Apostle Islands/Bayfield WI

[Al_4_State]

Wife and I will be here for a few days in July as part of a North Woods/Lake Superior trip (starting near Brainard, stopping in Duluth, and ending in Bayfield). I'll have my mountain bike with and plan to ride Mt Ashwabay, but after that we're kind of open and trying to learn more about the lay of land.

We really want to do a kayak trip out to one of the Apostle Islands, but are also open to some (motor) boat tours and things of that nature too. We definitely want to get to the burned down bar place on Madeline Island too.

Anyone have experience with and recs for this area?

 

[RedlineSi]

Wife and I will be here for a few days in July as part of a North Woods/Lake Superior trip (starting near Brainard, stopping in Duluth, and ending in Bayfield). I'll have my mountain bike with and plan to ride Mt Ashwabay, but after that we're kind of open and trying to learn more about the lay of land.

We really want to do a kayak trip out to one of the Apostle Islands, but are also open to some (motor) boat tours and things of that nature too. We definitely want to get to the burned down bar place on Madeline Island too.

Anyone have experience with and recs for this area?

I did a long weekend trip with my FIL and BIL last June and we really enjoyed it. We did 2 days of fishing, and one day of sailing.

If we went back again we'd do a multi day trip and sleep on the sailboat, but my FIL and I both sail, so we're a bit biased

https://allhandssailing.org/ is a wonderful company and the owner Bronte is awesome.

 

[Al_4_State]

I did a long weekend trip with my FIL and BIL last June and we really enjoyed it. We did 2 days of fishing, and one day of sailing.

If we went back again we'd do a multi day trip and sleep on the sailboat, but my FIL and I both sail, so we're a bit biased

https://allhandssailing.org/ is a wonderful company and the owner Bronte is awesome.

Hadn't even considered sailing. That would be a totally new experience!

We already have a place on land booked, and my wife isn't into camping at all, so keeping it to a 4-5 excursion is probably our best bet.

 

[RedlineSi]

Also, here was our fishing charter:

Northern Lights Adventures

Fully Guided Salmon & Trout Fishing Agate Hunting Emberlite Finding Aurora Viewing Stargazing

nlightsadventures.com

Sailing is amazing and the Islands are some of the best for it.

 

[RedlineSi]

Hadn't even considered sailing. That would be a totally new experience!

We already have a place on land booked, and my wife isn't into camping at all, so keeping it to a 4-5 excursion is probably our best bet.

We just did a day trip sailing, but it includes stopping for lunch, and then we launched the dingy a few times to go into some of the caves. Awesome experience.

 

[cycloneG]

I'll second the sailing idea. We spent a week in a sailboat sailing to different Apostle Islands each day and staying on the sailboat each night. It was a blast!

 

[Entropy]

Not sure if you are willing to make a trip a little further up the North Shore, but there was some solid mountain biking up near Tofte and Grand Marais.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/r09/superior/recreation/opportunities/biking

https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd804366.pdf

I worked on the Pincushion trail up near Grand Marais about 15 years ago on a big conservation project.

I'm also a fan of the Superior Hiking Trail.

Trail Sections - Superior Hiking Trail Association

Find detailed trip planning information on each 50-mile section of the Superior Hiking Trail.

superiorhiking.org

When it comes to grabbing some food, folks generally crow about Betty's Pies, but locals got to the Rustic Inn. Definitely worth the trip.

If you are looking for any gear, stop in at Duluth Gear Exchange for lightly used gear. Those folks know their stuff.
I also like to stop in at Frost River and often come home with another piece of their gear. I love their messenger bag for my day job. Their backpacks are great for going off into the wild.

 

[Cyhig]

Not sure if you are willing to make a trip a little further up the North Shore, but there was some solid mountain biking up near Tofte and Grand Marais.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/r09/superior/recreation/opportunities/biking

https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd804366.pdf

I worked on the Pincushion trail up near Grand Marais about 15 years ago on a big conservation project.

I'm also a fan of the Superior Hiking Trail.

Trail Sections - Superior Hiking Trail Association

Find detailed trip planning information on each 50-mile section of the Superior Hiking Trail.

superiorhiking.org

When it comes to grabbing some food, folks generally crow about Betty's Pies, but locals got to the Rustic Inn. Definitely worth the trip.

