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Planning to Visit Apostle Islands National Lakeshore? Leave Your Gun At Home

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Published Date

January 26, 2009

Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is one of the few units of the National Park System where the recent change in concealed carry rules doesn't apply.

Planning to visit Apostle Islands National Lakeshore? If you fear for your safety in national parks, you'll have to either skip this lakeshore or go it without your firearm and hope for the best.

That's because in the state of Wisconsin it's illegal to carry a concealed weapon, federal park regulations notwithstanding. So while the National Park Service's rules on concealed weapons changed on January 9 -- concealed carry is now allowed in parks that fall within states where concealed carry is OK -- even if you have a concealed weapons permit you can't pack in this park because of the state prohibition against concealed carry.

Caveat: If you're a hunter you can hunt within the lakeshore during the designated hunting season.

So, in summation, in accordance with federal and state regulations, within the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore:

1) It is illegal for any person except a peace officer to possess a concealed weapon.

2) No person may carry or possess a firearm unless it is unloaded and enclosed in a carrying case, except for authorized hunting activities.

3) Specific types of firearms are authorized for hunting activities and may be carried during appropriate seasons in compliance with federal and state hunting regulations.

4) All existing NPS park regulations governing the prohibited use, possession and carry of all other weapons apply within the lakeshore.

5) Firearms are prohibited on tour boats and within all federal buildings.

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Comments

Submitted by admin on January 26, 2009 - 12:40pm.

It won't bother me my firearm is unloaded and enclosed in a carrying case but it will be with me


Submitted by admin on January 26, 2009 - 2:24pm.

I have never needed a firearm in any of our parks ever. Why are we packing guns? I have plenty of them, but have no need to travel with one in possession.


Submitted by admin on January 27, 2009 - 1:47pm.

"Hope for the best" -- you mean like park visitors have been doing for years, with very few incidents where a loaded gun was needed.

The ones who need the guns are the poor rangers who are left out there to deal with the crazy visitors on a daily basis. Those are the only ones who need to be armed.


Submitted by admin on February 1, 2009 - 6:44am.

This is true for many areas as a few states do not have CCW. I believe that Wisconsin will have it soon.
I believe that 48 states have CCW in one form or another. Some states are "shall issue" and some are "may issue". Most people only pay attention to federal laws about guns and have not realized the change in 10 years on state laws. That is where the most change occurs.


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