Paddling in Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

Lake Superior's south shore is the water that defines Apostle Islands National Lakeshore — an open, cold, sedimentary-rock coastline at the end of the Bayfield Peninsula in northwestern Wisconsin.

Unlike the hard basalt of the north shore, the south shore's softer rock has been carved by centuries of wave action and freeze-thaw cycles into sea caves that draw paddlers from across the region.

The park encompasses 21 islands and a stretch of mainland shoreline, and every bit of it is accessed by water. Sea kayak is the craft of choice here.

Lake Superior runs cold year-round, and wind and waves can build fast; open canoes and small recreational boats are a poor match for open crossings.

Many local outfitters require safety courses before renting equipment, and experienced paddlers who want to skip that step are better off bringing their own boats.

Paddle in groups, keep legs short, and watch the weather — conditions on Superior can change without much warning.

The two mainland launch points inside the park are Meyers Beach, off Highway 13 between Cornucopia and Red Cliff, and Little Sand Bay, west of the harbor off Old Highway K. Both put paddlers within reach of the mainland sea caves.

The caves on Sand Island are accessible from either launch; Devil's Island, one of the most dramatic destinations in the park, sits farther out and is a serious crossing that most paddlers reach only on multi-day trips.

Stockton Island is another common island objective, with sand beaches and backcountry campsites. Camping on the islands is tent-only and requires an advance permit through Recreation. gov — no permit, no overnight stay.

The park has 57 individual campsites, 9 group sites, and 17 primitive zones spread across the islands, all reachable only by water or sea kayak. The mainland sites numbered 1, 2, and 3 can also be reached on foot.

Guided kayak tours, including trips with support vessels, operate under Commercial Use Authorizations issued by the park; any outfitter working inside park boundaries must hold one. The sea caves are the draw in summer.

When the lake freezes in winter, the same formations become accessible to hikers and skiers on foot — a completely different experience of the same geology.

For paddlers, the window is the open-water season, and the Apostle Islands reward those who come prepared to move carefully through big, cold, beautiful water.