Lake Superior Frozen Ice Caves to open Saturday, February 28
Last year, the phenomenon we call the ice caves drew in some 120,000 unexpected visitors to the Bayfield Peninsula from mid-January until mid-March when the National Park Service closed the official access to the caves. This year, mother nature has been more finicky, with wind storms blowing out the forming ice on several occasions. The word on the street was that the Lake Superior Ice Caves would not be accessible this year. Then, after a weeks-long cold snap, the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore announced on Wednesday, Feb. 25 that the Ice Caves will open on Saturday, Feb. 28. To celebrate the opening, we are offering an Ice Caves Lodging Special.
Travelers pour in from around the country and the world to see what has become a rare occurrence: the opportunity to see the iced caves. This event is rare because Lake Superior has not been freezing adequately to allow safe walking on the ice. The ice caves are actually the iced-over sea caves that time and Lake Superior have worn into the sandstone cliffs mainly on the north shore of Devils Island, at Swallow Point on Sand Island and along the western mainland of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.
To quote the AINL media release: “When the ice caves open on Saturday February 28, they will be open every day until ice conditions deteriorate enough to necessitate a closure. The present lake ice conditions will make the walk to the ice caves much more challenging than last year.”
The Park Service calls for help from parks around the country to direct traffic and handling the crowds taking the 3 mile round-trip trek from mainland to the caves. We are happy to help you plan your trip. Just give us a call at 715-779-5111 or book online.