Quoting Needfreed_at_wmconnect.com: > Hi, > > Looks like I'll be able to visit the Apostle Islands for a few days in late > July and I have a hunch there are some folks on this list who could offer > advice on campsites, sights to see and any other things they think a new > visitor should know. > > Thanks in advance for any input. Late July is a great time to be in the Apostles. For one, the surface water temperature is usually in the sixties by then, though this year might be an exception, and bugs are not usually a problem. Be sure to check the Web site for the Apostles at http://www.nps.gov/apis/ and the campsite directory at http://www.nps.gov/apis/campsite/campsite.htm (the link to it on the main Web site can be hard to find). Plan your route well in advance, and then reserve your campsites as early as possible. For individual sites (two tents/seven people max) you can reserve no earlier than 30 days in advance. A $15 fee is charged for each reservation regardless of how many days or campsites it includes. If you put in at Little Sand bay, you can ask to pick up your permit there, otherwise you will have to pick it up in Bayfield. Many of the islands have only one campsite. That includes Outer, Cat, Ironwood, Michigan (I think), Otter (I think), Devils, and Manitou. If you are the only party camped there, you have the island to yourself, except for daytrippers. Most of the campsites are on beaches. However, since most of the sites were originally designed for backpackers, some are not. The campsite on Devils is high above the water, but there is an easy landing in the harbor below. All but the southernmost campsite on Rocky are trail access only. On Basswood, the sites are a long trek uphill from the landing. On Oak the sites near the dock on the west side have a very poor landing for kayaks alongside the dock, but the sites on the bay on the north side have beach landings. At Presque Isle on Stockton, the campsites are filled quickly by passengers off the excursion boat; this is the only area you cannot reserve a specific site. There are some car campsites on the mainland at Washburn, Little Sand Bay, and at Dalrymple Campground a little north of Bayfield. All these are first-come, first-served, and are usually crowded in the summer. Some of the sites have solar-powered water pumps nearby, but I still recommend taking a water filter. Several islands have bears, Oak being one of the more notorious islands for that, but most sites now have bear boxes. I think all the official sites have pit toilets and fire pits. All the islands are beautiful, especially on warm, sunny days with puffy cumulus clouds. However, there are also some interesting sea caves to explore on the east side of Squaw Bay, at Swallow Point on Sand Island, and -- the best of all -- on Devils Island. If you can get a permit for Devils Island, you really should visit the caves at sunrise or sunset, which are the only times the sun shines into them. Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any more questions. Chuck Holst Ps: If you have a GPS, I can supply you with a set of waypoints for the Apostles, especially if you use Waypoint+. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Winds can be tricky and, especially towards the outer islands, you are quite exposed. A VHF radio to keep track of weather reports is a must. On my trip last July we aborted after the first night because of the weather forecast. As a result of the high winds, several parties spent two extra days sitting on islands waiting for the weather to break. Not even the ferries were running. We went up to the end of the peninsula and did a day trip out to the caves of Sand Island before the winds came up, and then spent our time on short trips on the lee side. The sea caves on the outer islands are spectacular. Robert From: <cholst_at_bitstream.net> Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Apostle Islands > Quoting Needfreed_at_wmconnect.com: > > > Hi, > > > > Looks like I'll be able to visit the Apostle Islands for a few days in late > > July and I have a hunch there are some folks on this list who could offer > > advice on campsites, sights to see and any other things they think a new > > visitor should know. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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