest island)- not a national lakeshore island but a state park island. Check with Madeline Cruise for their car and passenger ferry which is a 30 min ride. Plenty of trails and campgrounds as well. You probably have to book ahead since the ferry can only accommodate maybe 10-15 cars at the most. PARKING EARLY TO AVOID ARRIVING LATE =================================== Third, parking can be a pain so get a map from the Apostle Islands Visitors Center and ask a ranger. Here is an idea of travel time. Duluth, MN to Bayfield, WI approximately 2 hour drive So, plan accordingly since you don't have much time to lolly-gaggling in between. We thought to try the coast hiking trail but no time at all. We made it 30 minutes beforehand to get the tickets. There are some no-time-restriction municipal lots which are either near the pier or a couple of blocks away. These get filled up and open up throughout the day. If you are lucky, you will get one by the pier. Do not park illegally or risk getting fined big time and/or towed. VISITOR'S CENTER HAS MAPS AND USEFUL INFO ========================================= That's pretty much it. The visitors center is nice and has an auditorium with a gift shop. Rangers are helpful and it's a shame no real hiking routes except the really far one- west of Bayfield. If you have time, look through the exhibit of their Fresnel lens which is used in the lighthouse on Raspberry Island.

I agree with Jeff 100%. This place is awesome :) I love National Parks, and my fiance and I take cross country trips at least yearly (usually more often) and stop at National Parks along the way. On one trip (June 2007), we stopped at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. I am so glad we did. We took a boat tour by the Apostle Island Cruise Service (we took the Evening Grand Tour from 5:45 to 9pm) to get a good idea of the area, and planned the rest of our trip from there. Kayaking is by far the best way to see this place. Just be careful of other boats! There are 21 islands and though we didn't get to see them all :( it just gives us an excuse to come back. Definitely a great spot for camping, hiking, kayaking, and just enjoying the beauty of Lake Superior.

The Apostle Islands is a national park at the tippy top of Wisconsin that includes a chain of 23 islands in Lake Superior. Most adventures to this park are launched from Bayfield, WI; which is also where the park headquarters is inside of this beautiful multi-story sandstone building which began its life as a 19th century courthouse (the sandstone use to be quarried on one of the islands). We spent the day here in early September. The weather was perfect for an open boat tour and a walk through Bayfield. Our main interest was with the Grand Cruise boat tour of the islands - a 3 hour tour (yep, a "3 hour tour"...) that takes you through just about all of the islands. I highly recommend you purchase your tickets a day in advance online. We arrived for the morning tour, but it was sold out (yes, the tours sell out during the off-season) - we were fortunate that they had a second afternoon tour that we could jump on. The tour is well worth the money, a great value, and you can take your own food and drink on board (including alcohol, which some of the tourists were doing - coolers full of beer!). The captain is well scripted to tell you want you want to hear about the history of the islands. Bayfield is a fine, picture perfect town with several dining options, a dock, and most important, a maritime museum that will brief you on all of the important nautical history of Lake Superior. Don't miss out on this if you're in the region - it's worth the trip! When we return, we'll definitely get some sea kayaks for a more intimate tour of the geology.

In 2014 the Lake was frozen over, apparently uncommon, and we walked out onto it (with 60,000+ of our closest friends) to see the rock formations. There was no big amphitheater like in the pics online, but it was totally worth it and very cool. I saw some people with little kids out there, and I wouldn't advise it--there was one kid screaming as the father tied one slep on top of another with the kid inside to try to offer some shelter. It was chilly out there in the wind, and I'd say you'd be on the Lake for 90 minutes minimum walking out then seeing the formations. Dress really warmly. Parking is tough, so get there early, or late after cars have left. Otherwise you park along the road on the north side and a shuttle comes by.

Beautiful Pristine Historic & Hard to get to! I've been up here twice now and still haven't planted a foot on an island, but I did cruise around in the tour boat to see the lighthouses and see what it's all about. Next time I'll be in a kayak headed for an island. Bayfield is great, but be sure to head north and west a bit and you can see several of the islands from the northern boat launch. This past summer, I watched from the beach as an isolated t-storm went over Sand Island... you really have to respect the weather out there or you'll find yourself in deep do do. Can't wait to go back!

Took a little drive on a whim to check out the view and was not disappointed at all. This place is a gift from up above and you will feel content just looking out over the blue water and hearing the sound of the wind and birds. It was great to go and just restore my soul. So far it does not cost a thing to make your own adventure just taking in the beauty and breathtaking sights of nature. There is something for everyone here---boaters, swimmers, kayaking, walking, exploring, wild-life watching.

