Trail Town, USA - Elisabeth Kwak

Trail Town, USA
These places are more than mere gateways to the good stuff. They're
the home bases of the tribe, where backpacker culture carries from the
nearby mountaintops all the way downtown. Stop, stay awhile, and say
hello to the best hiker towns in the country. By Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan
Telluride, CO
PHOTO BY WHIT RICHARDSON / AURORA PHOTOS
Ensconced in the San Juan
range, Telluride is blessed with paths that lead
from sidewalk to summit. It’s high-end here, but
mountains and music suffused this place before
the cash did, and its soul belongs to the outdoors.
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09.2016
Why You’re Here Mt. Sneffels is among the most
aesthetic peaks in the state. For a moderate snow
climb, tackle the Lavender Coulior in June. Area
dayhike: Ballard Mountain (pictured). Contact
bit.do/sneff
On the Town
PERK The Cowboy Coffee 131 E. Colorado Ave
PUB Smuggler’s Brew Pub 225 S. Pine St.
DRINK Quaffing Face Down Brown Ale from the
taproom at Telluride Brewing Co. is like drinking a
spring from its source. 156 Society Dr.
DO Telluride Via Ferrata tellurideadventures.com
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Trail Town, USA
Mt. Shasta from
Lake Siskiyou
A hiker passes
Black Tusk on
Panorama Ridge.
West Coast
On the Town
PERK Swing by
downtown’s Zephyr
Café for healthy
hippie food (breakfast rice bowls,
vegan pastries)
and a Canadiano—
that’s an Americano with maple
syrup. 38084
Cleveland Ave.
Dinner at YAKS
Mt. Shasta, CA
Why You’re Here Isn’t it obvious? Mt. Shasta. But don’t
do it the obvious way (i.e. Avalanche Gulch). Instead,
tack on a little extra distance and ascend the West Face.
Camping on Shasta doesn’t get better than Hidden
Valley (9,200 feet), a platform between two ridges with
straight-line views to the summit. The route isn’t technical, but all climbers will need crampons, ice axes,
helmets, and a rope. Trailhead Horse Camp Permit
Required; free Contact fs.usda.gov/stnf
City of Homer
Port & Harbor
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Squamish, BC
On the Town
PERK Sip the best coffee in town and chomp delicious breakfast
burritos at Seven Suns Coffee and Café. 1011 S. Mt. Shasta Blvd.
PUB It’s technically in neighboring Dunsmuir, but our local sources
threatened to sabotage this story if we didn’t include YAKS on
5, home to burgers topped with things like marmalade, jalapeño
poppers, and bourbon-glazed bacon. Also on offer: more than 100
craft beers. 4917 Dunsmuir Ave., Dunsmuir
SNACK Stash a to-go lunch from Maruti in your pack and feast on
authentic samosas come lunchtime. 531 Chestnut St.
SEE Cool off in nearby Lake Siskiyou, “close enough for an afternoon
dip with time for a nap before dinner,” says local David Skinner. 4239
W. A Barr Rd.
Two Sisters
PHOTOS BY (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT) TAYLOR BURK; COURTESY, BUCK SCHRECK / 500PX;
COURTESY; SCOTT DICKERSON; ISTOCK.COM / JENNY MOORMAN; PUSHERHQ.COM; MICAH BURKE / 500PX
The glacier-encased slopes of
14,180-foot Mt. Shasta practically
reach out and slap you in the face
from this laid-back NorCal burg.
That alone wouldn’t qualify it for
this list, but the town also sits a few
hours’ drive from the Trinity Alps, Marble Mountains,
Castle Crags, and the Shasta Valley high desert. And
even better, its out-there location frees Mt. Shasta (the
town) from the hordes descending on other California
mountain towns. “ The only complaint I do hear is it can
be kind of dead on a Friday night, because everyone’s out
camping,” says local guidebook author Bubba Suess. The
culture? Outdoors folk lacing up hiking boots beside
crystal-clutching New Agers and Jefferson separatists.
