2025-2026 Little Sand Bay & Devils Island Marina Rehabilitations

 

The NPS marina at Little Sand Bay will be rehabilitated in 2025-2026 to harden the infrastructure against future storms and try to reduce sand infiltration. There is no marina expansion, and the only addition is the arm at the entryway to divert sand.

NPS Photo

Overview of 2025-2026 NPS Marina Rehabilitations

The Little Sand Bay and Historic Devils Island Marinas, located in Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, will undergo 2025-2026 rehabilitation projects to repair existing infrastructure damaged in a severe 2017 Lake Superior storm. The projects, enabled by the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), will improve access, stabilize the waterfront marinas, increase future storm resiliency, and preserve important historic assets.

Timeline

• Planning Phase: [Completed]
• Contract Advertised: [Completed]
• Contract Award: [In-progress] – Project is set to begin in 2025 after the contract is awarded in 2024
• Pre-Construction: [TBD] – Site preparation and staging
• Construction: [TBD] – Major construction activities
• Grand Opening: [TBD] – Marinas open for public access

Visitor Impacts in 2025-2026

Boat & Kayak Launching at Little Sand Bay

• Kayak Launching: The NPS kayak launch beach, on the western side of the marina, will remain open, but entry access will be rerouted.
• Accessible Access: Kayakers needing beach access for physical mobility issues can coordinate beach mat access with staff on-site.
• Town of Russell Boat Launch: Boat launch ramp will remain open. For more information, visit the Town of Russell Little Sand Bay Recreation Area webpage at this link.

Parking at Little Sand Bay

• Limited Public Parking: Parking will be severely reduced at Little Sand Bay due to construction activity and material staging in 2025-2026. Visitors should consider avoiding the area and visiting other area destinations during the construction season.
• Overnight Parking: No overnight parking of boat trailers in the large NPS lot until construction is completed in 2026.
• Kayak Loading Parking: Parking for CUA kayak tours will be designated in the large overflow parking lot, first-come, first-served.

Noise & Road Congestion During Construction

• Traffic and Construction Noise: Traffic and construction will increase noise in the area.
• Increased Traffic Congestion: Traffic will increase due to the number of workers on site, volume of construction materials which must be transported for the project, and heavy construction equipment congestion is expected on roadways near marina.

How to Stay Informed

• Construction Phone Line: Once construction is initiated and phone line is active, the NPS will maintain a “Little Sand Bay Construction” phone line for weekly information updates.

FAQ's

 

Frequenty Asked Questions About the Project

What is the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA)?

The Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), passed in 2020, provides funding to improve infrastructure and expand recreation opportunities in national parks and other public lands. The legislation established the National Parks and Public Lands Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF) and guaranteed permanent funding for the existing Land and Water Conservation Fund.

What does the project do?

This project aims to rehabilitate and stabilize the waterfront marinas at Little Sand Bay and Devils Island. The project addresses deferred maintenance needs, increases resiliency, and preserves historic assets. Rehabilitation of the Little Sand Bay Marina will repair prior storm damage, harden the infrastructure to make it resilient to future storms, wrap the exterior in sheet piling to minimize sand infiltration, and armor the marina to absorb wave energy. This is not new construction or marina expansion.

The Devils Island Historic Marina will be restored to enable public access to the island by providing an armored marina for boat docking and enabling park staff to care for over $60 million in historic assets within the National Register Devils Island Light station. At Devil’s Island, the work involves reinforcing the seawall and wooden cribbing, reducing wave overtopping, and repairing a retaining wall. The project also includes reconstructing the historic boat house on Devils Island using salvaged historic materials.

Why complete the project?

The Little Sand Bay Marina was damaged in a severe storm in 2017. The same storm destroyed the Historic Devils Island Marina which is a contributing element to the National Register 1891 Historic Light Station. The Little Sand Bay Marina is the only NPS-owned marina on the mainland, and it enables the NPS to access and care for millions of dollars’ worth of park infrastructure and over 35,000 acres of Apostle Islands National Lakeshore across the western half of the park.

Devil’s Island Marina is essential for public, U.S. Coast Guard, park law enforcement, and resource protection access. Repair of this historic marina will enable Devils Island to reopen for public access. The Devil’s Island Historic Light Station contains one of the most photographed light houses in the park. It is the only light house that sits on top of the scenic, naturally carved sandstone sea caves, and it is the only park lighthouse with a fully operational historic lens in place. The Devils Island Historic Marina will be restored to enable public access to the island by providing an armored marina for boat docking, increasing marina resilience to future storms, and enabling park staff to care for over $60 million in historic assets within the National Register Devil’s Island Light station. 

What if the project did not happen?

At Little Sand Bay, failure to act will result in continued heavy sand infiltration, deterioration of the dock, and an increased risk of loss of the marina due to intense storms, heavy winds, and ice movement on Lake Superior.

At Devils Island, failure to act will continue to limit access to the island, will result in the loss of a historic light station boathouse, and will affect access to navigation and communication aids.

 

Project Location

 

 

Project Images

 

Digital rendering of Devils Island Marina project set to begin construction in 2025-2026.

NPS Photo

 

Digital rendering of Little Sand Bay Marina project set to begin construction in 2025-2026.

NPS Photo

 

Location of Little Sand Bay and Devils Island marina projects in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.

NPS Photo

 

Alternative Activities During Marina Construction

There are many other places in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and surrounding communities to explore while the Little Sand Bay and Devils Island Marinas are under construction in 2025 and 2026. Visit our commercial services webpage and the Bayfield Chamber and Visitor Bureau website to plan your trip.