Apostle Islands Sandscapes

State Natural Area (No. 268)

Location: Within the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore on Raspberry, Rocky, Stockton and Outer Islands, Ashland and Bayfield Counties. T52N-R3W, Section 19 (Raspberry Island). T53N-R3W, Sections 25, 36 (Rocky Island). T51N-R1W, Section 6; T51N-R2W, Section 1; T52N-R1W, Sections 30, 31; T52N-R2W, Sections 25, 35, 36 (Stockton Island). T52N-R1W, Sections 2, 3, 10, 11 (Outer Island). 882 Acres.

Access: Islands are accessible only by water. Shuttle service to the islands via private carrier can be arranged through the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore headquarters in Bayfield, off State Highway 13.

Description: Four of the 21 islands in Lake Superior’s Apostle Islands archipelago comprise this State Natural Area. The Apostle Islands Sandscapes SNA was established in 1992 to recognize and protect a variety of unique sand-based landforms, including dunes, beaches, sand spits, cuspate forelands, and tombolos. Sand spits are long, narrow sand deposits extending outward into the water from a tip of land or at the mouth of a bay. Cuspate forelands are similar to sand spits but are wider and wedge-shaped. Sand deposits that connect an island to the mainland or connect two islands are called tombolos. Stockton Island contains the largest (622 acres) and most diverse unit of the sandscape natural area. The southeastern tip of the island, Presque Isle Point, was once a separate island. After the glaciers receded, shore currents deposited ridges of sand forming a sand bridge, or tombolo, between Presque Isle and Stockton Island. The tombolo, the only one in Wisconsin, consists of dry, sandy ridges, low dunes and a wide beach. The ridges feature an excellent red pine barrens. The east side of the tombolo contains open wetlands with bog, sedge meadow, and emergent aquatic vegetation. Several rare plants are found here, including three state-threatened species: Michaux’s sedge (Carex michauxiana), lenticular sedge (Carex lenticularis), and English sundew (Drosera anglica). The southernmost point of Outer Island features a 1½-mile long sand spit and associated beach and low dunes. Beach grass, wormwood, creeping juniper, and beach pea are among the plant species stabilizing the sand. The spit encloses a large lagoon with shrubby margins that grades to a rich, open bog dominated by sedges, rushes, and ericads. The interior of the point supports semi-open dry forest of red, white, and jack pines with a blueberry-sweet fern understory. Migratory birds make extensive use of this 232-acre natural area in spring and fall. The 22-acre Rocky Island unit contains a small cuspate foreland on the island’s southeast tip. An open, boggy wetland is included within the natural area boundary. The southeast side of Raspberry Island is dominated by a sand spit and associated dunes and beach. The 6-acre sandscape encloses a small sphagnum bog.