Southwest British Columbia’s premier scenic
drive is called the Sea-to-Sky Highway, and
nowhere is that moniker more spot-on than in
Squamish. Hugged by Howe Sound to the west
and the straight-sided-but-bulbous, 2,303-foot
dome of Stawamus Chief straight east, the ultraquick transition from salty seawater to lofty heights
means visitors can windsurf or paddle in the
morning, then walk on a glacier in the afternoon.
That access draws adrenaline-seekers bound
for the Whistler backcountry or the challenging
mountain biking trails as well as hikers lured by
the chance to trek from the town’s multiuse paths
straight into 481,000-acre Garibaldi Provincial
Park. “Ten minutes behind my house is wild,” says
Heather Sidsworth, a leader for the Over the Hill
hiking club. “There are so many trails, in one lifetime I couldn’t get all of them done."
Homer, AK
Little Homer sits way out on the tip of the
Kenai Peninsula, where fishing boats crowd a
harbor framed by Alaska-big peaks. The town
attracts a diverse crowd: "Homer is half fishing
village and half artist colony," says Taz Tally, a
local photographer and guidebook author. But
unlike in rougher Alaska towns, outdoor recreation is more a way of life than a tourist-season
blip. “There’s definitely a vibrant culture of
people who love to be outside,” says Libby
Bushell, founder of the Homer Wilderness
Leaders nonprofit. Hikers, paddlers, and skiers
come out to play in Kachemak Bay State Park,
Kenai Fjords National Park, and the Chugach
National Forest.
Why You’re Here
You’ll wonder
what it takes to
achieve national
park status when
you see Garibaldi,
a provincial park
stuffed with heavily
glaciated Coast Range peaks, cobalt lakes, and
thick evergreen forests inhabited by A-list wildlife
like grizzly bears and wolverines. For a sneaky,
18-mile out-and-back, take the lesser-traveled
Helm Creek Trail to camp at Taylor Meadows.
Next day, ascend into the rocky tundra for views
of 7,608-foot Black Tusk, a prominent volcanic
plug, gouging the angled horizon (sweet side
scramble: Panorama Ridge for a peek at Garibaldi
Lake below—a classic in its own right). Trailhead
Cheakamus Lake Permit Required; $10/person
per night Contact bit.do/garibaldi
On the Town
PUB Alice’s Champagne Palace
replenishes lost calories with
burgers and pulled pork mac &
cheese. 195 E. Pioneer Ave.
TREAT Hit Two Sisters Bakery
for sticky buns and chocolate
bread, plus savory fare. 233 E.
Bunnell Ave.
SEE A few miles northwest of
town, the 2-mile Diamond Creek
Trail leads to a wildlife bonanza
on a cliff-framed beach. “There
are always a bazillion eagles
down there, and I’ve seen
whales, seals, and sea otters,”
Bushell says. Sterling Hwy.
PUB Howe Sound
Brewing slings
fried goodies (try
the poutine, obviously) with a steady
lineup of folk and
bluegrass live acts.
37801 Cleveland
Ave.
SEE Head to
Shannon Falls Provincial Park, a fiveminute drive from
downtown, for an
easy stroll to the
1,099-foot cascade
(BC’s third-tallest).
And if you’re visiting from November
to February, don’t
miss dozens of bald
eagles feasting on
salmon at Brackendale Eagles Provincial Park. Route
99 south of the city
limits
Why You’re Here Between the glaciers, tundra,
moose, grizzlies, and wolves, Kachemak Bay
State Park, a 400,000-acre preserve sitting right
on Homer’s doorstep, is one-stop shopping for
your life list. The 18-mile ramble from the Glacier
Lake Trail to Humpy Creek ties it all together in
just four days, taking you past a calving glacier,
into a high alpine zone with enormous mountain views, and along a series of cold-but-swimmable lakes. Hike up to Grewingk Glacier Lake,
then connect to the Saddle and Alpine Ridge
Trails for a night (or two) exploring the high
country. Backtrack and take a hand tram over
the Grant River to Emerald Lake, then follow
the loop trail to Portlock Plateau. Set up your
tent with excellent views of Kachemak Bay.
