Attractions
Experience the natural beauty of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. The landscape is painted with lighthouses, sea caves, cliffs, and pristine forests. All but one of the 21 islands is a part of the National Lakeshore. Madeline Island holds the town of La Pointe which has shops, restaurants, and bars. There are over 6 lighthouse scattered throughout the islands. The islands aren't only beautiful during the summer. In the winter of 2013 Lake Superior froze enough for tourists to walk out and see the Island Ice Caves.The cliffs and islands are a relic of the last ice age. The water flowing to lake superior as the glacier melted eroded away red sandstone that the area is composed of. The French were the first Europeans to discover and document the islands. A small town consisting mainly of fur traders was the first to form in the area. The islands were used for logging, farming, and mining during the early 20th century. In 1970, a law was passed that established the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. In 2004, 80% of the land area was designated the Gaylord Nelson Wilderness, named after the Wisconsin Senator who proposed the bill. It is the largest wilderness area in Wisconsin. Some of the wilderness contains old growth forests but the majority has regrown. There is a wide variety of wildlife on all the islands.
