Kayaking, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Wisconsin, USA
On the northwestern tip of the Bayfield peninsula, a more than 2-mile strip of land is protected as part of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. The land features the towering red sandstone cliffs that are characteristic of the islands, with Lake Superior carving out watery tunnels, caves and passageways best explored by kayak.
Because the trip to these mainland sea caves does not require an open-water crossing as other trips in the islands do, it’s a good place for beginner kayakers to get a taste of the caves and for experienced paddlers to sneak in a quick trip.
Inexperienced sea kayakers should go with a guide. Lake Superior is no calm inland lake — water temperatures struggle to top 55 degrees in the summer, and squalls can blow in and kick up dangerous waves quickly. Once you reach the caves, where wave conditions can differ from those at the launch, there are almost no safe places to land if you get into trouble.
The National Park Service advises that all kayakers use a seaworthy craft of at least 16 feet, with a PFD, a wet or dry suit and a spray skirt. It’s also advisable to have a bilge pump, compass, charts, extra paddle, paddle float, tow line and throw bag, and be able to perform a self or assisted rescue. If you don’t know what any of those things are, you probably should not be kayaking the caves on your own.
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