Visit Wilderness

Search for a wilderness as the destination for your next outdoor adventure.

Bob Marshall Wilderness Area, Minnesota

Why Visit Wilderness?

While wilderness can be appreciated from afar—through online content, television, or books—nothing compares to experiencing it firsthand. Activities like camping, hiking, or hunting allow you to fully enjoy the recreational, ecological, spiritual, and health benefits that wilderness areas offer. These areas provide “outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation,” chances to observe wildlife, moments to renew and refresh, and the physical benefits of outdoor exercise. In many wilderness areas, you can even bring your well-behaved dog.

Learn more about the diverse ways in which we benefit from wilderness and threats wilderness areas face today.

In 2004, 80% of the land area of Wisconsin's Apostle Islands National Lakeshore was designated as federally protected wilderness. The new wilderness area - Wisconsin's largest by far - honors former Wisconsin Governor, U.S. Senator, and founder of Earth Day, Gaylord Nelson.

Although many of the 22 Apostle Islands were logged, farmed, or quarried in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, most of them (21 of the 22 are included in Apostle Islands National Lakeshore) are currently wild and primitive. Hidden within the forests, however, are occasional signs of the islands' human past -- encouraging reminders of the regenerative powers of nature.

The waters of Lake Superior within the National Lakeshore are not included in the wilderness area, nor are the lighthouses or other existing developed areas of the park. Sand, Basswood, and Long Islands were kept out of the wilderness boundary in their entirety, along with the park's 12-mile mainland strip.

The beauty of the islands is enhanced by the area’s geology. Colorful Precambrian sandstone has eroded into interesting cliff formations, including sea caves, and there is a highly diverse collection of sandscapes, including sandspits, cuspate forelands, tombolos, a barrier spit, and numerous beaches. These sandscapes are among the most pristine left in the Great Lakes region.

The lakeshore is at the continental northwestern limits of the hemlock-white-pine-northern hardwood forest and also contains elements of the boreal forest. Wildlife species are characteristic of the southern limits of the boreal and northern limits of the hardwood/hemlock forests. Game species include whitetail deer, black bear, snowshoe hare, waterfowl, woodcock, and ruffed grouse. Other fur-bearers include the red fox, coyote, beaver and otter. Small mammals are an important component of the lakeshore's terrestrial fauna and include shrews, mice, voles, red squirrels, and chipmunks.

Leave No Trace

How to follow the seven standard Leave No Trace principles differs in different parts of the country (desert vs. Rocky Mountains). Click on any of the principles listed below to learn more about how they apply in the Gaylord Nelson Wilderness.

Plan Ahead and Prepare
Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
Dispose of Waste Properly
Leave What You Find
Minimize Campfire Impacts
Respect Wildlife
Be Considerate of Other Visitors

For more information on Leave No Trace, Visit the Leave No Trace, Inc. website.

Location

The Gaylord Nelson Wilderness is a collection is islands located within northern Wisconsin's Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, in Bayfield and Ashland counties. The main gateway community near the wilderness is Bayfield, Wisconsin, but it is also accessible from nearby Red Cliff, Cornucopia, Washburn, and Ashland.

There are several ways to access the islands: on your own, on a cruise or on a commercial ferry. Visit the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore website for more information on how to access the islands.

Maps

Digital and paper maps are critical tools for wilderness visitors. Online maps can help you plan and prepare for your visit ahead of time. You can also carry digital maps with you on your GPS unit or other handheld GPS device. Having a paper map with you in the backcountry, as well as solid orienteering skills, however, ensures that you can still route-find in the event that your electronic device fails.

Online Maps

Interactive Map of the Gaylord Nelson Wilderness
Google Earth

Wisconsin Wildernesses

Printed Maps

Fetching MyTopo from Database

USGS Store

Rules & Regulations

Motorized equipment and equipment used for mechanical transport is generally prohibited in all wilderness areas. This includes the use of motor vehicles, motorboats, motorized equipment, bicycles, hang gliders, wagons, carts, portage wheels, and the landing of aircraft including helicopters.

Wilderness-Specific Regulations

Learn more about why regulations may be necessary in wilderness.

Contacts

Applicable Wilderness Law(s)

Public Law 108-447

Date: December 8, 2004
Acreage: 33,500 acres

Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005 - Public law 108-447 (12/8/2004) To designate the Gaylord A. Nelson National Wilderness and to adjust the boundary of the Cumberland Island Wilderness, to authorize tours of the Cumberland Island National Seashore, and for other purposes.

For more information (To download or see all affected Wilderness areas) visit our law library for 108-447 or special provisions for 108-447 or legislative history for 108-447.

Public Law 109-97

Date: November 10, 2005
Acreage: 0 acres

Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2006 - Public law 109-97 (11/10/2005) Making appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2006, and for other purposes.

For more information (To download or see all affected Wilderness areas) visit our law library for 109-97 or special provisions for 109-97 or legislative history for 109-97.

Public Law 111-11

Date: March 30, 2009
Acreage: 0 acres

Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 - Public law 111-11 (3/30/2009) An act to designate certain land as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System, to authorize certain programs and activities in the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture, and for other purposes.

For more information (To download or see all affected Wilderness areas) visit our law library for 111-11 or special provisions for 111-11 or legislative history for 111-11.

Recreational Opportunities

The Apostle Islands are a premier sailing, boating, and sea kayaking destination on Lake Superior. With 154 miles of coastline, you will find numerous opportunities to walk along miles of undeveloped beaches, hike along trails though old-growth forest, or observe nature reclaiming a formerly-logged area. Opportunities for solitude are especially outstanding within island interiors, away from the shorelines.

Climate and Special Equipment Needs

Lake Superior is a cold lake, and strongly influences local weather. Be prepared for nearly any type of weather, regardless of when you visit.

You will need your own watercraft to access the islands. For those who lack their own watercraft, shuttle service is available to a small number of islands via the park's concessioner - the Apostle Islands Cruise Service. A number of outfitters also offer guided sea kayaking and sailing excursions among the islands.

Visitors are strongly encouraged to contact the park at 715-779-3397 prior to visiting to discuss weather and other important safety issues.

Safety and Current Conditions

Lake Superior is cold and unforgiving. It can appear calm and tranquil at times, but it is also capable of producing 10 to 12 foot waves within the islands. Never go out onto the lake without checking local marine weather forecasts, and always be prepared to stay on the islands at least one or two extra days if weather prevents you from safely departing.

Want to Volunteer for Wilderness?

People who volunteer their time to steward our wilderness areas are an essential part of wilderness management. Contact the following groups to inquire about volunteer opportunities. Groups are listed alphabetically by the state(s) in which the wilderness is located.