Bayfield, Wis. —  With a turn of the shovel, the long-awaited Meyers Beach accessible path project has begun. A partnership between the National Park Service, the National Park Foundation, and Friends of the Apostle Islands, the $690,000 project will replace the 47-step stairway down a 23-foot sand bank with an accessible 3% grade pathway leading to one of the most popular beaches and kayak launching sites in the Islands and the starting point for viewing the famous Ice Caves in the winter.

“The units of our national park system belong to all of us,” says Jeff Rennicke, Executive Director of Friends of the Apostle Islands, “including the 1-in-4 Americans who are challenged with mobility issues. But universally designed infrastructure like this pathway benefits everyone, whether you are in a wheelchair, walking with crutches, need a flatter slope for better balance, or if you are pushing a stroller or carrying a kayak.”

With completion set for later this fall, the Meyers Beach path project will join other major projects such as the accessible amphitheater on Stockton Islands, the boardwalk on Sand Island, accessible campsites throughout the park, and others in furthering the commitment of the National Park Service and its partners to providing safe, universal access to our national parks and lakeshores.

Except for short periods of time while cement is being poured, access to the beach will remain open during construction. For more information and project updates during the construction, please visit the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore official website at https://home.nps.gov/apis/learn/infrastructure-projects.htm or contact Friends of the Apostle Islands at www.friendsoftheapostleislands.org or (715) 449-6900 and info@friendsoftheapostleislands.org.