Trailhead Glacier Spit Permit None Contact
bit.do/kachbay
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Trail Town, USA
Glacier National
Park (pictured:
Bowman Lake) sits
just north of town.
Rockies
Southwest
Love Muffin Café
On the Town
On the Town
PERK Montana Coffee Traders
deals in bocadillos (toasted
wraps filled with eggs, veggies,
and various meats), muffins, and
organic coffee. 110 Central Ave
Take everything that makes
Montana awesome—saw-edge peaks,
huckleberry-covered slopes, expansive lakes, and grizzlies galore—toss it
into one contiguous wilderness, and
you have the backpacker dreamland of
Glacier National Park and the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex. A backyard
like that draws the royalty of the outdoors. “The depth of experience is very
high here,” says local Dave Chenault.
“You go to the brewery and the person
sitting next to you is a former national
champion mountain bike racer.” For
all its star power, Whitefish remains
a down-to-earth mountain community. “It’s a great place to have a beer
and listen to music—it’s not this fake ski
town,” says resident Kellsey Perkins.
Crested Butte, CO
In a state packed with celebrated mountain getaways, Crested Butte stands out. Sure, other Rockies
outposts have peaks as scenic as the Butte’s West
Elks, plus slopes brightened by wildflower blooms
in summer and golden aspen in fall. But what sets
Crested Butte apart is what it doesn’t have: crowds,
thanks to its distance from the I-70 tourist zone.
Everyone who visits really wants to be here.
Why You’re Here In the Raggeds Wilderness, trails
start at 7,000 feet and ascend into little-traveled
cirques. Kelly Jensen, manager at The Alpineer
gear shop (419 6th Street), recommends a 20-mile
shuttle hike that bops from one drainage to the
next. Take the Oh-Be-Joyful Trail to Swan Basin,
then continue on the Silver
Basin and Dark Canyon
Trails to Horse Ranch Park.
Trailhead Oh-Be-Joyful on
FS-754 Shuttle Dolly’s Mountain Shuttle; $100; (970) 3492620 Permit None Contact
fs.usda.gov/gmug
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Why You’re Here “The Bob,” as
Montanans call the vast Bob Marshall
Wilderness, is a million acres packed
with giant rivers, steep cliffs, and layercake peaks—and its centerpiece is the
Chinese Wall, a 1,000-foot-high, 22-milelong stone escarpment. You could
beeline it straight there, but you’re in
the Bob: Stop and smell the beargrass.
The 115-mile, 8-day traverse from Lion
Creek to Swift Reservoir Campground
gives you a taste of the Bob and an off-trail
hike to the top of the wall. Trailhead Lion
Creek Permit None Contact fs.usda.gov/
flathead
PUB Great Northern Bar and
Grill is a neighborhood hangout
with old trail signs on the walls,
Montana beers on tap, and
friendly locals on the next stool
over. “Here, you can go out
solo and have zero problem
meeting people,” Perkins says.
27 Central Ave.
SEE Take a dip in Whitefish Lake
from City Beach on the lake’s
southern shore. 70 Lakeside Blvd.
PERK Camp 4 Coffee is a
Crested Butte institution.
402 ½ Elk Ave.
PUB “A sunny place for shady
people” is the self-proclaimed
motto at The Eldo, a favorite for
burgers, nachos, and live music.
215 Elk Ave.
FESTIVAL Every summer, when
the high country bursts with
blooming columbine, lupine,
and lilies, the Wildflower Festival celebrates with guided
hikes, photography classes, and
botany talks (mid-July 2017).
crestedbuttewildflowerfestival.com
If you’ve ever made tracks
into southern Utah’s red-rock
utopias, chances are you’ve
passed through Moab. This little
town might just be the country’s
best-situated desert adventure
hub, located between the oneof-a-kind rock gardens of Arches
and Canyonlands National Parks.
