Discover the Park

On this page: Discover the Islands | Landmarks & Lighthouses | Recreation Resources

Apostle Islands and mainland outlined in white on an orange background

Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

Around every curve in a boardwalk hiking trail and just beyond the next bend in a sandstone shoreline, there’s something special for you to discover in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Rugged landscapes and lakescapes. Diverse wildlife and rare ecosystems. Rich cultural history and an unforgettable starlit night sky.

Sharing knowledge about the park with people of all ages and interests is part of the Friends mission. We hope that learning about the park’s past and present will inspire you to recreate safely and responsibly and join us in protecting and preserving this special place for future generations.

Silhouette of Michigan Island Lighthouse

Discover the Islands!

Twenty-one islands spread out over 750 square miles of Lake Superior, twelve miles of mainland shoreline, lighthouses, historic fisheries, sixty-six campsites, bears, beaches, sea caves, the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is a rich and complex landscape. Learn more about this magical place below where you can explore each island and start planning your next adventure.

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Picture Grid

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Text List

Michigan Island

North Twin Island

Oak Island

Otter Island

Outer Island

Park Headquarters – Mainland

Raspberry Island

Rocky Island

Sand Island

South Twin Island

Stockton Island

York Island

Basswood Island - Accessible features, camping, dock, hiking, popular

Bear Island - Camping

Cat Island - Camping

Devils Island - Camping, dock, hiking, lighthouse, popular

Eagle Island - No amenities

Gull Island - No amenities

Hermit Island - Camping

Ironwood Island - Camping

Little Sand Bay: Mainland - Accessible features, dock, mainland, popular, visitor center

Long Island - Dock, hiking, lighthouse

Manitou Island - Camping, dock, hiking

Meyers Beach: Mainland - Camping, hiking, mainland, popular

Michigan Island - Accessible features, camping, dock, hiking, lighthouse, popular

North Twin Island - Camping

Oak Island - Camping, dock, hiking, popular

Otter Island - Camping, dock, hiking

Outer Island - Camping, dock, hiking, lighthouse

Park Headquarters: Mainland - Accessible features, mainland, popular, visitor center

Raspberry Island - Dock, hiking, lighthouse, popular

Rocky Island - Camping, dock, hiking

Sand Island - Accessible features, camping, dock, hiking, lighthouse, popular

South Twin Island - Camping, dock, hiking

Stockton Island - Accessible features, camping, dock, hiking, popular, visitor center

York Island - Camping

Landmarks & Lighthouses

Explore the lighthouses and landmarks of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore on our interactive map. You’ll also find the locations of other key points of interest in the park.

Recreation Resources

Sailing the Apostle Islands – Jeff Rennicke photo

Whether you like active paddling, sailing and camping adventures, or you simply want to relax and enjoy solitude in the wilderness, get ready for an island experience that excites your senses and nourishes your soul. To make the most of your next visit, we encourage you to explore our website and these resources.

NPS Park Map
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Park map showing Ojibwe place names, park amenities and key features. (PDF)

Apostle Islands National Lakeshore
The National Park Service team, headquartered in Bayfield, provides visitor services, park protection, facilities operations and maintenance, all in order to protect the park and to enable safe and rewarding park experiences for thousands of visitors every year — nearly 300,000 visitors in 2021 alone.

Recreation.gov
There’s no need to carry cash, checks or credit cards to pay for parking at Meyers Beach or to pay docking fees at one of the islands, if you have the recreation.gov mobile app on your phone. Read Post

WISC Watch – Real-Time Wave & Weather Information
Before your next paddling or boating adventure, it pays to learn as much as you can about the weather forecast and wave conditions. Lake Superior can be glass-calm in one instant and a short time later you might face three-foot waves from a fast-moving storm. Read Post

Near-Shore Marine Zone Forecast Map
Clickable map of zone forecasts for nearshore waters of western Lake Superior.

More Weather Resources
Resources including an interactive map of conditions and hazards, hazardous weather outlook and area forecast discussion.

Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Privacy Policy

At Friends of the Apostle Islands, your privacy matters to us. Whether you are donating, asking a question, joining our mailing list, or signing up for an event, Friends works to honor and respect your privacy.

Personally Identifiable Information: Friends of the Apostle Islands receives your specific data only when you provide that information voluntarily through filling out a form to be added to our mailing lists, donating, signing up to volunteer, or requesting more information from us. We promise you that this information will be used only to fulfill your specific request, to keep you informed about Friends projects and events, or to make you aware of important information regarding the islands or our organization.

Friends will never sell or trade your personal information to any other company, organization, or government agency.

Donation Information: Your generous donations to our organization are vital to our success. Because we honor your donation, we often recognize gifts in such places as our Annual Report using only your name and the general category of the gift. No contact information is released through our Annual Report. You have the right to opt out of such recognition by simply requesting that your donation and your name not be made public.

Your information is collected in our database for internal use only so that we may keep you informed of such things as upcoming events, fundraising opportunities, volunteer opportunities, and special projects. Friends will never sell or trade your personal information to any other company, organization, or government agency.

Please note that with respect to on-line donations made via credit card, we receive only the name of the donor, their address (if provided), the amount of the donation and the purpose for which it was made. No credit card information, i.e., the name on the card, the number, expiration date, issuing company, etc., is provided to us. Such information is strictly a matter between the donor and our processing agent, PayPal.

Non-personal (Generic) Information: Friends of the Apostle Islands does gather some generic, non-personal information automatically from users of our website. This generic information does not reveal the identity of the visitor. It usually includes information about the number and frequency of visitors to our website, which web pages were visited, and the type of browser used to reach the site. Friends gathers this information for the limited purpose of monitoring website traffic, page usage, and determining customer service and website improvements.

Exceptions and Limitations: Notwithstanding the foregoing and in compliance with applicable laws, Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore (i) cooperates fully with state, local, and federal officials in any investigation relating to any content (including personal or private electronic communications transmitted to Friends) or purported unlawful activities of any user of the website, and (ii) takes reasonable measures to protect its proprietary rights. For the limited purposes of accomplishing such cooperation and measures and in compliance with applicable laws, Friends could be required to disclose personally identifiable information.

Because of our privacy policy, we hope you can enjoy our website, sign up for our newsletter, join our organization, shop, and make donations with confidence that Friends of the Apostle Islands respects and honors your privacy to the fullest extent possible. We are glad that you are here and care about the islands. We will do all we can to make your online experience safe, enjoyable, and private.

This policy may change from time to time without notice, so please check back periodically to review this information.

Your Friends at Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore