Thousands flock to see Apostle Islands ice caves; access closed on Tuesday
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Thousands of people trekked along the shore of Lake Superior in northern Wisconsin on Monday to see the Apostle Islands ice caves — the first day they were open to access on foot in 11 years.
But that excitement was quickly put on ice — with an approaching winter storm prompting park officials to close that access on Tuesday.
After Monday’s crowds, and some challenges in transporting everyone from parking lots to the trailhead and back, the prospect of heavy snow and gusty winds arriving later in the day Tuesday raised public safety concerns.
“The caves may remain closed for several days while rangers evaluate ice conditions after the storm,” the National Park Service reported.
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There is a chance that the ice pack along the shore, that allows access to see the caves on foot, could break up during the storm. Watch for updates on ice caves access on the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore website.
But for those who made it to the ice caves on Monday, it was a stunning day along the lakeshore — making up for the hours-long wait for shuttle buses to the start of the hike. Foggy conditions in the morning gave way to sunshine by the afternoon, the blue skies contrasting with the white ice and orange cliffs.
The ice caves — located a few miles east of Cornucopia, Wis., — are formed by water seeping down through the sandstone cliffs and freezing into icicles and other ice formations, similar in appearance to rock formations in a cave. The icy display also can be enhanced by spray from Lake Superior waves.
The caves, minus the icicles, are accessible to kayakers during the summer. But access on foot requires a solid, stable ice pack along the shore — something that hadn’t happened since 2014 and 2015. Until Monday.
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore had announced on Saturday that the cave access would open Monday morning — and word quickly spread. Parking lots filled up, and the local transit agency brought in extra shuttle buses to try to keep up with the demand.
From the Meyers Beach trailhead, the caves are reached by hiking about 1 1/2 to 2 miles along the ice.
