Aug. 25 marks the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, with a slew of centennial celebrations taking place at Yosemite, the Grand Canyon and other blue-chip properties in the park service’s portfolio.
But lesser-known historic sites and monuments maintained by the park service are sharing in the birthday bash. At northern Wisconsin’s Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, the centennial is a chance to showcase the area’s nine lighthouses — the most within a single National Park Service jurisdiction. Aug. 25 is when a new exhibit about the lighthouses will be rolled out in the recently restored Michigan Island Lighthouse.
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Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is an archipelago of 21 remote islands clustered at the northern tip of the Bayfield peninsula in Wisconsin, about an eight-hour drive from Chicago. The Apostle Islands lighthouses, built between 1856 and 1915, guided commercial freighters and pleasure boaters through the treacherous, icy waters of Lake Superior. A $7 million, multiyear restoration project of these historic beacons is in its final stages.
“This is the first time in modern history that anyone has put any really money into restoring these lighthouses,” says Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Superintendent Bob Krumenaker. “The cost of doing work out here is just so extraordinarily high. Just getting supplies delivered to the islands is a challenge.”
The most extensive work was done on the old Michigan Island Lighthouse, the elder statesman of the bunch. Official tours began here last summer.
Visitors may be surprised to see two side-by-side lighthouses on Michigan Island. That’s because the original lighthouse, built in 1856, was too short. It was supposed to go on neighboring Long Island, 17 miles away but was mistakenly built on Michigan Island instead. A 112-foot light tower, the tallest on Wisconsin’s Lake Superior shoreline, was erected next to the original lighthouse in 1929, along with a new lighthouse keeper’s residence.
These types of details — along with photos, maps and historic objects — are part of the new, permanent lighthouse exhibit.
“What’s cool about the Apostle Islands collection of lighthouses is that you’ll get to see a wide variety of architecture, design and technology, representing the different eras in which they were built,” says David Cooper, a cultural resource specialist who oversaw the lighthouse restoration.
A good first stop on an Apostle Islands trip is the main visitors center in Bayfield at 415 Washington Ave., 715-779-3397, www.nps.gov/apis/index.htm.
And a good time to visit is Aug. 30 to Sept. 17 during the annual Apostle Islands Lighthouse Celebration, featuring special events and tours; 800-779-4487; www.lighthousecelebration.com.
Andrea Guthmann is a freelance writer.
If you go
From Bayfield, visitors can paddle, sail or cruise to Michigan Island.
Ferry: Apostle Islands Cruises (www.apostleisland.com) has added a new trip to Michigan Island that runs four times weekly (Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday) through Sept. 4 ($46 for adults, $27 for kids 6-12 years old). Visitors can climb the newer light tower’s 138 steps for a bird’s-eye view of the surrounding islands. There’s an additional fee for a park service ranger tour.
Kayak: Fierce waves and awesome winds carved out the area’s other main attraction, the stunning red sandstone sea caves. Exploring via kayak allows you to narrowly squeeze in between cliff walls and gently glide under rock formations. Trek & Trail in Bayfield (www.trek-trail.com) offers a guided six-day trip, stopping at a variety of islands, including Michigan. The $725 price includes equipment, instruction, food and camping gear.
Sailboat: If you don’t know your bow from your stern, a trip to Michigan Island with Dreamcatcher Sailing is a great way to learn the ropes. Actively be part of the crew, or just sit back and enjoy the ride, stopping at islands and sea caves along the way. Dreamcatcher Sailing has four sailboats, each with its own galley (kitchen), sleeping up to seven. The two-night trip — with the first night spent aboard the boat in Bayfield’s marina — costs $1,900 for the sailboat and a captain. Passengers bring their own food, bedding, beach towels and toiletries. www.dreamcatcher-sailing.com
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