Paddling in the Apostles

National Park ServiceU.S. Department of the Interior

Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Wisconsin

Safety Weather and Lake Conditions• LakeSuperiorisrenownedforitscold

temperatures,roughseas,fog,andsuddensqualls.

• Alwaysobserveandevaluatewindandwaveconditionsbeforeenteringthewater.MonitorthenearshoreandopenwatermarineweatherforecastsfortheApostleIslandsarea.

• Beconstantlyalerttochangingweatherandlakeconditions.Extremeweatherconditionsmaybeencounteredatanytime.Lakeconditionsmaybecomedangerouswithoutwarning.

• Averagedaytimehightemperaturesrangefrom60degreesFahrenheitinMay,totheupper70sinmid-summer,tothemid-60sinSeptember.Averagelowsvaryfrom40degreesinMay,totheupper50sinmid-summer,to50degreesinSeptember.AveragewatertemperaturesinMayandJuneareonlyinthe40s.Eveninlatesummer,surfacetemperaturesrarelyexceed60degrees,exceptinprotectedbays.

• Averagesummerwindsblowatfrom5to20knotswithwavesfrom1to4feet.Windsof30to40knotsand6to12-footseasarepossible.

Skills• Donotexceedyourskilllevel.Ifyouarenewto

seakayaking,itisrecommendedthatyoutakeaguidedtripwithanoutfitter.AskNPSpersonnelifyouhavequestionsconcerningweather,safety,regulations,ordestinations.

• Becapableofre-enteringyourkayakfromthewater.Ifre-enteringisnotpossible,staywiththecapsizedboat.

• Usethebuddysystem.Staytogetherandconductyourwatersportswithintheskilllevelofthegroup’sleastexperiencedmember.

Apostle Islands

Paddling in the Apostles

ManypeoplecometotheApostleIslandsseekingtheadventureofexploringtheareabyboat.Closed-cockpitcraftlikeseakayakshavebecomeverypopularfortravelamongtheislands.OperatingsmallcraftonLakeSuperiorisfunandexciting,butcanalsobehazardous.Becauseofthelake’spowerandunpredictability,theNationalParkService(NPS)doesNOTrecommendtheuseofsmallopenboats,canoes,andopencockpitorsit-uponkayaksfortravelbetweenislands.ThisguidedescribesconditionsthatmaybeencounteredaswellaspreparationspaddlersshouldmakeforatripatApostleIslandsNationalLakeshore.Themostimportantprerequisiteforasafetripisgoodjudgment.Boatersmustknowtheirequipment,knowtheirlimits,andrespecttheenvironment.

Equipment• AllboatersmusthaveareadilyaccessibleU.S.

CoastGuardapprovedPersonalFlotationDevice(PFD)foreachpersononboard.PFDsshouldhavereflectivepanelstoenhancevisibilityatnight.PaddlersshouldalwayswearaPFD.

• TheNPSrecommendsthatkayakersusewetsuitsordrysuitswhenpaddlingintheApostles.Thisisespeciallyimportantinspringandfallwhentheriskofhypothermiaishigh.

• Kayakersshouldalsobeequippedwithasprayskirt,bilgepump,compass,charts,extrapaddle,paddlefloat,towline,andthrowbag.Carrytheseitemsandknowhowtousethem.

• Thefollowingitemsarealsorecommendedforextendedtrips:VHFradio,cellphone,firstaidkit,self-containedstove,headlamp,raingear,waterproofmatches,anddrystoragecontainers.Prepareforpossibleweatherdelaysbypackingprovisionsforatleastoneextraday.

• Seakayaksmaybedifficultforotherboaterstosee.Brightlycoloredboatstravelingclosetogetheroffergreatervisibility.Paddlersshouldholdupandwaveapaddletobecomemorevisible,ifoncomingboatersapproachtooclosely.Exhibitalightifpaddlingafterdark.Forgreatestvisibility,installakayaksafetyflag.

• Besuretocleanyourkayakbeforeandafterusingitinthelaketopreventthespreadofinvasivespecies.

Emergency Procedures• ContacttheU.S.CoastGuardorparkrangerson

marinechannel16orcall(715)779-3397(parkHQ)or(715)373-6120(ambulance)or911andspecifyyourlocation(BayfieldCounty).

Can you get back into your kayak? In rough conditions?

