Stockton Island Articles

Discover the Park – Islands

Annual Friends cruise celebrates Apostle Islands and people who love this special place

Annual Friends cruise celebrates Apostle Islands and people who love this special place

When you're among Friends, visiting one of the Apostle Islands becomes even more meaningful. Dozens of supporters of Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore boarded the Superior Princess on a breezy, sunny August day. During the annual Friends cruise, they enjoyed good food, good company and the unmatched beauty of islands. They heard an update on the Meyers Beach accessible path project, the largest Friends initiative to date. And they also received an invitation to continue their support. Not only for today, but for future generations.Welcome Aboard! Click to enlarge photosGuests...

Friends cruise guests experience the magic of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

Friends cruise guests experience the magic of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

It was a magical night for guests on the sold-out Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore cruise. Magical because Canadian wildfire smoke that had shrouded northern Wisconsin for weeks disappeared just in time. Magical because nearly glass-calm conditions made it easy to dine on catered delicacies and home-made treats. Magical because many guests were able to cool off by wading in the clear waters of Julian Bay, then cap off the evening with a beautiful sunset. And magical because a shared love of the Lakeshore brought all of these like-minded people together for an evening of fun...

Wave Watch buoys reveal dramatic water temperature swings in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

Wave Watch buoys reveal dramatic water temperature swings in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

These may be the longest days of summer, but you'll definitely want to know current wave and water temperature conditions before you jump in for a swim or head out in your kayaak. Due to a relatively cool spring, the largest freshwater lake in the world is about 5 degrees behind normal averages in warming at the surface. The difference between an invigorating swim and potentially life-threatening hypothermia is literally a matter of degrees and timing. And our Wave Watch buoys verify just how quickly conditions can change. Lake Superior's deep-water temperture is 39 degrees year-round but at...

Friends of the Apostle Islands and you: the art of making a difference

Friends of the Apostle Islands and you: the art of making a difference

A letter from our Executive DirectorsDear Friend, With so many good causes out there this time of the year, how do you decide which organizations to support? Well, making a difference is an art. As you plan your charitable gift-giving this holiday season, we hope you will consider:Giving to support the a place you love: the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is one of only three national lakeshores in the country, “a unique collection of islands” according to Gaylord Nelson, the founder of Earth Day and sponsor of the 1970 legislation to create the national lakeshore.Giving to a group that...

Sam’s first camping trip to Stockton Island

Sam’s first camping trip to Stockton Island

First-time visitors often wonder... what's it really like to camp on one of the islands in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore?  And how can you do it, if you don't have the desire, equipment or expertise to paddle a kayak and all of your gear to the campsite? To answer that question, we asked Samantha Howk, daughter-in-law of Friends board member Neil Howk, to tell us about her first camping experience at Presque Island Campground on Stockton Island, which is served by a hiking and camping marine shuttle service.Hi, Friends! My name is Samantha Howk, and I am very fortunate to be the...

Sign up now for the 2024 Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore annual cruise

Sign up now for the 2024 Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore annual cruise

We hope you'll join us for this year's Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore cruise on August 8th. New this year, cruise Artist in Residence Dale Whittaker will join us to talk about his work and capture some Apostle Islands magic. Read more about Dale here. Enjoy some food and drink, a brief program, a stroll along the beach at Julian Bay with some of your Friends and hopefully, a beautiful sunset on the way back to Bayfield  -- weather permitting, of course.

2024 Island School students depart Bayfield for an adventure of a lifetime

2024 Island School students depart Bayfield for an adventure of a lifetime

A Superior send-off. For more than three decades, Island School has empowered local school kids to learn in and experience the beauty of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. They departed City Dock today on a three-day, two-night immersion experience on Stockton Island, led by Northland College and the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute and funded in part by Friends of the Apostle Islands.More than 5,000 students have attended Island School since it began in 1986... students who might otherwise not get to experience the islands. Former Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore...

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...