And though the abundance of
surrounding public lands draw
in climbers, bikers, and
rafters, too, no one can
access more of the redrock majesty than hikers.
TREAT Sweet Peaks turns
milk from Montana cows into
creative ice cream flavors like
lemon dill and banana cayenne.
419 ½ Third St.
On the Town
SWEET Third Bowl scoops up
such sophisticated ice cream
options as green chile chocolate, bananas foster, and honey
lavender. 201 Elk Ave.
Moab, UT
Above treeline
in the Raggeds
Wilderness
PHOTOS BY (CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT) BRIAN SCHOTT; CHUCK HANEY; COURTESY; GLENN RANDALL;
COURTESY; LEON WERDINGER, KURT REISS; NATHAN BILLOW
Whitefish, MT
Spring brings
blooming Claret cup
cactus to Salt Creek
in Canyonlands.
The redrock wilderness
in Horse Canyon, an
offshoot of Salt Creek
Why You’re Here
Tracing the entire
length of Salt Creek
Canyon, a 27-mile
journey in the Needles
District at Canyonlands, requires a 37-mile
shuttle, but the payoff is worth
it: four days exploring a remote,
winding canyon full of stone
sculptures (such as the giant
Angel Arch and a top-heavy pillar
called The Molar), Ancestral
Puebloan ruins, the Upper Jump
waterfall, and rock art like the
multicolored All-American Man
pictograph. From the Cathedral
Butte trailhead, follow the canyon
north into the park, camping at the
SC3 and SC4 campsites and in the
Salt/Horse backcountry zone, and
ending at Squaw Flat. Trailhead
Cathedral Butte Shuttle $275;
canyonlandsshuttle.com Permit
Required; $30 for up to 7 people
Contact nps.gov/cany
PERK Vegans and
carnivores alike
find hearty breakfasts, from huevos
rancheros to chia
pudding bowls,
at the Love Muffin
Café. 139 N. Main St.
PUB Moab Brewery
keeps local desert
rats happy with
mountain bikethemed beers (try
the Squeaky Bike
Nut Brown Ale) and
a made-to-please
menu that includes
everything from
giant burgers and
onion rings to burritos and pasta. 686
S. Main St.
TREAT An oldschool malt from
Milt’s Stop & Eat
will hit the spot
after a roast in the
desert. 356 E. Mill
Creek Dr.
FESTIVAL Sign up
for a Music Hike at
the annual Moab
Music Festival and
you’ll be whisked
to a secret wilderness trailhead for
a naturalist-guided
hike to an en plein
air classical concert
(September 1 to 12,
2016). moabmusicfestival.org
SEE Check out
tracks and fossils
left behind by A-list
dinosaurs on the
BLM’s brand-new
Mill Canyon Dinosaur Trail. US 191,
15 miles northwest
of town.
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Trail Town, USA
Northeast
Franconia Ridge
in White Mountain
National Forest
Southwest
On the
Boucher Trail
in the Grand
Canyon
North Conway, NH
Tucked into the elbow of the White Mountains, little North
Conway grants access to some of the Northeast’s premier
peaks—the Presidential Range, Franconia Ridge, and state
high point Mt. Washington. The icing on the cake: the Appalachian Mountain Club’s chain of eight backcountry huts, a lifelist social hiking experience if there ever was one. It all makes
this hamlet a bustling hub for backpackers, ice climbers, and
backcountry skiers who rub elbows in its oh-so-New-England
streets—think church steeples and covered bridges—all in the
shadow of Mt. Washington.
PERK “If you want
to see the Flagstaff scene, Macy’s
European Coffeehouse is the place,”
McGivney says.
Expect breakfast
couscous, housemade granola, and
hummus sandwiches. 14 S.
Beaver St.
