Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in northern Wisconsin protects 21 islands and a strip of Lake Superior shoreline, preserving nearly 69,500 acres of land and nearshore water. Shaped by glaciation and erosion, the area is known for red sandstone cliffs, beaches, sea caves, and other coastal landforms, as well as diverse plant life and remnants of old growth forest. Its human history extends from long Native use through French exploration and later fur trading, logging, farming, and mining. Established in 1970, it also preserves an exceptional concentration of historic lighthouses and, with the Gaylord Nelson Wilderness, much of the archipelago’s rugged, relatively wild character.