This island is the most popular spot in the Apostles, as witnessed by the 16 boats in our anchorage. We hadn’t anchored with this many boats since the Bahamas!
We anchored in Julian Bay, which has one of the longest sand beaches in the islands. This sand is a pink quartz, with all grains round and of the same size. The park ranger told us the sand “sings” if you rub your hand rapidly over the surface. It does!
We took the dinghy in for our walkabout. A little farther inland is an extensive “lagoon” system, home to numerous water birds.
The National Lakeshore has established several walking trails of various lengths throughout the island.
We chose a path about four miles long, through the woods and marshes.
The island also has 19 camping sites, widely scattered along the southeastern shore, with lots of privacy and beautiful views of the bay.
The path winds through blueberry territory, which were just beginning to ripen. While we didn’t see any, over 20 bears also roam the island. Marty had her bear whistle around her neck just in case.
As the path came out by the water, we saw sailboats coming our way.
We saw “facilities” which were limited to vault toilets and a visitor center for nature lectures. There also is a small harbor with enough room for a half dozen boats.
We hiked again on the second day of our stay. The shoreline was reminiscent of our own Stag Island.
The trail was beautiful, with large trees and deadfalls.
We saw beautiful flora, including these blue bead lilies. They have yellow flowers earlier in the season, followed by blue berries on the ends of 10-inch stalks.
Marty found a hidey-hole in the base of this giant birch tree. It is rare to see a birch so big.
We returned to the boat for the evening…..
…and were treated to a beautiful sunset. Tomorrow, weather permitting, it is off to Isle Royale!
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