Thousands of people visited the Apostle Islands Sea Caves in Bayfield, Wis. on opening day, February 28th. They spread out across a small portion of Lake Superior and hiked, skied, and snowshoed a mile from town across the lake ice to the caves.
Due to climate change, the ice caves are not open to the public every year.
Deep cracks trace the surface of the lake. Though fissures occasionally formed underfoot, the National Park Service determined the risk was low enough to open it to the public.
Visitors admire remarkable sections that have been eroded by wind, water, and ice.
Sheets of ice cling to the underside of a giant red sandstone formation.
Delicate ice crystals attach to smaller icicles on cave ceilings.
A visitor crouches under a low-ceilinged cave while walking out onto the open lake.
Bubbles leave vertical trails in Lake Superior’s solid surface. In some places, the ice is so clear that hikers can see the bottom of the lake through the ice.
High wind speeds are always a legitimate concern on the open lake. Winds can cause the frozen surface to break up and render the ice caves unsafe for visitors.
They were open about 10 days total, drawing 36,000 visitors.
Ice Cave Adventures
Words by Stephanie Kocer | Photography by Alex Peterson | March 10, 2015
In February, the Apostle Islands Sea Caves, located near Lake Superior on the Bayfield Peninsula in Bayfield, Wis., were open to the public for just a few days. These caves have been crafted from centuries of wave action, freezing temperatures, and annual thawing and now line the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. The result is breathtaking ice displays that capture the beauty of winter.
