Stockton Island Articles

Discover the Park – Islands

Prescribed cultural burn planned for Stockton Island tombolo this fall, weather permitting

Prescribed cultural burn planned for Stockton Island tombolo this fall, weather permitting

BAYFIELD, WISCONSIN (National Park Service News Release) –The National Park Service, in collaboration with the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and Tribal partners, is planning a 33-acre prescribed fire on Stockton Island (Wiisaakodewan-minis) between September 13 and October 15, if weather conditions permit. This prescribed fire will be a cultural burn; objectives include restoring globally imperiled pine barrens habitat with an emphasis on increasing blueberry (miin) production. Cultural burns take Indigenous Knowledge, which is a deep knowledge of a place that has been painstakingly...

Annual cruise connects Friends supporters with the islands, accomplishments and what’s next

Annual cruise connects Friends supporters with the islands, accomplishments and what’s next

"This was a trip of imagination. It was a trip of gratitude." That's how Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Executive Director Jeff Rennicke summed up the 2023 annual cruise.60 Friends supporters boarded the Superior Princess in Bayfield for the catered cruise to Stockton Island, where they enjoyed some inspiring conversation and gained first-hand exposure to ongoing efforts to make the park more accessible for people of all abilities, as well as the natural beauty of the island.Rennicke chose the accessible amphitheater at Presque Isle to thank supporters for the progress...

Abnormally dry conditions in the Apostle Islands prompt cautions about fire and potential bear encounters

Abnormally dry conditions in the Apostle Islands prompt cautions about fire and potential bear encounters

As drought-like conditions continue in much of northern Wisconsin, users of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore are urged to be very careful with fire and to be vigilent about potential interactions with hungry black bears. As of June 21st, the Wisconsin DNR says the fire danger in Bayfield, Douglas and Ashland Counties is high, meaning "wildfires ignite easily, spread rapidly and can be challenging to control." The number of northern Wisconsin counties classified as "high danger" increased dramatically from June 20th. As the DNR graphic below also shows, the fire danger in the blue...

Park improvements offer new camping options, force temporary closures of Park Headquarters and Quarry Bay dock

Park improvements offer new camping options, force temporary closures of Park Headquarters and Quarry Bay dock

Two big projects designed to improve safety and services at the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore are forcing temporary closures. Two more recently completed projects are ready for you to enjoy.First, the City of Bayfield is completing improvements to the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore headquarters in Bayfield. The National Park Service leases this facility from the city. While the repairs and improvements are being completed, National Park Service rangers will be available from 9:30am to 4:15pm Friday through Tuesdays at the Bayfield Chamber & Visitor Bureau located at 42 South...

Sold Out! Annual Friends Cruise planned for August 10th

Sold Out! Annual Friends Cruise planned for August 10th

It is the highlight of the season at Friends of the Apostle Islands: a time to gather with friends, members, supporters, new faces, and enjoy the very place we all work so hard to protect. This year, our Annual Cruise is slated for Thursday, August 10th. We will board the Superior Princess of the Apostle Island Cruise Service at the Bayfield City Dock at 5pm and cruise Lake Superior passing Basswood Island, Hermit, Oak, and others. Along the way we will enjoy a buffet and drinks, stories of the islands, watch the scenery slip by and our destination – Stockton Island – looming on the...

Celebrating Friends: 2022 annual cruise a sweet success

Celebrating Friends: 2022 annual cruise a sweet success

At Friends, our staff, board members, and volunteers can often be found in deep discussions over issues, planning budgets, setting up meetings, the everyday stuff of any organization. However sometimes you just have to set that all aside and return to the heart of things: the reason for doing all of it. Sometimes, you just have to go to the islands. Recently 58 Friends members, donors, board members, and supporters boarded the Superior Princess at the Bayfield City Dock for our 2022 Annual Cruise, a signature Friends event, this year sponsored by Wickcraft Boardwalks.Superior Princess – Jeff...

Park visitors praise Stockton Island amphitheater and ongoing accessibility initiatives

Park visitors praise Stockton Island amphitheater and ongoing accessibility initiatives

Timing is everything. On August 13th, the National Park Service and Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore conducted a grand opening of the accessible amphitheater at Presque Isle on the Lakeshore’s Stockton Island.  Pandemic protocols required the ceremony to be small and unannounced to the public but some park visitors who just happened to be on the island at the time took in the program and they’ve provided some heartwarming feedback.The new $55,000 amphitheater, with its gently sloping ramps, wide benches, and accessible entrance, is now available to visitors with mobility...

Lakeshore Logbook – Kellie Weidinger

Lakeshore Logbook – Kellie Weidinger

Kellie Weidinger As part of our 50th Anniversary celebration, we are collecting and sharing the stories of people connected to the islands, whether they are park guests, former residents or former park employees. This is the 30th in our series called “Lakeshore Logbook,” a collection of memories provided by former National Park Service employees. Living and working in the park on a day to day basis, they’ve experienced a lot to be sure. We hope you enjoy their perspectives. Kellie Weidinger says Apostle Islands National Lakeshore was her first job in a national park. She worked here during...

The ribbon is cut: Stockton Island’s accessible amphitheater is now officially open to all

The ribbon is cut: Stockton Island’s accessible amphitheater is now officially open to all

With a snip of an over-sized red scissors and a flourish of breeze off of Lake Superior, Friends Board Chair Erica Peterson and Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Superintendent Lynne Dominy cut a red ribbon on Friday, August 13, 2021 signifying the grand opening of the accessible amphitheater at Presque Isle on the Lakeshore’s Stockton Island.  The $55,000 project represents a big step in one of the core commitments of Friends of the Apostle Islands. “We are excited to see this finally happen,” said Peterson. “The board made accessibility for all a primary pillar of our organization. We...

Lakeshore Logbook – Terry Daulton

Lakeshore Logbook – Terry Daulton

As part of our 50th Anniversary celebration, we are collecting and sharing the stories of people connected to the islands, whether they are park guests, former residents or former park employees. This is the 25th in our series called “Lakeshore Logbook,” a collection of memories provided by former National Park Service employees. Living and working in the park on a day to day basis, they’ve experienced a lot to be sure. We hope you enjoy their perspectives. Terry Daulton worked in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore from 1981 through 1989 or 90. As a Student Conservation Association...