The weather was perfect when we arrived at Meyer's Beach Road. A friendly park ranger gave us all the info we needed. We lugged our kayaks down the 50+ steps from the parking lot to the beach and launched in clear, cold, flat water. The ranger said there were only a few days of flat water this year and they were all this week! The bottom was clearly visible in 40 feet of water and overcast skies. There were only two other yaks and no one on the beach as we paddled about 1.25 miles over to the caves. We were awestruck. They are truly amazing. With the flat-water conditions were were able to paddle in and around the caves and walls. We spent about 1.5 hours and then headed back to the beach. Anyone who considers themselves a fan of national parks or a Wisconsinite should experience this.

We stopped at the Meyers Beach location to check out the beach and hike to the sea caves. There is a $5 parking fee for the national park, which we found well worth it. The ranger station was manned and the ranger was friendly & chatting with park visitors. We took the trail to the sea caves (1.8 miles). It was mostly on boardwalk, but definitely not the easiest of trails-lots of steps and ups & downs. If you're up for it, it's definitely worth it!! When you get to the point where the sea caves are marked, you should keep going toward the camp ground for another 10-15 minutes. There are some really great views ahead! After we spent a few hours wandering the trails and enjoying the views of the cliffs and the caves, we headed back and spent a little time on Meyers Beach. We just enjoyed sitting and watching the water, but others were wandering and launching their kayaks. Our visit was mid-September, so it was pretty windy and quite cold. Definitely not a good time for swimming, but perfect for the hike! It was a great experience.

I've seen some beautiful places (mostly in the pages of magazines haha..) and this place is sublime! In the landlocked Midwest, this is the best thing here! In fact, I don't need to see the ocean if I can come here. There is no wrong way to experience this place, whether it's by cruise, kayak, or by foot. Make sure to come to the Meyer's Beach lakeshore entrance. There you can walk a 1.8 mile trail. Don't be daunted by the .7 mile section. It was very muddy this summer and infested with mosquitos but the payoff was magnificent when I reached the 1.1 mile section. On this part of the trail, you get to trek through a quiet forest and glimpse the mighty sea caves from atop cliffs. As for wildlife, I just heard a bunch of squirrels. However, when I reached one area of the cliffs, I heard a loud howl, followed by a bunch of squawks. I saw huge black birds circling above the trees (I thought great..vultures). Then the birds flew down and turned out to be bald eagles. They were two parents and a baby. All the mosquito bites I itched were a very minor price to pay for such a sight. And if you kayak, it is a whole different experience. The sea caves can be a bit scary to venture into but the experience itself is other worldly. Plus, you get a great vantage point of said eagles. I spoke to some kayakers below and if I hadn't spoken to them, I would have never known one of the eagles was perched on a tree just 20 feet from me. And if you cruise, you can see all the Apostle Islands and they are a pristine looking bunch of islands. This place is really a national treasure.

It's complicated, beautiful, and changes its mind a lot. It's Lake Superior. When Bryan and I booked our kayak trip, I had little to no idea what we were getting into. Yes, I read the brochures and browsed various websites for testimonials. Yes, I talked to people at the National Lakeshore office in Bayfield. NO, I was not prepared for how gorgeous and memorable these islands are. We'd never been on a sea kayak before, so we thought 'Boy howdy, let's do it for the first time on a 4 day trek from island to island on Lake Superior!' Not sure if I'd recommend it or not, but we work well together in stressful times. So we thought what the hell! We rented a sea kayak, took a safety course, and hit the water. Crashing waves, little waves, big swells, wind gusts, boat traffic, and calm waters were some of the things we experienced as we traveled from island to island. IT WAS AWESOME. And a little scary at times. The islands are so secluded but you've still got rangers on the bigger ones. They're all volunteers! Shout out to David on Oak. He let me borrow some of his anti-itch Benadryl and thanks to him, I slept through the night. No thanks to the chiggers. He was an awesome ranger and a very interesting guy to talk to. I just couldn't believe how cool it was to be out on the water observing the elements, navigating the map, listening to my weather radio for adverse conditions, and making decisions based on all of the above. TIP: If you're kayaking, pick up a waterproof map from the National Lakeshore office - don't use something printed off the internet. You need the real thing. In my opinion, the best way to experience the national lakeshore is by kayak. It has to be a sea kayak due to the conditions I talked about. I could go on and on, but please just go here. It's a must see for all humans. One more tip: If you're up here in summer, get your butt to the Raspberry Island lighthouse. Jim works there for part of the summer and he takes the job seriously. You'll know exactly what life was like when the lighthouse was in operation, plus it's magnificent to look at.

BEAUTIFUL! We took the Apostle Island tour while we were here, highly recommend it. The lakeshore is nice to look at and relaxing too. Even on a hot summer day, it can feel a little chilly due to the winds coming off the lake. So I would recommend you bring a light jacket just in case. Plenty of photo opportunities and friendly people to recommend local activities.

