Visiting Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and Camping On Madeline Island
The Apostle Islands National Lake Shore and Madeline Island were the second stop on my Wisconsin Michigan road trip. The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is located on Lake Superior off the shore of Bayfield, Wisconsin. The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore contains 12 miles of mainland coastline and is made up of 21 different islands.
Stopping In Bayfield, Wisconsin
Bayfield, Wisconsin is the last town before getting to the Apostle Islands. It is known as the gateway to Apostle Islands since all Apostle Island tours and ferries to the islands leave from Bayfield. When we arrived in Bayfield we decided to do some grocery shopping before going over to Madeline Island. There was only one grocery store in Bayfield and it was very small with a very limited selection of items. I would recommend doing your shopping in a bigger town before heading up to Bayfield.
Getting To Madeline Island
While visiting the Apostle Islands we decided to camp on Madeline Island for the night. We took the Madeline Island Ferry from Bayfield to get to the island. It was about a 20-minute ride and we were able to take the car with us. The ferry only costs $14 per person round trip and an extra $25 round trip to bring the car. The ferry comes every 30 minutes during the summer time so it is very convenient.
Camping On Madeline Island
After arriving on Madeline Island we drove to our campsite so we could set up before exploring the island. We camped at Big Bay Town Park which was about a 10-minute drive from where the ferry dropped us off. Our campsite was very wooded and private which I liked. However, it was a far walk from the bathrooms so we had to drive to them. Of course, we had to set up the tent in our dresses. After setting up our campsite we walked to the beach area to enjoy the view and take some photos. The water was very cold and there were lots of rocks so it hurt my feet to walk in the water. There was also a lot of biting flies so we didn't stay for very long. We went in July so I am not sure if the flies are bad all of the time, but there were a lot of them.
Exploring Madeline Island
After checking out the beach we decided to spend the rest of the evening exploring the downtown area of Madeline Island. We went into all of the cute gift shops and local stores. After visiting all of the stores we decided to have dinner at Beach Club. This restaurant was right next to all of the docks on Lake Superior. It was nice being able to enjoy the lake while eating my dinner. We sat at the outdoor tables next to the water but it eventually got cold and we moved our food inside. The food was good and reasonably priced. After dinner, we got ice cream at Grampa Tony’s and used the free wifi. The ice cream was good and they had lots of flavors to choose from.
Touring The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore
The next morning we took a boat tour of the Apostle Islands. Before leaving the Island we all got cute Madeline Island shirts at the Dockside Gifts. We went on the classic grand tour with Apostle Islands Cruises. I really enjoyed this tour because I got to see and learn the history of each island. I sat in the top row of the boat and was able to see everything very well. It was very cold out on the water though so make sure you wear a jacket during the tour. After our tour of the Apostle Islands, we stopped at a cute little coffee shop in Bayfield called Big Water Coffee Roasters. I had one of their seasonal lattes and it was pretty good.
Have you been to Madeline Island?
Have you ever been to Madeline Island or the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore before? If you have, what are your favorite things to do there? Is there anything you would recommend if I were to go back to Madeline Island?
What to read about the rest of my road trip?
You can read about the first stop of my road trip in Devil's Lake State Park here. I will be posting about my third stop in the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park and my fourth stop in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore soon!