Making the Apostle Islands More Accessible for Visitors with Disabilities
BAYFIELD, WISCONSIN
Adding accessible ramps, boat launches, trails, and signage is helping visitors with disabilities access a culturally and environmentally significant Great Lakes destination.
The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, known for its natural beauty and views of Lake Superior, is becoming more accessible for visitors with disabilities.
Officially designated a national lakeshore in 1970, the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is located near Bayfield, Wisconsin, where it overlaps with a portion of the Red Cliff Reservation. The 21 publicly available Apostle Islands have deep historical and cultural significance for the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and attract more than 200,000 visitors per year.
Tourists travel to the site to visit the famous sea caves, kayak in Lake Superior, explore historic lighthouses, walk along the 12-mile mainland lakeshore, and much more. However, thanks to uneven terrain and inaccessible infrastructure, not all guests have been able to fully experience the area’s natural splendor.
Federal investments to restore and protect the Great Lakes are helping ensure that everyone, including those with mobility needs, non-English speakers, and people with disabilities, can access and enjoy the myriad benefits—such as hiking, wildlife viewing, fishing, and water sports—across the region.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 12% of Americans live with mobility needs that make it difficult to do activities like climb stairs or walk on rocky beaches. At the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, these difficulties have been exemplified at places like the popular Meyer’s Beach, where a 45-step staircase between the parking lot and the shore has prevented visitors with mobility concerns from accessing outdoor recreation opportunities at the nearby boat launch.
Accessible viewing platform up to binoculars on a dock at Little Sand Bay.
Credit: National Park Service
Since 2022, the Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore—a nonprofit organization comprised of local water recreation enthusiasts, conservationists, businesspeople, and other advisors—have been raising funds to improve accessibility to the area. At the forefront of these efforts are plans for a 500-foot Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessible ramp, bilingual informational displays, audio and tactile accommodations for blind and deaf visitors, and a wheelchair-accessible overlook on the dock at Little Sand Bay.
Updates also include a network of accessible trails along the mainland lakeshore, which was previously without formal hiking and walking paths. By introducing these trails, conservationists hope to prevent habitat destruction and damage to lakeside flora from “social trails,” which are created when visitors forge their own paths through the environment.
These improvements are made possible in part by a $165,577 grant from the U.S. National Park Service via funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Additional funding includes an in-progress $325,000 fundraiser by the Friends of the Apostle Islands. As early as this year, Park Service officials will collaborate with the Friends of the Apostle Islands and other key partners to begin work on these projects.
Continued investment in the Apostle Islands not only inspires tourism in Wisconsin, but also helps the National Park Service study, preserve, and protect a myriad of local wildlife, including deer, bears, foxes, coyotes, beavers, otters, hares, waterfowl, and more than 80 species of fish.
Resource Challenges Addressed
ADA accessibility
Environmental justice
Habitat conservation
Key Partners
U.S. National Park Service, Friends of the Apostle Islands, Wilderness Inquiry, U.S. Access Board, Wisconsin Coastal Management, and various corporate and private advisors
Cost
$490,577
Results and Accomplishments
Upcoming infrastructure improvements to the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore will increase accessibility for visitors with disabilities and help preserve local wildlife.
*This story is part of a Great Lakes restoration success story packet that was used in the Coalition’s 2024 Great Lakes Day, with one story from each state in the region. Read the full packet