Traveled from Texas to see the ice caves and it was absolutely worth it. You haven't been able to walk out there since 2009. We went mid day yesterday and the parking lot was full. They're ice caves so it was cold, very cold. Sounds obvious but looking at the clothing choices some people made, I thought it bore mentioning. Wear several layers with the outer layer designed to stop wind. You can crawl around under some of the formations and slide down others, so you'll want something better than jeans. Yaktrax are a must for walking on the ice without slipping. There was cell service out there do take those camera phones, upload your photos and make all your friends scratch their heads as to why you picked a winter vacation to Wisconsin instead of the Bahamas!

My most favorite way to experience the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is visiting the sea caves in the winter. You just cannot even imagine how beautiful they are. No hyperbole here whatsoever. It's kind of difficult to plan, as the safety of trips out on the ice are very dependent on the weather, but when everything lines up and the timing is right, it will be one of those trips you will never forget. (For more info on the ice caves: http://www.nps.gov/apis/naturescience/caves.htm)

AWESOME; a national treasure! It's clean, even pristine. Off the beaten path. Headquarters is south of the park/lakeshore in Bayfield, a cute touristy town. The two groups that probably are most knowledgeable about this national park are kayakers and lighthouse aficionados. They have plenty of trails winding along the cliffs of Lake Superior. There are many places accessible to boats and kayaks. I've got to convince my wife that we should join a sea kayak group to check things out from another vantage point. There are a number of boat tours out of Bayfield to view some of the highlights of the park/lakeshore.

Don't go there! You will hate its pristine beauty, and the sense of awe from its natural wonders. Go to Europe instead. In the meantime, I will keep going there to let you know when it becomes a place that you will enjoy. Until then, stay away. Go to Mexico, or France- there's much more to see and they have restaurants. Here, there's just the Hand of God Almighty and His creatures. Bob

Fantastic no matter what time of year, but if you're lucky enough to see it frozen, it's a real treat. Dress in layers and bring your own water and snacks. You'll be walking about 6 miles in 4 hours in frigid temps to see it. Well worth the effort! Mother nature at it's best. http://www.flickr.com/photos/alibarbara/sets/72157641014491324/ If you want to see photos, here's my flickr set. I would love to go there again!

I visited Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in Bayfield, WI on 7/31/1993 (it's printed in my National Park Passport). It was my 1st time there. It was part of the 1993 R.V. trip with my dad across the USA. Nice visitor's center. My only regret was that we didn't have time to set foot on the islands.

We covered all of or vacation relaxation requirements on the island. The best was the long chilly walk we took in in the state park. We saw so many deer close up and even encountered a bear. It was spectacularly divine. Like a page out of Walden.

I'm heading up to Bayfield tomorrow (5/21/09) and I just cannot wait to get there. The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is unspoiled and serene, and the whole Bayfield area is incredibly charming. I can't wait to get out on the Big Lake -- sea kayaking if the weather is good.

The Apostle Islands national Lakeshore make Bayfield special. Really though, it does! All the islands are worth traveling to sometime throughout your life. They really are beautiful, and each have their little gems that make them special. Madeline Island is the main island, if you don't want to go to the others, at least take the fairy here. Tons of things to do, tons of beaches, food, and fun. The rest of the islands, you need your own transportation to get to with. Long island is the closest, Madeline the populated, and the rest desolate with nature! Beautiful Nature! I've been to Raspberry, Outer, and Madeline with friends, but I've taken the Princess tours and have seen them all. I love the islands. I heard someone once call it the Caribbean of the north!

Pros: Captain narrates historic facts through out the 3.5 hour Grand Tour, which is on the long side. Cons: Majority of the islands are too far away to get a good view. Cold weather inhibits enjoyment of the top deck.

A quick preview of what to expect: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neD0VlJ_8eM&feature=share&list=UUFRK-tSBXN1OedEu_6WXutg

Apostle islands -big name but not all that great. We started our trip from chicago at midnight and reached there by 5 am. The drive is really good. We then went in the cruise ("morning grand tour") which was a waste of money. it was nothing but just a slow ride. It din't have an option to get onto any of the islands. One suggestion- please don't ever go in that grand tour cruises. they just "eat" ur money. Madeline island was good. thankfully that lightened up our moods. Better take ur car in the ferry. bcoz there is lot to drive inside the island. there are very good walking trails and fantastic beaches and campsites.

Lame as hell! In Florida they call these cattle boats. I let my wife talk me into this and it was a painful trip. She even regretted it. We regretted not chartering a smaller boat so we could at least touch the islands. The crew was ok but the person on the intercom does like to talk a lot so not much peace. Do yourself a favor and skip the boat and this company. The park service does a lot right but this is one thing they do very wrong!!

5 stars IS as good as it gets ! Visit the ice caves in the winter or visit them by summer by boat...Bayfield is amazing. No bad views. SO many goods...skeeters - well, they are a northern animal you can't avoid at times...Lk Superior...deadly, cool and enticing. Be careful. Be safe. A MUST see. BATB is a great event if you want to do it then sightsee, that's a great winter adventure. GO !