News Release

The National Park Service seeks feedback on plans to create an accessible ramp and new trail networks at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

Date: April 12, 2023

Contact:  Julie Van Stappen ([e-mail]); 715-209-2804

Bayfield, WI –The draft Environmental Assessment (EA), “Create Accessible Ramp at Meyers Beach and New Trail Network at Little Sand Bay Project”, which evaluates a proposed accessible beach ramp at Meyers Beach and a new trail network at Little Sand Bay, is available for public review starting today. The EA will be available for public review and comment for 30 days, and will include a virtual open house on April 26, 2023 at 7:00 pm CST before the period closes on May 12, 2023.  

If funding is approved, the accessible beach ramp will be on the west side of the park’s Mainland Unit. Meyers Beach provides the only kayak access to the park’s popular Mainland sea caves. Currently, the only access to the beach from the parking lot is a single, steep stairway. The proposed ramp will allow more people to access the beach and improve kayak transport to and from.

Little Sand Bay, located on the east side of the park’s Mainland Unit, is a popular area that includes the park’s only shoreline visitor center, historic fishery, and National Park Service marina. Next to the Town of Russell’s Recreational Area and within the Red Cliff Reservation, this highly visited area currently lacks any defined trails. The proposed trail network will focus visitor use, improve accessibility, increase visitor safety, and protect fragile wetland resources from trampling. The project, if funded, will include a fully accessible boardwalk with bilingual Ojibwe wayside exhibits, a coastline trail with island views, and a trail that provides access to a historic site and increases safety by providing an alternative to walking down the road. These trails will also increase interpretive and educational opportunities for youth, residents, and other area visitors.

The EA has been prepared in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). The EA evaluates and considers potential impacts and effects of the Proposed Action and the No Action Alternative.  

For more information on the virtual open house on April 26, 2023 at 7:00 pm CST visit the  Parks Planning Environment & Public Comment (PEPC) project page at  https://parkplanning.nps.gov/LsbMbEA  or visit the Parks Facebook page.

Hardcopies of the EA will be available at the Bayfield Library upon request. Please go to  https://parkplanning.nps.gov/LsbMbEA to view the draft EA and comment electronically. You can also mail comments directly to Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Attn: Julie Van Stappen, April 2023 EA Comments, P.O. Box 770, Bayfield, Wisconsin 54891.