Docks at Michigan and Manitou islands at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore have been repaired/NPS

Docks at Michigan and Manitou islands at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in Wisconsin have been repaired and reopened to the public.

Winter storms damaged these docks, causing safety hazards and the need for temporary closures.

“The Michigan dock gets damaged every year because of its open lake exposure to all storms. When you consider the purpose of lighthouses, it is easy to understand that building a dock by them makes those docks subject to big storms,” said park Superintendent Lynne Dominy. “Our innovative and skilled maintenance team has constructed a removable platform for this dock that we hope will enable us to bypass this problem next year. The Manitou dock buckled and has been repaired until it can be replaced in 2024.”

Dominy added that the national lakeshore is not yet ready for normal visitation.

“We are still working on downed-tree and sand removal in other locations, and trying to pump the full vault toilets,” she said. “We appreciate everyone’s patience as we fix things as quickly and safely as possible. Our season has been shortened, our staffing reduced, and our safety precautions increased, and we are doing as much as we can daily to safely restore access to the park.”