Flagstaff, AZ
As the de facto gateway to one of the
world’s most beloved natural wonders
(that’d be the Grand Canyon), Flagstaff
doesn’t even need to be cool—you’d come
through town anyway.
Luckily for backpackers
everywhere, this small
city sitting at the foot of the
San Francisco Peaks is an
overachiever. And though
you’ll see canyoneers and
river runners bumming
around town (look for
the Chacos tan), hiking is
what really ties the culture
together. “Everyone who
lives here is a hiker,” says
Southwest Field Editor and longtime resident Annette McGivney. "It’s the very center
of the social fabric."
Why You’re Here Pack a three-day
weekend on the Boucher-Hermit Loop, a
23-mile, South Rim-to-river trip that throws
in boulder scrambling, riverside camping,
and standout vistas of stone buttes and
temples from the canyon’s mezzanine
level. Take the Hermit Trail into the inner
canyon and connect to the steep, narrow
Boucher Trail; pick your way down to camp
at Boucher Creek. Then hike the Tonto Trail
to Hermit Creek, dropping off gear before
taking the must-see spur to Hermit Rapid. On
day three, hoof it back up the Hermit Trail.
Trailhead Hermit Permit Required; $10 plus
$8/person per night Contact nps.gov/grca
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PUB If it’s meat
you seek, head to
Diablo Burger for
local, free-range
beef patties with
creative Southwestern toppings
(like hatch chile
mayo and grilled
avocado). 120 N.
Leroux St., #112
Mother Road
DRINK On any
given night, Mother
Road Brewing
Company is packed
with backpackers, cyclists, and
boatmen and
women who just
finished a river trip.
7 S. Mikes Pike St.
GEAR Babbitt’s
Backcountry Outfitters both rents and
sells equipment.
12 E. Aspen Ave
SEE Wind around
lava flows at
Sunset Crater
Volcano National
Monument and see
Native American
ruins next door at
Wupatki National
Monument. nps
.gov/sucr; nps.gov/
PHOTOS BY (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) HAGEPHOTO; LINKED RING PHOTOGRAPHY; BILL LEE; MICHAEL WARREN;
JEAN BELANGER; JAMES SCHWABEL / AGE FOTOSTOCK; LARRY FINLAY; COURTESY
On the Town
Why You’re Here This magazine has named the 23-mile
Presidential Traverse one of the country’s best hikes ever, and
we’re sticking to it: The three-day trek over eight 4,000-footers
delivers summit views and serious bragging rights. But if
you’re in the market for something easier, try the 3.8-mile (oneway) hike on the Nineteen Mile Brook Trail to Carter Notch
Hut. Trailhead Appalachia Shuttle $23 (June-Sept.); outdoors
.org Permit Recreation Pass; $5/week Hut $131/night for nonmembers; reserve ahead; outdoors.org Contact outdoors.org
Limmer Boots
On the Town
PERK Frontside Coffee
Roasters features houseroasted coffee, bagels,
and local honey and maple
syrup to sweeten your
drink. 2697 White Mountain Hwy.
PUB MOAT Mountain
Smokehouse and Brewing
Company is hiker central,
thanks to its BBQ sandwiches, sliders, and burgers
and a healthy lineup of pale
ales, pilsners, and seasonal
Keene, NY
Owl’s Head
outside Keene
You could access the High Peaks region somewhere other than this sleepy outpost, but why
would you? Keene, with its charming historic
inns, farm-to-table food trucks, and backyard
gateway to Adirondack 46ers, is just right.
On the Trail Like your 360-degree Adirondack
views with a side of swimming holes and waterfalls? This 27.4-mile, three-day semi-loop tags two
46ers (4,960-foot Mt. Haystack and 4,240-foot Big
Slide Mountain) by way of lush forest trails rife
with watery layovers. Take the Phelps
Trail to camp at Slant Rock lean-to (mile
6.8). Then connect the State Range and
Mt. Haystack Trails to hoof it up the first
peak. Backtrack and take the Shorey
Shortcut back to the Bushnell Falls leantos, steps from a swimmable grotto. Day
three, link the Klondike Notch and ADK
Big Slide Trails to hit Big Slide, then take
the Brothers Trail back to your car. Trailhead Garden Permit $7 daily parking
permit Contact adk.org
brews. Bonus: There’s a
cozy, five-room inn up top.
