You Don't Need A Kayak To Appreciate Northern Wisconsin's Apostle Islands

Last July, while mindlessly perusing Google Maps (as I often do), I ran across this magical-looking place called The Apostle Islands. The photos were stunning — showing crystal-blue water rippling through sea caves underneath high red sandstone cliffs. How could this possibly be Lake Superior?

"We're going there next summer," I told my husband.

Every year, we spend a couple of weeks visiting my mother-in-law at her summer home in Minocqua, Wisconsin. While we're there, we like to venture out to check out some hiking in the area. Last year, our adventures took us to the Porcupine Mountains in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. This year (true to my word), we threw our packs, our boots and our dog in the car and headed up to the Apostle Islands.

You don't need a kayak to appreciate northern Wisconsin's Apostle Islands.

(Amber Harding Snyder)

The archipelago at Wisconsin's northernmost tip consists of 21 islands, most of which are uninhabited and all of which are only accessible by boat. In the summer, it's a popular destination for sailors, kayakers and paddleboarders. But because we don't yet trust our hyperactive, 1-year-old rescue German Shepherd to sit still in a kayak for hours at a time, Mike and I decided to take in the sights on foot.

We booked two nights at a killer rental cabin in Cornucopia, on the western side of the Bayfield Peninsula. It had a chef's kitchen, literally every amenity you could think of and was welcoming to all dog breeds, including our big, heavy-shedding boy. They even offered to stock our fridge with fresh eggs, bacon and coffee from a local farm.

No, they aren't paying me, but I cannot say enough wonderful things about this rental. If you'd like booking info, email me, and I'll send it along.

The Madeline Island Ferry

A few days before our trip, my husband and I grabbed beers at a local brewery in Minocqua. When we told some kind strangers about our plans to visit the Apostle Islands, they told us we had to go to Madeline Island. The biggest of the 21 islands, it's rich in Native American history. And, conveniently enough, the ferry to the island is dog-friendly.

So when we arrived on a Monday afternoon, we hopped on the boat to check it out.

If you truly want to experience all that Madeline Island has to offer, I'd recommend bringing a bicycle or your vehicle — both of which can ride on the ferry. We decided to just go on foot, not planning to venture out past our landing spot in La Pointe, anyway.

If we had allotted more time, we would have spent some time at Big Bay State Park. It's a 2,350-acre park on the island with a campground, beaches, rock cliffs, swimming areas and hiking trails, and the pictures look lovely. It's about 6.5 miles away from the ferry landing, though, so you probably won't want to hoof it.

Once we got off the ferry, we took a 2-mile walk on the Casper Trail through the Wilderness Preserve and then stopped for beers at Tom's Burned Down Cafe. What a place that is. The bar gained its name after the original building, Leona's, burned down in a fire in 1992. Instead of rebuilding, the owner, Tom Nelson, started selling drinks from his car on the property. Locals began to "reconstruct" the place with whatever scraps of wood, car parts and materials they could find. Now, it's a seedy, junk-filled, tent-like structure that looks like it was slapped together during the zombie apocalypse.

And despite all the nauseating leftist propaganda on the walls, it was actually a pretty rad place.

Later, we hopped the 6:30 ferry back to the peninsula in search of some dinner before we settled into our cabin for the night.

A word to the wise: If you've never been to the UP or to the lakeshore in Wisconsin, these are small, seasonal towns with not much going on. In fact, many of the restaurants and taverns are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays (not ideal for our Monday-Wednesday trip), and the places that are open close very early. Plan ahead.

Mike and I got back to Cornucopia just before the kitchen at Poncho's Tavern closed. So we grabbed whitefish tacos (so good!) before getting some much-needed rest for our big hike.

Quick Facts: Lakeshore Trail Campsite Via Myers Beach

• MILEAGE: 10.7 — Out & Back
• ELEVATION GAIN: About 700 Feet
• DIFFICULTY: Moderate
• PARKING: The trailhead at Myers Beach has a very small, unpaid parking lot. If you don't get there super early in the summertime, you're going to be battling trucks and trailers carrying kayaks for spots. There is street parking once the lot is full.
• RESTROOMS: There is a bathroom at the trailhead and an outdoor toilet (just a toilet, no walls around it) about 5 miles into the trail.

Hiking The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

If you do any research into the Apostle Islands, you'll quickly find this is an aquatic destination. That is to say, most visitors go there to kayak. But I'm here to tell you, you can enjoy the sea caves on foot. you just have to enjoy them from above.