Beachesaresomeofthepark’smostpopularattractions.Theyalsosupportfragileplantcommunities.Pleasewalknearthewaterlineoronestablishedtrailsandtakecarenottotramplebeachgrassesandlichen.Donotplacekayaksontopoffragilevegetation.Pleasecamponlyondurablesurfaceslikesand,rock,orleaflitterindesignatedcampingsitesorzones.Wherevaulttoiletsarenotavailableforhumanwaste,digahole6-8inchesdeepand200feetfromcampandthenearestwaterbody.Covertheholeafteruse.CampfiresarenotallowedatJulianBaybeachonStocktonIsland,onRaspberryIslandbeaches,oronanybeacheswithin150feetofcampsiteswithfirereceptacles.Bepreparedtopackoutwhateveryoupackin.TheseLeaveNoTracepracticesarecaringactivitiesdesignedtodecreasethenegativeeffectsthatusershaveontheenvironment.

E X P E R I E N C E Y O U R A M E R I C A

Kayaklaunchingareasareavailableinthelakeshore’smainlandunitatLittleSandBayandatMeyersBeachattheendofMeyersRoad.LaunchingareasarealsoavailableinBayfieldandRedCliff.Longtermparkingisavailableattheselocations,butparkingspacesfillupquicklyonbusyweekends.Largegroupsshouldplantocarpoolwhenpossible.Neverleavevaluablesinyourvehicleandlockitbeforeleavingtoexplorethepark.LeaveadescriptionofyourvehiclewithaparkrangerbeforeparkingovernightatLittleSandBayorMeyersBeach.Afeemaybechargedtolaunchandparkatsomelocations.OutfittersintheBayfieldareaofferseakayakrentals,lessons,andguidedtrips.CallApostleIslandsNationalLakeshoreat(715)779-3397orgotohttp://www.nps.gov/apis/parkmgmt/partners.htmformoreinformation.

Visitorsmustobtainapermittocampatanylocationinthenationallakeshore.Acampingfeeischarged.Thepermitsystemallowscamperstoreservecampsitesinadvanceandservesasatripitinerary.Visitorsshouldnotifyparkstaffinperson,byradio,orbyphone(ifpossible)whenconditionsforcea

changeintheiritinerary.Blackbearsinhabitseveralislandsinthepark.Alwaysmaintainasafedistancefrombearsandreportanybearsightingstoparkstaffassoonaspossible.Campersmustmaintainacleancampsite,minimizefoododors,usebearprooffoodstoragelockerswhereavailable,orbepreparedtohangfoodoutofreachwherelockersarenotavailable.Refertothepark’smostrecent“Camping”brochureformoreinformation.

Itiseasytounderestimatedistancesbetweendestinationpoints.Allowplentyoftimetoaccomplishyourintendedroute.Wesuggestpaddlingnomorethan10milesperdayforbeginnersor15milesperdayforseasonedpaddlers.Besuretoinformafriendorrelativeofyourtravelplanssothatsomeonewillnoticeifyouareoverdue.

Seacavesareenticingbutcanbeveryhazardousinroughseas.Reboundingwavescanmakeboathandlingnearlyimpossible.Theseshorelinesofferfewsafelandingsitesandshouldonlybevisitedwhenconditionsarecalm.

ApostleIslandsNationalLakeshoreoffersboaterstheopportunitytoexperienceandenjoyavarietyofnaturalandculturalfeatures.Paddlersmustdotheirparttohelpprotectparkresources.Pleasefollowthesevenprinciplesof“LeaveNoTrace”outdoorethics:

1)PlanAheadandPrepare2)TravelandCamponDurableSurfaces3)DisposeofWasteProperly4)LeaveWhatYouFind5)MinimizeCampfireImpacts6)RespectWildlife7)BeConsiderateofOtherVisitors

