The Apostle Islands

Lake Superior has cut the red sandstone of these shores into arches, chambers and honeycombed cliffs, and the mainland sea caves near Meyers Beach are the best known, paddled by kayak all summer on calm days. Twenty-one islands lie offshore, most of them wooded and empty, some with old brownstone quarries and fishing camps, and among them stand nine light stations, the largest collection in any unit of the national park system. Madeline Island, the largest and the only one with a town, is reached by car ferry. In a severe winter the lake ice sets hard enough for people to walk out to the same caves and see them hung with icicles, but this has happened only a handful of times in the last twenty years.

What you actually see

• The mainland sea caves - red sandstone chambers and arches by kayak.
• The lighthouses - nine historic light stations, the most in any park unit.
• Madeline Island - the one inhabited island, reached by car ferry.
• Island camping - remote sites on wooded islands reached by water taxi.

When to go

June to September is the season for kayaking, boat cruises and island camping, with the water at its least cold in August. Autumn colour on the islands is good in early October. The ice caves require a hard freeze and are announced only when the ice is judged safe, which is rare.

Honest expectations

Lake Superior is cold enough year-round to cause problems quickly if you capsize, and the sea caves must not be paddled without checking the marine forecast; conditions turn fast and rescues here are difficult. The ice caves are heavily publicised but have been declared safe only a few times in two decades, so do not plan a winter trip around them.

Nearby

Bayfield is the mainland base; Duluth is an hour and a half west.