If you are looking for any gear, stop in at Duluth Gear Exchange for lightly used gear. Those folks know their stuff.
I also like to stop in at Frost River and often come home with another piece of their gear. I love their messenger bag for my day job. Their backpacks are great for going off into the wild.

It's a long ways up the shore from where they are going. But the north shore is a vacation in on itself. Favorite time to go is July-August when it can be sweater weather if the wind if coming off the lake. I remember vising Grand Marais when it was 61 degrees there; the Twin Cities were baking in the mid 90s, Natural air conditioning there

 

[intrepid27]

Lots of waterfalls in the Bayfield/Ashland area. Also, there's a woodcarver in Bayfield that specializes in birds. Does some phenomenal work.

 

[Al_4_State]

Not sure if you are willing to make a trip a little further up the North Shore, but there was some solid mountain biking up near Tofte and Grand Marais.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/r09/superior/recreation/opportunities/biking

https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd804366.pdf

I worked on the Pincushion trail up near Grand Marais about 15 years ago on a big conservation project.

I'm also a fan of the Superior Hiking Trail.

Trail Sections - Superior Hiking Trail Association

Find detailed trip planning information on each 50-mile section of the Superior Hiking Trail.

superiorhiking.org

When it comes to grabbing some food, folks generally crow about Betty's Pies, but locals got to the Rustic Inn. Definitely worth the trip.

If you are looking for any gear, stop in at Duluth Gear Exchange for lightly used gear. Those folks know their stuff.
I also like to stop in at Frost River and often come home with another piece of their gear. I love their messenger bag for my day job. Their backpacks are great for going off into the wild.

My mountain biking agenda for the trip is
Thursday - Cuyuna in Crobsy
Friday - Mission Creek in Duluth. Maybe part of the traverse instead? Haven't really decided.
Saturday - either something in Duluth before leaving town, or Mt Ashwabay
Sunday - Mt Ashwabay
Monday - Maybe Hayward on our way home.

Definitely want to get farther up the North Shore someday too. I've heard really good things about Pincushion, Split Rock wilds, and know a few people who have done chunks of SHT.

 

[cycub51]

Copper Falls state park is south of that area but a worthy stop with an absolutely beautiful gorge in the middle of it. We took a boat tour around the islands and that was really nice. Have not kayaked the area but one of those trips would be great too.

 

[RedlineSi]

Oh and head south a bit one night for dinner at Good Thyme. https://goodthyme.catering/

 

[madguy30]

Big Bay State Park on Madeline Island is a nice stop. The forest floor is unique and there's some great little look outs.

Meyer's Beach is up the way a bit with some sea caving I think (never been).

It's not just totally majestic all the time but I like Hwy 13 along that northern area.

A few places will serve white fish freshly caught.

Bit more of a drive but the Porkies and Little Girls County park in the U.P. are good options.

*I'm getting the feels for a north woods fix.

 

[CyHans]

We went kayaking along the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. It didn't go out to the islands but stayed along the shoreline and you got to go into one of the caves briefly. We thought it was worth it.

 

[groomsie]

When it comes to grabbing some food, folks generally crow about Betty's Pies, but locals got to the Rustic Inn. Definitely worth the trip.

100%. In around 2013 we stayed as a family at Gooseberry Falls on our first family trip to the north shore. Had a rainy night set in spoiling the dessert planned so we ventured into Betty's Pies and the family still talks about that rainy evening eating pie. We've stopped many more times over the years and I won't bad mouth Betty's but...
A couple of years ago my wife and I were hiking in October near Split Rock on a cool fall day and decided to grab some lunch, alighting at the Rustic Inn. And having some pie there it was like we both instantly thought--this place is better than Betty's!!

I'll happily eat pie from a lot of places and Betty's is no slouch, but Rustic has them beat. The location Betty's has is all they lack.

 

[pulse]

Been sailing up there many times. Madeline Island is obvioulsly easy to get to and you should check that out. I always liked Devil's Island, but it's out there.

 

[AuH2O]

We went kayaking along the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. It didn't go out to the islands but stayed along the shoreline and you got to go into one of the caves briefly. We thought it was worth it.

Did the same last summer. Definitely worth it.

 

[isucyfan]

Saute up a batch of whitefish livers, a local delicacy there. You can buy them by the quart at fish markets.