Apostle Islands
The Apostle Islands are a group of 22 islands in Lake Superior, off the Bayfield Peninsula in northern Wisconsin in the United States. The majority of the islands are located in Ashland County—only Sand, York, Eagle, and Raspberry Islands are located in Bayfield County. All the islands except for Madeline Island are part of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. The islands in Ashland County are all in the Town of La Pointe, except for Long Island, which is in the Town of Sanborn, while those in Bayfield County are in the Towns of Russell and Bayfield.
The islands include Madeline Island, Stockton Island, Gull Island, Eagle Island, Outer Island, Oak Island, Sand Island, Basswood Island, Bear Island, Michigan Island, Hermit Island, Cat Island, Otter Island, Manitou Island, Rocky Island, Long Island, Ironwood Island, York Island, Raspberry Island, Devils Island, South Twin Island, and North Twin Island.
Open Water Swimming
Daniel O’Kane swam to 19 of the 22 Apostle Islands in Lake Superior and paddled a stand-up paddleboard to three others in 18 days in August 2017. He was escorted by 57-year-old kayaker Paul Voge. It is estimated that he swam 37 miles and paddleboarded 37 miles in the 18-day stage swim. He hiked trails to cross some of the islands. The two men camped on the islands at night and took four days off during the event. Park officials in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore issued O’Kane and Voge a special permit that allowed them to be in the park longer than the 14-day limit.
