Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Devils Island
Thenorthernmostisland—andasfarnorthasWisconsingoes—takesitsquarelyonthechin
from Gitchee Gumee come storm season. It's a crucial, and tricky, turning point on ship-
ping lanes on the way to the Duluth-Superior harbors. The rough waters and mercilessly
pounding waves are responsible for the prime draw of the island, the
Devils Island Cliffs
State Natural Area.
There are five acres of exposed cliff, subterranean blowholes, and
bluff-top boreal forest. The underground chasms underlining the island produce rhythmic
boomsandwhumpsthatreportedlyscaredthebejesusoutofearlyvisitors;lighthousekeep-
ersreportedferociousextravasations offoamywaterduringhigh-wavestorms.Endangered
plantsclingingtothecliffsincludebutterwortandhair-likesedge.An1891third-orderfres-
nel lighthouse sits atop the cliffs; there was a huge hullabaloo when the Coast Guard an-
nouncedplanstodismantle it(itwasrestoredinstead). Therestoftheislandispreservedas
part of the Apostle Islands Maritime Forest Natural Area, with old-growth boreal forest in
stands across the extent of the island. There is only one campsite, and no well for water is
provided.
Outer Island
OuterIslandisperhapstheoneApostlemostlitteredwiththedetritusofhumanoccupation.
At 8,000 acres, it's the second-largest in the group. The south end of the island is the best
placetohangout,withsanddunesandspitsformingalagoonnearlyamilelong.Theentire
spitareaispartoftheprotected232-acreApostleIslandsSandscapeNaturalArea,abizarro
mélange of coniferous forest, lagoon, pine barrens, and bogs, containing the rare dragon's
mouth orchid; migrating birds also use the spit in spring and fall. Another 200-acre spread,
of old growth northern mesic hemlock, may be the most extensive in the Great Lakes to
survive logging and deer damage.