We set out with our dog, Rocky, on a perfect, sunny 55-degree morning. The trailhead was already buzzing with kayakers, gathered around in circles while their guides taught them the basics of paddling and always wearing an approved life vest.

We set out on the trail, which starts as just a narrow wooden boardwalk for the first 0.7 miles. Then, it's 1.1 miles of ravines and roots until you reach the main event: the sea caves.

I was stunned at how perfectly turquoise this water was. It looked like we had transported to the Caribbean instead of northern Wisconsin. This next section of the hike consisted of multiple cliffs where you could look out over the water, watching the kayakers as they paddled in and out of the caves.

Flip through this Instagram post for more photos:

It's worth noting these cliffs are steep and could be dangerous, so make sure your dogs, kids and clumsy adult friends are properly wrangled. There is a life preserver ring hanging on a sign at the first cliff, but it's best not to let it get to that.

These cliffs are also a spectacular sight to see in the wintertime, when the lake is frozen over and the caves are full of ice formations and frozen waterfalls. Unfortunately, though, for the National Park Service to allow visitors access to the ice caves, there must be a perfect combination of low winds, persistent subzero temperatures and thick, quality ice.

This is really rare. So rare, in fact, that the last time conditions allowed access to the ice caves was in 2015.

Frozen Lake Superior shoreline in winter at the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.

(Getty Images)

The Apostle Island sea caves are almost never open to visitors.

(Getty Images)

Pretty cool, right?

We could have finished our hike here, turned back around and been completely satisfied. These cliff views were immaculate. But we decided to keep marching on.

Once you pass the cliffs, though, the hike gets… well, boring. Not too many people trek past the immaculate views, so the back half of this trail is overgrown and swarmed with flies and mosquitoes. You're looking at a couple of miles of trees, zero lake vistas and bug bites — if you didn't bring proper protection. This trail will eventually take you to a campsite.

But, just before the campsite, you're rewarded with a hidden gem: Lunch Beach.

(Amber Harding Snyder)

There's no sign for Lunch Beach, and we would have missed it entirely if we weren't looking closely at the map on my phone. (Note: AllTrails won't take you to Lunch Beach, but it will show you where it is). 

There's a point on the trail (near the random and completely exposed toilet), where you can jet off toward the lake. Climb down a steep hill, and you'll find yourself on a completely secluded and private beach. Our dog was so excited when we got there, the zoomies took over instantly. He must have sprinted up and down that lakeshore 100 times.

As the name suggests, we did have lunch on this beach.

My only complaint is that the horseflies were relentless. Even Rocky was at his wit's end.

Once we left the beach with bellies full of freeze-dried pasta (Rocky had kibble and apple slices), we made the 5-mile trek back to the trailhead. And yes, the sea caves were just as gorgeous the second time around. 

After we finished the hike, Rocky took one more quick dip in the lake at Myers Beach before spreading sand and wet fur all over the backseat of my GMC Terrain. But hey, that's what those free vacuums at the car wash are for.

AMBER'S RATING: 8/10 (I'd give it a 10 if the back half of the trail didn't suck.)

Post-Hike Beers In Cornucopia, Wisconsin

Y'all know it's not a proper hike unless there are post-hike beers. There were exactly zero bars open in Cornucopia on a late Tuesday afternoon, so we stopped by the historic Ehlers General Store for a six-pack of Wisconsin's own Spotted Cow. Call me a basic b*tch tourist if you want — I can take it.

We had a couple of Spotted Cows at the cabin while Rocky slept off the adventure. Eventually, it was time to head to Cornucopia Beach to catch the 9 p.m. sunset, which is egregiously late for a sunset if you ask me. But nobody did.

If you have a problem with my socks and sandals, you can take it up with the mosquitoes.

(Amber Harding Snyder)

If you've never seen a Lake Superior sunset, I assure you it's worth the wait. I love to groove when the sun goes down on a tropical beach as much as Kenny Chesney, Uncle Kracker and the next gal, but it's truly hard to beat the cascade of colors rippling across the Great Lakes.

And the best part is that it never disappoints. If you don't believe me, check out these photos from our trip to the UP last summer.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but our summer trip to Lake Superior is quickly becoming one of my favorite annual traditions. Next year, I'm leaning toward the Pictured Rocks in Michigan.

I might even try to talk the dog into sitting in a kayak.

Based in middle Tennessee, Amber is a lover of all things outdoor adventure. Got questions, comments or suggestions for a great hike? Email her at Amber.Harding@outkick.com or find her on Instagram at @AmberHarding.

Love all things hiking and outdoors? Follow OutKick OutDoors on Instagram and TikTok!