2697 White Mountain Hwy.
GEAR In the market for
bespoke boots? Limmer
Boot Company in neighboring Intervale will measure
you up for a custom pair
of heavy-duty hikers fashioned from a single piece of
leather—for a cool $1,000
and 18 months on the
waiting list. limmerboot
.com
On the Town
PERK “SubAlpine Coffee does a
really awesome latte,” says Lisa
Godfrey, local photographer, selfproclaimed coffee snob, and President of the Adirondack Mountain
Club’s Keene Valley chapter. 1767
NY-73
PUB It’s Friday, you say? Make
tracks to the Brew Castle’s Tacos
& Tastings events, where the specialty beer store samples its suds
and the Poco Más food truck slings
tacos. 10918 NY-9N
SEE Explore locals’ top cure for a
sizzling day: the swimming holes
on the Boquet River. To reach the
best pools (clear and cold and
deep enough for jumping), park
at the stone bridge on Route 73
(7 miles south of Keene Valley)
and follow a social trail along the
Boquet’s south bank.
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Trail Town, USA
Southeast
Midwest
The Nantahala
Outdoor Center
On the Town
Bryson City, NC
Call it the anti-Gatlinburg.
Where Great Smoky Mountains
National Park’s most famous
gateway overflows with the
mini-golf crowd, this sneak-route
entrance is all about sandalsand-trucker-hat-types playing in
the nearby Smokies and Nantahala National Forest. “There’s a practically
unlimited number of trails,” says Ben King, co-owner of Bryson City Outdoors. "Everybody in this community takes advantage.”
Why You’re Here For the locals-only Smokies experience, head to the
Deep Creek area, right in Bryson City’s backyard. Check it out on a 46.6-mile
loop, following Deep Creek, Pole Road Creek, and Noland Divide Trails to
6,644-foot Clingmans Dome for the park’s highest views. Then trace the
Forney Creek, Springhouse Branch, and Noland Creek Trails to return
along Deep Creek. Trailhead Deep Creek Permit Required; $4/person per
night Contact nps.gov/grsm
Bear Rocks
Preserve in the
Dolly Sods
On the Town
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09.2016
The line between land and
water blurs at the tippy-top of
Wisconsin: Waves eat away at
the mainland, forming sunken
caves and arches, while the
archipelago of the wild Apostle
Islands National Lakeshore
juts into Lake Superior. The
gateway to it all: tiny Bayfield,
a maritime hub for paddlers,
sailors, and even hikers who
visit the mainland bluffs to see
winter’s shoreline ice caves.
PUB The Nantahala Brewing Company gives
neighboring hipster hotspot Asheville a run for
its beer money with an outdoor patio, barrelaged brews, and raucous live music acts. 61
Depot St.
TREAT Dig into sundaes, shakes, and scoops at
the ‘50s-style Soda Pop’s Ice Cream Parlor. 125
Everett St.
GEAR It stocks plenty of hiking supplies, but
it’s not really fair to call the Nantahala Outdoor
Center a gear shop—what’s the best word for
a gear shop/whitewater rafting outfitter/live
music venue/BBQ joint/hiker bunkhouse/AT
thru-hiker rite of passage? 13077 W. Hwy. 19
Davis & Thomas, WV
Come for the trails, stay for the Southern hospitality. “The funky old ski towns are really social
places,” says Brent Carminati, a volunteer hiking
leader for the area’s Sierra Club chapter. And though
the Monongahela National Forest’s unique upland
bogs and scraggy cliffs are no secret to mid-Atlantic
backpackers, Davis and Thomas, just 3 miles apart,
remain up-and-coming outdoor meccas for now,
says Driftland Ski & Sport owner Ian Beckner.
