Best Time to Visit Apostle Islands National Lakeshore
MayBest month to visit
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Visit Apostle Islands in May
May offers best overall balance of crowds, weather and daylight. For comparison, August is the most crowded month (~3.0× the average month) and December is the quietest.
Annual visits
261K
2025
Busiest month
Aug
3.0× avg
Quietest month
Dec
0.1× avg
10-yr trend
rising
+19.8%
More photos of Apostle Islands
Photos courtesy of the National Park Service (public domain).
How crowded is Apostle Islands by month?
Relative crowd level by month (1.0 = the park's average month), from NPS visitation records 1979–2025.
Month-by-month crowd, weather & daylight
| Month | Crowd level | Best-time score | Avg high / low | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Very quiet | 41 Poor | 22°F / 7°F | 8.7 h |
| February | Very quiet | 43 Poor | 26°F / 8°F | 10.0 h |
| March | Very quiet | 44 Poor | 37°F / 18°F | 11.6 h |
| April | Very quiet | 49 Fair | 49°F / 30°F | 13.4 h |
| May★ best | Quiet | 67 Good | 63°F / 41°F | 14.8 h |
| June | Very busy | 65 Good | 71°F / 49°F | 15.7 h |
| July | Very busy | 52 Fair | 77°F / 56°F | 15.3 h |
| August | Very busy | 49 Fair | 76°F / 56°F | 14.0 h |
| September | Very busy | 55 Fair | 68°F / 48°F | 12.3 h |
| October | Quiet | 51 Fair | 54°F / 38°F | 10.6 h |
| November | Very quiet | 42 Poor | 40°F / 26°F | 9.1 h |
| December | Very quiet | 41 Poor | 28°F / 15°F | 8.3 h |
Climate normals (1991–2020) from the nearest NOAA station (USC00470603, ~9.2 mi away).
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About visiting Apostle Islands
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is a National Lakeshore in WI and a relatively quiet park, drawing about 261,000 recreation visits in 2025. Visitation has climbed over the past decade, up roughly 19.8%, so crowds are trending heavier each year. Crowds concentrate sharply by season: August is the busiest month at about 3.0× the park's average month, while December is the calmest at roughly 0.1× — a 23-to-1 swing between high and low season. Roughly 63% of the year's visitors arrive in the three summer months of June, July and August alone, so timing a trip outside that window is the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels. Weather swings from an average high-season warmth near 66°F in July down to about 14°F in January, with the wettest stretch in July. About 5 months a year see comfortable average temperatures in the 50–80°F range, which is part of why crowd timing and weather timing don't always line up. The sweet spot is May: best overall balance of crowds, weather and daylight. Visit then and you trade a little peak-season certainty for noticeably shorter lines and easier parking than the August rush. Daylight ranges from about 8.3 hours in midwinter to 15.7 hours near the summer solstice, which shapes how much ground you can cover in a day. These crowd figures are drawn from 1979–2025 of National Park Service visitor-use records, paired with 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals, and are updated as new monthly data is released.
Park overview
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, located at the northern tip of Wisconsin's Bayfield Peninsula, features 21 stunning islands, a scenic 12-mile shoreline along Lake Superior, and is located within the ancestral homeland of the Ojibwe people. Established in 1970, the park showcases picturesque sea caves, sandy beaches, and the largest collection of lighthouses in the National Park system.
Weather & conditions
Lake Superior is renowned for its cold temperatures, rough seas, fog, and sudden squalls. Boaters and paddlers should monitor marine weather forecasts and be constantly alert to changing conditions. Average daytime high temperatures range from 60 degrees Fahrenheit in May, to the upper 80s in mid-summer, to the mid-60s in September. Average lows vary from 40 degrees in May, to the upper 50s in mid-summer, to 50 degrees in September. Average water temperatures in May and June are only in the 40s.
Park overview text courtesy of the National Park Service — official park site.
Where to stay near Apostle Islands
Hotels, cabins, lodges and vacation rentals near Apostle Islands National Lakeshore — live availability and prices to plan your trip. May is our pick for the best balance of light crowds and good weather.
Top-rated places to stay near Apostle Islands
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Getting to Apostle Islands
The nearest airport is Duluth International Airport (DLH), about 105 mi (2 hr 50 min drive) away. Most visitors reach Apostle Islands by car.
Frequently Asked Questions
May offers best overall balance of crowds, weather and daylight at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. The park is busiest in August (about 3.0× the average month) and quietest in December.
August is the busiest month at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, running roughly 3.0 times the park's average monthly visitation.
December is the quietest month at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, at about 0.1× the average month — a good choice if you want to avoid crowds.
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore recorded about 261,009 recreation visits in 2025. Visitation has been rising over the past decade (+19.8%).
Based on 1991–2020 climate normals, the warmest month at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore averages about 66°F (July). See the month-by-month table above for the full picture.
Duluth International Airport (DLH) is the closest airport to Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, about 105 mi (2 hr 50 min drive) away.
Nearby parks to visit
Keep exploring
Water quality of lakes near Apostle Islands
If you are planning to swim, paddle or fish on this trip, these graded lakes are within a 40-mile drive. Grades are A–F from EPA and state-agency sampling.
- Bean Lake water qualityGrade A · 38 mi · MN
- Bear Lake water qualityGrade A · 39 mi · MN
- Tetagouche Lake water qualityGrade A · 39 mi · MN
- Siskiwit Lake water qualityGrade B · 25 mi · WI
- Bladder Lake water qualityGrade C · 39 mi · WI
Beach water quality near Apostle Islands
Beaches within a 40-mile drive, graded on multi-year bacteria sampling from EPA BEACON — worth checking before you plan a swim day.
- Amnicon Bay water qualityGrade A · 8 mi · WI
- Memorial Beach Bayfield water qualityGrade A · 13 mi · WI
- Sioux River Beach South water qualityGrade A · 18 mi · WI
- Bad River Mouth East water qualityGrade A · 22 mi · WI
- Washburn Marina Beach water qualityGrade A · 23 mi · WI
Sources: National Park Service Visitor Use Statistics (1979–2025), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020. Crowd index = a month's visits ÷ the park's average month.