Apostle Islands Scenic View
You are looking out over the Chequamegon Bay region and Apostle Islands which comprises 22 Islands that form an archipelago about 30 miles long and 18 miles wide.
All except one of the Islands (Long Island) are tops of partially submerged sandstone hills which are an extension of the Bayfield Peninsula.
The islands vary from 3-1/2 (Gull Island) to 14,904 acres (Madeline Island) in size, and rise above Lake Superior from 50 (York and North Twin Islands) to 480 feet (Oak Island).
They have distinctive land forms characterized by steep slopes and rocky cliffs 30 to 60 feet high, battered by the waves of Lake Superior, the world's largest body of fresh water.
The islands are covered by a lush growth of northern hardwoods including birch maple, hemlock, balsam fir and pine.
The Islands have been used by man for centuries; archeological evidence indicates that Indians used the islands as early as 4000 B.C.
French, British and American Trading Posts operated on Madeline Island from 1693 until 1847.
Commercial fishing began In 1834; this is one of the best fish-producing areas in Lake Superior.
Sandstone quarries on the mainland and the Islands supplied the building industry with fashionable "Brownstone" for 40
years.
On June 27, 1969, Congress established the "Apostle Island National Shoreline" to be administered by the National Park Service, United States Department of Interior. This will set aside 20 of the 22 Islands (excluding Madeline and Long Islands) and a strip of land along the western shore of the Bayfield Peninsula, for the enjoyment of all.
Erected 1979 By: Wisconsin Department of State
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