The Purple Fiddle
Bayfield, WI
PERK Start your day at Mountain Perks. “Their
slogan is ‘Hippies always welcome,’” says King.
“You’ll always be welcome there, no matter
what you smell like.”9 Depot St.
Why You’re Here The Dolly Sods Wilderness is
more than the sum of its parts: Here, wide-open
meadows, stony outcrops, soggy fens, and mossy
boreal forests combine to form a one-of-a-kind ecosystem. And a three-day, 24-mile loop
circling the entire wilderness tours it
all. From the Bear Rocks Trail on the
north side, trace Rocky Ridge to the
expansive views at Lions Head, then
swing north to Red Creek Canyon.
Trailhead Bear Rocks Permit None
Contact fs.usda.gov/mnf
On the Town
PERK Head to Thomas and
choose between the rotating
menu of pancake specials
at Flying Pigs. 158 E Ave.,
Thomas, WV
PUB The Purple Fiddle in
Thomas will scratch pretty
much every post-trip itch you
have: cheesy sandwiches,
50-plus microbrews, ice
cream cones, and a neverending roster of top-notch
bluegrass and folk acts—and
a cheap hostel bed to crash
in if you have too good a time.
96 E Ave., Thomas, WV
SEE Hike a .3-mile boardwalk and watch a five-story
waterfall spill into a tight
gorge at Blackwater Falls
State Park, a scant 3-mile
drive from downtown Davis.
1584 Blackwater Lodge Rd.,
Davis, WV
PHOTOS BY (CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT) STEVEN MCBRIDE; TOM SALYER / AURORA PHOTOS; BAYFIELD CHAMBER AND
VISITOR BUREAU (3); VICTORIA WEEKS; GERRI WILSON; CSP_ APPALACHIANVIEWS / AGE FOTOSTOCK
Dawn on
Clingmans Dome
Exploring the
caves along
the mainland
Why You’re Here
The Apostle Islands
showcase paddling at its finest:
Think sea caves
and arches, remote
beaches, rusty
sandstone cliffs,
and the chance to
spot black bears,
snowshoe hares,
and beavers. Try
a classic, surf-and-turf combo
of kayaking and hiking: From
Bayfield, paddle about 10 miles
to Oak Island, where you can
hike to an overlook with views
of 10 islands and the Holein-the-Wall sea arch (7 miles
round-trip from the dock).
Then loop up to Stockton (10
to 12 miles) and Basswood
(another 10 to 12 miles) Islands
for two more nights with
access to 21 miles of hiking
trails. Finish by paddling about
4 miles back to town. (Shorter
option: Hop the ferry back
from Stockton.) Put-in Bayfield
launch Ferry $55/adult plus
$20/kayak; apostleisland.com
Permit $10 plus $15/site per
night Contact nps.gov/apis
PERK Nab a seat on
the Egg Toss Café’s
sunny porch for all
things egg, from
huevos rancheros to
omelets to bennies.
For caffeine, the Big
Water Coffee Roasters serves a mean
cup of joe. 117 Rittenhouse Ave.
PUB Dig into pizzas,
sammies, and seafood
specials at The Fat
Radish. 20 Rittenhouse Ave.
TREAT Sure, you can
grab ice cream at The
Candy Shoppe, but
the real star is its oneof-a-kind wine bread
(a fruit-stuffed pastry
that, despite its name,
is nonalcoholic). 217
Rittenhouse Ave.
SEE Hop on the ferry
to Madeline Island, the
only Apostle Island
not included in the
national lakeshore, to
browse its artsy shops
and galleries, or brave
Lake Superior’s notoriously cold waters at
Big Bay State Park’s
swimming beach.
2402 Hagen Rd.,
La Pointe, WI
FESTIVAL Celebrate
the harvest at the
annual Apple Festival,
which features a carnival, music, and u-pick
orchards (October 7 to
9, 2016). bayfield.org
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