The town of Bayfield is the gateway to the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. The town is small and picuresque, built on a hill overlooking the lake. With it's white clapboard houses and church steeples, Bayfield is reminiscent of a New England village, and on summer weekends it is hard to get a room. Getting out to the Apostle Islands will involve a boat, and the Apostle Islands Cruise Service provides several specific lighthouse tours. (715-779-3925). These tours not only take you to the lighthouses, but offer close-up views of the unusual Lake Superior shoreline.
The lighthouse on Sand Island was constructed in 1881 of sandstone in a Gothic style. The 40 ft. tall octagonal tower is attached to a corner of the keeper's house. The original optic was a Fourth Order Fresnel, which has been replaced by an aerobeacon.
