If properly prepared, the Apostles are just, well, amazing. Paddling the Apostles does come with plenty of caution though. This is Lake Superior, afterall, and not any weekend warrior should just get a permit (yes, you’ll need one) and think you can kayak out to one of these islands without the proper planning, preparation, experience and gear. Using one of the numerous outfitters in the area is the best way to experience the islands, and they offer everything from day trips to overnight adventures.

The alluring (and amazing) sea caves, are often considered a bucket-list paddle, but these remote islands are also a bucket-list camping destination for many. Located on Lake Superior off the Bayfield Peninsula, these twenty-one islands and twelve miles of shoreline are considered the “Crown jewel of Lake Superior”. The Apostle Islands are one of two National Park systems in Wisconsin. Walk-In: Access to a campsite by hiking or driving in.Ĭamping Permit: Permit or not? Most permitted options in Wisconsin are free, but still required. Paddle-In: Access to a campsite only from the water. Which needs to include a shovel for personal matters. Remote: These offer nothing other than what you bring. Primitive: In Wisconsin, these are a diverse group that can include any combination of the following amenities: pit/open-air toilets and/or hand-pump water/drinking water, or neither. Rustic: Usually provides only vault toilets and hand-pump wells for drinking water. Modern: Usually provides flush toilets, showers and running tap water. Undesignated Public Land Camping: Primitive and remote camping at its best and most bare. Designated Campground Sites are just that, at legitimate campgrounds. Reservable: Sometimes these are campground sites, sometimes they are within a reserve.ĭesignated Sites: Camping allowed only in designated areas which is most-everything in Wisconsin. Have a backup option incase your site is taken. Usually an island or sandbar.įirst Come, First Served: As it suggests. Undesignated: “Camp anywhere” sites on public land with no traditional facilities. Near Riverside: Not waterside but within reasonable distance to a campsite. Sandbar: Usually public property but the complexion and location change with currents and water level.

Island: Usually on undesignated public islands but also on State Forest land. Whitewater Canoes + Kayaks: Whitewater paddling requires the proper boat and gear. Sea Kayaks: Usually Great Lakes paddling. Intermediate: Paddlers with considerable moving-water experience, reading current, etc.Įxpert: Paddlers with the utmost boat control and knowledge of conditions, preparedness and water rescue.Ĭanoes and/or Kayaks: Most everything, except the Great Lakes or whitewater paddling. Whitewater Paddling: Anything above a Class II.īeginner: Paddlers with some moving-water experience. River Paddling: Anything below a Class II. Great Lake Paddling: For skilled paddlers with the proper training and gear (or guided). Quietwater Paddling: Moving current with not much beyond the occasional riffle.

Here’s the breakdown of how we categorized these trips so you can know what to expect.įlatwater Paddling: Lakes, flowages, etc., where only boat traffic and wind stirs the water. But for whatever you’re seeking, from river- and lakeside to rogue island or sandbar camping, we hope this overview inspires your next adventure, because there’s nothing like paddling to your campsite to spend a night (or maybe a few) under the stars. Of course, there’s also being stealth, which we’ll touch on too.ĭivided into quadrants, it should come as no surprise that the southeastern corner of Wisconsin offers very few paddle-camping options since it’s the most-populated. Well, if you do your homework you’ll find public land to camp on throughout the state. We get it – who doesn’t want to inhabit as/when needed with only the gear they could fit in their boat? There’s a certain romance to it. Most people want to know where they can “camp anywhere” (or rogue, as we like to call it). They’re not for all skill levels, mind you, but there are plenty of options to satisfy every paddle-camper. Most options are at designated river- or lakeside sites located within or near State and National Parks, forests, reserves, campgrounds or protected riverways. Paddle-camping opportunities in Wisconsin range greatly along our lakes, flowages, rivers and Great Lakes, which is pretty awesome for paddlers. We’re often asked where to canoe and kayak camp in Wisconsin, so we thought it was long overdue to create a guide of go-to destinations, as well as some you may or may not know about.

Wisconsin is what time zone