Wis. trail heads to beach with singing sand

Julian Bay Beach on Stockton Island. NPS photo.

Julian Bay Trail map. Click for larger version.

Day hikers can walk across singing sand on Julian Bay Beach in Wisconsin’s Apostle Islands.

The 1.8-mile round trip trail sits on Stockton Island, a popular summer destination in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Stockton is northeast of Hermit Island, directly north of Madeline Island, and northwest of Michigan Island on Lake Superior.

Stockton Island boasts 14 miles of maintained day hiking trails that head along beautiful bays, through majestic pines, and across the singing beach. To reach the island, you’ll have to charter a boat or sail your own. There’s a dock at Presque Isle Point near the Stockton Island Visitor Center. From the dock, the Julian Bay Trail heads northeast past interesting rock formations along a cliffside.

Be sure to pick up a trail booklet at the visitor center to learn about the variety of plant communities you’ll pass. Despite the island’s small size, it sports a diverse array of flora and fauna. More than 430 plant species has been identified here. For wildlife, expect to see at least signs of beaver, black bear, fox, otter, and whitetail deer.

On the trail
At 0.1 miles from the trailhead, the dirt path heads through a stand of 200-year-old yellow birch. To survive so long, the birch first had to escape the lumberjack’s ax and then elude several forest fires on the island.

Thanks to the forest canopy, the trail is mostly shaded. The lack of sunlight allows ferns to dominate the forest floor at about 0.2 miles in.

Sugar, red and mountain maple all have replaced the white pines that stood here before they were logged off decades ago. It makes for a colorful autumn walk.

Past the maples, the elevation dips a bit and enters a marshy area. Balsam fir, cedar, and eastern hemlock dominate the wetter soil.

When the trees switch to spruce and white pine, you’re close to the beach. These hardier trees are able to withstand the fierce storm winds blowing off the lake from the northeast.

Julian Bay Beach
The trail turns rocky as it descends and passes a bog. The bog is slowly filling in, allowing blueberry, huckleberry, laurel and rosemary to take root at its edges.

On the other side of the bog is a forested sand dune that has stabilized. A stand of red pine rises from it.

The trail next arrives at the beach. You’ll want to take off your shoes as the sand “sings” when walked upon.

Exactly why the sand makes a high-pitched squeaking sound is unclear, though there are theories. What is known is that sand grains must be fairly spherical, between 0.1 and 0.5 mm in diameter, contain quartz, be at a certain humidity, and be pollution-free. If you don’t want to take off your shoes, no worries – you also can create the sound by rubbing your palm against the sand.

Wisconsin's only tombolo
Julian Bay Beach actually is the convergence of two sand bars for two separate islands that joined thanks to Lake Superior’s wave action. Presque Isle used to be the southeastern part of Stockton Island as recently as 3000 BC., about the time construction of Stonehenge began and the ancient Egyptians starting using papyrus. Today the beach stretches 1.5 miles around the crescent-shaped bay.

The sand bridge beach between the two islands is called a tombolo, and Julian Bay Beach is Wisconsin’s only one.

In the distance beyond the sands are great views of two other Apostle islands. To the southwest is Madeline Island, and to the southeast is Michigan Island.

To return to the dock, take the Anderson Point Trail along the edge of the former Presque Isle. The trail heads through 1.4-miles of old growth hemlocks that parallels the point’s rocky shoreline. The dark red sandstone you’ll see along the way is called brownstone, which once was widely quarried in northern Wisconsin.

‘Singing sand,’ beautiful views await on trail

Campground off off Quarry Bay Trail on
Presque Isle Point.

A popular summer destination, Stockton Island in Apostle Island National Lakeshore boasts 14 miles of maintained day hiking trails that head along beautiful bays, through majestic pines, and across a “singing” beach.

To reach the island, you’ll have to charter a boat or sail your own. There’s a dock at Presque Isle Point near the Stockton Island Visitor Center.

From there, you can take three different trails around Presque Isle Point:
g Anderson Point Trail – Going south of the dock is a 1.4-mile forested trail that parallels the point’s rocky shoreline. It ends at Julian Bay beach, where you’ll want to take off your shoes as the sand “sings” when walked upon. In the distance to the southwest is Madeline Island and to the southeast is Michigan Island. To make it a loop, take the Julian Bay Trail back to the docks for a 1.8-mile walk.
g Julian Bay Trail – Going northeast from the dock, the 0.4 mile-trail heads to Julian Bay beach. Pick up a trail booklet at the Presque Isle to learn about the variety of plant communities you’ll pass. At the beach, take the Anderson Point Trail back to the dock for a 1.8-mile hike or head back on the Julian Bay Trail for a 0.8-mile round trip.
g Quarry Bay Trail – Going north of the dock, the 3.6-mile trail passes a campground overlooking Presque Isle Bay. It ends at another campground on Quarry Bay. At 7.2-miles round trip, children taking the trail should be older teenagers or if young will need to be carried.

The Quarry Bay Trail can be extended by hiking a couple of trails that branch off it. Those trails include:
g Tombolo Trail – About 0.6 miles from the dock, turn onto the Tombolo, which offers towering pines, expansive bogs, and an impressive beach, where it joins the Julian Bay Trail. Combining the Quay Bay Trail segment, the Tombolo, and the Julian Bay trails makes for a 3.8-mile round trip. Warning: At the beach, a lagoon outlet sometimes will require you to cross water.
g Trout Point Trail – About 1.6 miles from the dock, this trail heads northeast for 4.7 miles. It passes through a thick forest, ending at an old logging camp clearing and campground on Trout Point. In the distance, looking directly east from the point, is Manitou Island and going clockwise Ironwood Island, Cat Island and Outer Island. At 12.6-miles round trip from the dock, this trail usually is only done by those camping at Trout Point.
g Quarry Trail – Where the Quarry Bay Trail ends at the bay, this 1.5-mile path continues along the shore to an abandoned quarry. The Ashland Brownstone Company ran the quarry during the 1890s. Combined with the Quarry Bay Trail, a walk to the quarry is 10.6-miles round trip from the dock, so it’s usually only done by those camping on Quarry Bay.

Be aware that bears inhabit Stockton Island, so you’ll want to take precautions with your food. Also, bring insect repellent, especially if taking trails that head near bogs.

Read more about day hiking Northwest Wisconsin in my Headin’ to the Cabin guidebooks.