Sea caves
Red sandstone.
Wickanninish — CC BY-SA 4.0 · DataThread — CC BY 4.0 · Joshua Mayer from Madison, WI, USA — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Sharon Mollerus — CC BY 2.0 · Jeff the quiet — CC0
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore protects 21 islands and a strip of mainland shore in northern Wisconsin, on Lake Superior, covering about 281 square kilometres of land and water. It is headquartered in the town of Bayfield, and its mainland sea caves near Meyers Beach are about 19 km in a straight line west of the town. The islands are known for their historic lighthouses, sandstone sea caves, remnants of old-growth forest and wildlife habitats. Waves have worn the ancient sandstone of their shores into caves and arches, and the sand washed from it has built spits and beaches. Madeline Island, home to the town of La Pointe, is the only one of the Apostle Islands not included in the lakeshore. Red cliffs streaked with green moss rise from clear water, carved into arches, tree-topped sea stacks and caves you can paddle into, and lighthouses such as the one on Devils Island stand above the rocks. In very cold winters, when the lake freezes solid, the mainland caves fill with icicles and visitors can walk to them across the ice. There is no entrance fee, and the caves are best seen by kayak or on a boat cruise from Bayfield. Lake Superior is cold and its waves can build quickly, so paddle only with a guide.
Red sandstone.
Historic lights.
In hard winters.
Lake Superior, northern Wisconsin, United States
By kayak or on a boat cruise from Bayfield.
Only when the lake freezes solid.