A Weekend in Bayfield, Ashland, and Apostle Islands (Wisconsin)

Link to "A Day in The Apostle Islands" video

Overview

I had been planning a trip for about a month up to Ashland, WI with my girlfriend to visit a mutual friend and head out to the Apostle Islands. Last minute I decided to bring my camera with and do some recording depending on how nice of a weekend we got weather-wise. The forecast called for rain, but we lucked out with a couple of gorgeous days.

We headed up Friday with plans to camp in the Bayfield area. There are a couple campsites nearby that will run you about $20-25 a night. The Apostle Island Area Campground seemed to have a little nicer sites, but a tad more expensive with coin operated showers (but full bathrooms). Our other option was Darlymple Park which was a little more rustic for $20/night and a few less amenities (no showers, vault toilets).

After packing up everything we needed for camping and the weekend, my girlfriend and I started our 4.5 hour trek from Eden Prairie, MN to Ashland, WI. During the drive we got a call from my friend, Nicole, who offered her nearby cabin up as a means to avoid setting up camp during a rain out. We were looking forward to camping but in the interest of a free nearby cabin, we decided not to pass it up. We arrived at her place around 9:00 at night on Friday, started a small bonfire and Dana, myself, Nicole, and her friend Josh had some drinks while we enjoyed an evening without rain.

Passing a sailboat on the Madeline Island Ferry Line

Bayfield, WI (Free)

Saturday morning we drove up to Bayfield from Ashland (approx. 30 minutes). This town can be very touristy in the summer, and for good reason, as it boasts awesome views of Lake Superior, several streets of shopping, restaurants, and booths, and it's annual Apple Festival in October. It's a very quaint picturesque town with a great local feel. However, if you take note of some of the tremendous houses it won't surprise you that Bayfield is also a VERY expensive city in which to shop around. You could easily spend the better part of a day just walking around the town.

Madeline Island Ferry ($13.50)

This is the ONLY Apostle Island in which you can take a ferry to, which also makes it the busiest. Do be prepared to spend some money as the short trip across the river will not be cheap. If you plan on taking your vehicle with you to drive the scenic roads of Madeline Island, it will cost you about $25 RT. Additionally, each individual costs $13.50 RT, meaning a group of 4 (as we were) would be about $80. However, you can do as we did and park for free and just take the trip on your feet. The ferry departs every half hour (with a couple of them running at a time) and the ride across will take about 20 minutes. Check here for their complete cost structure and the ferry departure schedule.

Madeline Island (Free)

With only a handful of roads on the island it would be tough to get lost. There are a couple shops and restaurants that greet you right when you arrive; however, once you get past those it's nothing but quiet roads, wilderness, and park area with the exception of a few homes and even schools that remain on the island. Check out the map to plan a route!

Grampa Tony's ($10.47)

A small restaurant selling primarily burgers and a few other entrees, this eatery also offers an array of ice cream flavors to cap off the day after an excursion (or to fuel one). We stopped here to grab some food before setting off to explore. As far as the food goes, I really enjoyed my burger ("Tony Burger"); the rest of my group got chicken tenders which were nothing special, but did the job.

Bike Ride ($29.02)

Not too far up the road from Grampa Tony's is a bike rental shop - Motion to Go. They have a variety of bikes there for rent along with a handful of mopeds. Nicole and Josh hopped on a tandem bike while Dana and I decided that maybe we weren't coordinated enough to pull off such a feat. As expected bike rentals were also on the expensive side. At about $10/hour, you'll find getting a day pass and spending more of your time out there may be more worth it. We biked out to the state park where we spent about an hour and a half roaming around the cliff sides, climbing the rocks, and making our way through intricate tunnels. For anyone that likes the freedom to explore interesting places, it seems like you have the whole island to yourself at times. We returned our bikes shortly before the shop closed at 6:00pm (pretty sore from a long day).

Kayaking (Free - Nicole's Kayaks)

With numerous opportunities to get in the water, and the stunning Fall colors, we made sure to explore what we could. Dana and I hopped in a couple of Nicole's kayaks, while her and Josh elected to canoe. We took to a relatively intimate lake (Indian Lake) just south of Ashland. With a few nooks and crannies it was fun to explore some of the smaller channels and tributaries. While floating under a small bridge Dana and I discovered a small chapel on an island in the middle of the lake. Nicole enlightened us to the fact that it was built by her family years ago. We decided to get out and take a closer look. The chapel itself was open, so we took a peek inside and found books, tales, and accounts from as early as the 1880's. Alongside the chapel was a cabin turned museum as it was not in use but was fully decorated in early 1900's decor. The last structure we saw was the "Ut Hus." A look inside and there were two side-by-side toilets (for people who don't have stage fright). After that little detour we hopped back in our kayak/canoe and paddled around the rest of the lake, taking in the gorgeous Fall backdrop before returning to shore.

Dana and I's view of Indian Lake from near one of the islands