Stockton Island: Presque Isle to Quarry Bay

Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, National Park Service (boat access from Bayfield)

Stockton Island, a 10,054-acre island in Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, has “about 14 miles of hiking trails,” according to the NPS, and a seasonal camping shuttle from Bayfield. For backpackers, the main route is the Quarry Bay Trail, which leaves the busy Presque Isle campground and dock and crosses the island to a small cluster of sites at Quarry Bay.

There’s also one remote site at Trout Point for hikers comfortable finding their way on an unmaintained trail.

The hike

Boats land at the Presque Isle dock. Apostle Islands Cruises says its Stockton camping shuttle leaves Bayfield at 9 a.m., takes about 40 minutes, and covers about 14 miles; its 2026 schedule ran Tuesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from June 20 to Aug. 30.

The NPS lists the Quarry Bay Trail at 3.6 miles. It runs from the Presque Isle dock through the campground and past the Trout Point trailhead to Quarry Bay, and the park notes that the meadow path north of Presque Isle Bay may be hard to follow. The Outbound describes the hike as “relatively flat, easy,” with a short stretch along the beach, and says the bay has a dock where the boat can pick you up so you don’t have to walk back.

At Quarry Bay, Site 20 sits 0.25 mile west of the dock, in the trees behind the west end of the beach, according to the NPS. The two accessible group sites are about 500 and 600 feet from the dock. The NPS says the bay is a popular anchorage, and The Outbound mentions a hike to the old brownstone quarry.

The NPS lists several shorter trails worth adding from Presque Isle. The Julian Bay Trail runs 0.4 mile from the ranger station to Julian Bay beach, whose sand Islands.com says “sings” underfoot. The 2.8-mile Tombolo Trail crosses forest and bog to the same beach; a lagoon outlet may need wading. The 1.4-mile Anderson Point Trail follows the rocky shore back toward the dock.

Trout Point’s Site 21, on the north side of the island, is 6.3 miles from the Presque Isle ranger station. The NPS says it’s on an unmaintained trail “where route finding may be difficult,” with no vault toilet.

Black bears are the main camp concern. The NPS place page says Stockton “supports a resident population of black bears,” with counts ranging from 31 non-cub bears in 1994 to 13 in a 2010 study, and Islands.com says the population has declined since the early 2000s.

On the mainland, the Lakeshore Trail offers an overnight without a boat ride. For a bigger island backpacking trip on Lake Superior, see Isle Royale’s Greenstone Ridge Trail in Michigan.

Tips

Reserve both the campsite and the boat. The NPS says island sites open on Recreation.gov 30 days before your trip; the shuttle company says to buy round-trip tickets at the same time.
Watch the marine forecast. The NPS place page tells boaters to monitor it.
Bring a filter. Quarry Bay has no water source, per The Outbound.
Store all food in the lockers at your site.
Expect to wade if you take the Tombolo Trail.

Camping

The NPS requires a camping permit for all camping in the national lakeshore, reserved through Recreation.gov or by phone (715-779-3398, option 2). Individual sites hold one to seven people, primitive zones one to five, and groups of eight to 21 must use group sites. At Presque Isle, Sites 2 through 19 line about 3/4 mile of Presque Isle Bay, and the NPS says “All sites have lake views”; most have a tent pad, fire ring, picnic table, and food locker, with vault toilets near sites 3/4, 8/10, and 13/15. Quarry Bay’s Site 20 has a tent pad, picnic table, fire ring, and food locker, with a vault toilet nearby. The NPS place page adds that “Limited camping is also available outside of designated campsites”; the camping page says primitive zones have no privies or food lockers.

Inside Intel: The Outbound’s writer recommends Quarry Bay’s Site 20, describing it as “right on the water and more sheltered” than the Presque Isle sites. At Presque Isle, the NPS notes that Site 19, the farthest from the dock at about 3/4 mile, has level sandy beach access, while Site 7 has no beach access because of erosion.

Trail facts

Distance: 3.6 miles each way on the Quarry Bay Trail (NPS); 7.2 miles round trip
Route type: Out-and-back, or one way with a boat pickup
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Campsites: Presque Isle Sites 1-19; Quarry Bay Site 20 and Group Sites A and B; Trout Point Site 21 (6.3 miles, unmaintained trail)
Water: Sometimes near Presque Isle Site 1 (NPS); lake water elsewhere; treat
Permits: Required; Recreation.gov
Food storage: Food lockers at sites; resident black bears
Access: Boat only; seasonal shuttle from Bayfield
Last verified: October 12, 2026

The Lowdown

Squalls rolling over Presque Isle Bay:

The NPS tells Stockton Island visitors to watch the Lake Superior marine forecast, and the boat back won't wait for the weather to clear. We looked at whether a premium shell earns its price.

Read the comparison →

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.