What is Apostle Islands National Lakeshore known for?
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore has more lighthouses than any other site in the National Park System with 9 historic towers on 6 islands. More than 240 species of birds breed in and/or migrate through this archipelago. Visitors can hike, paddle, sail, or cruise to experience these jewels of Lake Superior.
Why do they call it the Apostle Islands?
The islands were renamed the Apostle Islands by New France historian Pierre François Xavier de Charlevoix, who renamed them after the 12 apostles (for the 12 largest islands).
Does anybody live on the Apostle Islands?
Michigan Island: This island has no human inhabitants, and is managed by the National Park Service as part of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. It is centered at approximately 46.87° N 90.49° W and has a maximum elevation of 758′ above sea level.
How deep is the water around the Apostle Islands?
Sea Caves and Cliffs Calm conditions necessary for access. Depths: 10 to 25 feet.
What are the Apostle Islands made of?
sandstones
Ancient Sands, Ice, and Water. The Apostle Island Archipelago and Bayfield Peninsula’s sandstones were deposited during the late Precambrian era, from almost a billion years ago until about 660 million years ago. These sandstones, the Bayfield Group, form the basement rock for all the islands.
When did Apostle Islands become a national park?
September 26, 1970
| Apostle Islands National Lakeshore | |
|---|---|
| Area | 69,372 acres (280.74 km2) |
| Established | September 26, 1970 |
| Visitors | 176,040 (in 2011) |
| Governing body | National Park Service |
Who founded Apostle Islands?
How They Came to be the “Apostle Islands” In the late 1660s, Jesuit priests Claude Allouez and Jacques Marquette established a mission at La Pointe du Saint Espirit on the largest of the islands, Madeline Island, and it is now considered one of Wisconsin’s oldest settlements.
What is the largest Apostle Island?
Madeline Island
Madeline Island, the largest of the Apostle Islands and the only one not included in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, is 2.5 miles across the channel from Bayfield. In spring, summer and fall it is accessible via the Madeline Island Ferry Line or private watercraft.
Can you jet ski in the Apostle Islands?
The use of personal watercraft (jet skis) is not allowed within the boundaries of Apostle Islands National Lakeshore (one quarter mile from the park’s islands and mainland shore).
Are any of the Apostle Islands privately owned?
A total of 280 separate tracts of land were acquired to create the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, with 240 privately held. The owners of 41 of those tracts elected to accept either 25-year leases or life estates.
How was the Apostle Islands formed?
The area that is now Apostle Islands went through periods of glaciation. After the most recent glaciation about 12,000 years ago, the melted waters submerged most of the Bayfield Peninsula. Since then, the lake levels rose and fell, leaving us now with the Apostles separated from the peninsula, forming the archipelago.
Who established the Apostle Islands national lakeshore?
United States Senator Gaylord Nelson sponsored the federal legislation that established the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Public Law 91-424 was signed by the President on September 26, 1970. It included 20 islands, a 12-mile (19 km) strip of the mainland, and approximately 1/4 mile of Lake Superior jurisdiction adjacent to each land unit.
Where did the Apostle Islands come from?
The Apostle Islands are a result of the glaciers that once covered North America. “Geologically they are originally part of the main land at the edge of the great rift or fault which formed the depression to which the waters of Lake Superior collected.”
What happened to the Apostle Islands?
Multiple sources dating from August 1901 document the disappearance of the island around that time, due to unknown natural forces. The Apostle Islands are a result of the glaciers that once covered North America.
How many lighthouses are there on the Apostle Islands?
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore has more lighthouses than any other National Park Service area (eight historic towers on six islands). For most of the century, the six Apostle Islands Lighthouses have guided ships and boats through the rough waters of Lake Superior and through the Apostle Islands.