Apostle Islands Named One Of State's 'Seven Wonders'
The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is included in a recently released list of the "Natural Wonders of Wisconsin."
"We could have made the list twice as long, but for some reason seven seemed like the perfect number," reads information from the Wisconsin Department of Tourism.
The department says the Apostle Islands lakeshore and its wilderness call out to the explorer in everyone, boasting more than a dozen miles of shoreline and pristine Great Lakes sandscapes.
"National Geographic Explorer magazine named it a top place to visit. There are old-growth forests, windswept beaches and cliffs. There are sea caves to explore, carved out over thousands of years by the rhythmic waves," the department says. "When the winter weather conditions are right you can hike out to the caves to behold frozen waterfalls and chambers glistening with thousands of icicles."
The Natural Wonders of Wisconsin list encourages visitors to use a sea kayak, power boat, or excursion tour to see the islands, as well as hike and camp at one of the park's many rustic campsites.
Other places in Wisconsin that made the list include:
Big Manitou Falls
The 165-foot tall Big Manitou Falls in Pattison State Park near Superior is the fourth-tallest waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains. The water comes from the Black River meandering 22 miles southwest of the park on the Wisconsin-Minnesota border. As it passes through Pattison, its first drop is actually 31 feet over Little Manitou Falls. Then it reaches the awe-inspiring Big Manitou Falls.
Cave of the Mounds
Cave of the Mounds in Blue Mounds is designated a “National Natural Landmark,” and it is known for the delicacy of its formations. Every drop of water entering the cave carries with it dissolved calcium carbonate, which leaves calcite crystals on the cave ceiling, walls and floor. The cave was accidently discovered in 1939 when workers removing limestone from a quarry blasted into rock, revealing this stupendous underground cavern with rooms, galleries and nooks and crannies.
Devil’s Lake State Park and the Sandstone Bluffs
Devil’s Lake State Park, not far from Wisconsin Dells, is the most visited state park in Wisconsin. Each year hundreds of thousands of visitors enjoy the 360-acre spring-fed lake, the 500-foot bluffs teetering over it and the 30 miles of trails that comprise the trifecta of this natural wonder.
Eagle River Chain O’ Lakes
The Chain O’ Lakes deep in the Northwoods of Wisconsin is the largest inland chain of lakes - 28 in all - in the world. While the lakes themselves are 100 percent natural, it was the work of humans that connected all of them. Dams were built to dam up the Wisconsin and Eagle Rivers as a way to connect the lakes to serve the logging industry and generate electricity.
High Cliff State Park and the Niagara Escarpment
The locals call it “The Ledge,” the limestone cliff that runs through High Cliff State Park, situated on the eastern shore of Lake Winnebago, Wisconsin’s largest lake. Mind you, this is no ordinary limestone cliff. It’s the Niagara Escarpment, it’s a 440 million year-old cliff that begins in Wisconsin and extends 1,000 miles to Niagara Falls. In fact, without the Escarpment there would be no Niagara Falls. In Wisconsin, this major land feature is rich with fossils, old native forestland, rare plant species, caves, waterfalls, bat hibernacula, and is a migratory stop for birds in the spring and fall.
Horicon Marsh
Horicon Marsh has the largest freshwater cattail marsh in the nation. It’s located in southeast Wisconsin and is best known as a migratory stop for vast flocks of Canada geese. It is also home to more than 290 species of birds, including the largest nesting population of redhead ducks east of the Mississippi, as well as the largest nesting rookery in Wisconsin for the great blue heron.
Honorable Mention — The Mississippi River
The great waterway stretches over 2,000 miles through 10 states and meanders along much of Wisconsin’s western border. Travel the Great River Road, the state’s national scenic byway, by automobile, motorcycle or bike and enjoy the breathtaking sights and natural beauty of the river and surrounding areas.