BAY BAS BN BS CAT DL DS GUL IRN LNG MAN MB MCH NT OAK OTT OTL OTS RAS ROC SL SEB STW SPI SQB YORK LSB

BAYFIELD (BAY) 4 16 14 18 22 20 20 16 6 12 25 16 22 10 14 28 24 14 18 20 20 18 15 13 16 17

BASSWOOD(BAS) 4 12 10 14 18 16 16 12 10 8 21 16 20 6 10 24 20 10 14 16 16 14 12 10 12 14

BEAR NO. END(BN) 16 12 4 10 4 2 20 8 24 8 18 22 10 10 6 20 16 6 6 12 10 6 16 14 8 10

BEAR SANDSPIT(BS) 14 10 4 10 4 4 20 8 20 4 17 18 10 6 4 16 14 4 6 10 8 6 14 12 6 8

CAT SANDSPIT(CAT) 18 14 10 10 10 10 8 2 24 8 25 12 6 12 6 10 6 12 6 20 18 6 12 12 12 18

DEVILS LIGHT(DL) 22 18 4 4 10 2 20 10 28 10 21 26 6 14 10 16 16 10 8 12 12 6 20 18 12 14

DEVILS SO.DOCK (DS) 20 16 2 4 10 2 22 8 26 10 20 26 8 12 8 16 16 10 6 14 14 6 22 18 12 14

GULL ISLAND(GUL) 20 16 20 20 8 20 22 14 22 14 32 6 16 18 16 16 6 22 16 30 28 16 6 8 26 28

IRONWOOD(IRN) 16 12 8 8 2 10 8 14 22 4 23 14 8 10 4 14 8 10 4 18 16 4 12 10 12 16

LONG ISL. DOCK(LNG) 6 10 24 20 24 28 26 22 22 18 30 18 28 14 20 40 28 18 24 28 26 26 20 18 22 26

MANITOU DOCK(MAN) 12 8 8 4 8 10 10 14 4 18 20 12 10 8 2 18 12 6 6 16 14 6 8 6 10 14

MEYERS BEACH(MB) 25 21 18 17 25 21 20 32 23 30 20 29 27 17 19 35 30 14 22 11 9 22 27 25 12 10

MICHIGANDOCK (MCH) 16 16 22 18 12 26 26 6 14 18 12 29 20 14 14 20 10 18 18 28 26 18 4 6 22 26

NO TWIN NWSIDE (NT) 22 20 10 10 6 4 8 16 8 28 10 27 20 16 10 10 10 14 6 24 22 6 20 18 18 22

OAK DOCK(OAK) 10 6 10 6 12 14 12 18 10 14 8 17 14 16 8 24 18 4 12 10 10 10 12 10 6 10

OTTER DOCK(OTT) 14 10 6 4 6 10 8 16 4 20 2 19 14 10 8 16 12 6 4 16 14 4 10 8 10 14

OUTER LIGHT(OTL) 28 24 20 16 10 16 16 16 14 40 18 35 20 10 24 16 10 22 14 26 28 12 18 20 26 28

OUTER SANDSPIT(OTS) 24 20 16 14 4 16 16 6 8 28 12 30 10 10 18 12 10 16 12 24 22 12 10 12 20 22

RASPBERRYDOCK (RAS) 14 10 6 4 12 10 10 22 10 18 6 14 18 14 4 6 22 16 8 6 4 10 14 12 4 6

ROCKY DOCK(ROC) 18 14 6 6 4 8 6 16 4 24 6 22 18 6 12 4 14 12 8 16 14 2 14 12 12 14

SAND LIGHT (SL) 20 16 12 10 20 12 14 30 18 28 16 11 28 24 10 16 26 24 6 16 2 16 22 20 4 6

SAND EAST BAYDOCK (SEB) 20 16 10 8 18 12 14 28 16 26 14 9 26 22 10 14 28 22 6 14 2 18 20 18 4 4

SO TWIN DOCK(STW) 18 14 6 6 6 6 6 16 4 26 6 22 18 6 10 4 12 12 10 2 16 18 16 14 12 16

STOCKTON PI(SPI) 16 12 16 14 12 20 22 6 12 20 8 27 4 20 12 10 18 10 14 14 22 20 16 4 18 20

STOCKTON QB(SQB) 14 10 14 12 12 18 18 8 10 18 6 25 6 18 10 8 20 12 12 12 20 18 14 4 14 16

YORK SANDSPIT(YORK) 16 12 8 6 12 12 12 26 12 22 10 12 22 18 6 10 26 20 4 12 4 4 12 19 14 4

LITTLE SAND BAY(LSB) 18 14 10 8 18 14 14 28 16 26 14 10 26 22 10 14 28 22 6 14 6 4 16 20 16 4

Mileage Chart

Trip Planning

Leave No Trace Outdoor Ethics