It’s Wisconsin’s only national lakeshore and it holds a special place in people’s hearts who visit it and care for it.

"It’s a beauty, the ruggedness and the fishing, going on the beaches and checking out the islands," said Teresa Nelson of Poplar, who was visiting Little Sand Bay with her husband, Jason, on Friday.

"This is just one of those places where so many people are connected to the landscape and there's such a deep, rich history through those connections before and now and hopefully into the future," said Lynne Dominy, the superintendent of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.

The beauty of the Lakeshore brings 250,000 people from all over every year to enjoy the breathtaking and serene nature.

"We have 21 different islands, over 160 miles of seashore, sandy shorelines. We have over 100 historic buildings in the park and very iconic lighthouses," said Dominy.

It's a place that feels like home to many, like the Nelson's who enjoyed a day of fishing and reminisced on their connection to the national lakeshore.

"I’ve been coming to the area for a lot of years. I met my wife who was living in the Minneapolis area. We always came up every weekend when we were dating and now we live in the area so we’ve been enjoying it for 25 plus years," said Jason Nelson.

On its' 50th anniversary there’s several celebrations in store.

"We are really excited to use the whole year to kind of highlight the unique qualities of this national park and why it's here and to work really hard at connecting the community through our business associates, the tourists, park staff and the park itself," said Erica Peterson, the president and board chair of the Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.

There's also virtual celebrations that people can be a part of.

"We're asking anyone who's connected with the Apostle Islands to send in a personal greeting about their experiences or their connection to the park or what they like most and they can do that online through our website," said Peterson.

To learn more, go to www.nps.gov/apis 

To read the original story and see related reporting, follow this link to the WDIO-TV website. https://www.wdio.com/wisconsin-news/apostle-island-national-lakeshore-50th-anniversary-/5874738/?cat...