Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Mainland Sea Caves

5 photos · 2014

5 photographs tagged Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Mainland Sea Caves, 2014.

Related: Apostle Islands Bayfield ICE Ice Cave Wisconsin Lake Superior
Icicles line sandstone walls of the mainland sea caves at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Lake Superior.
The mainland sea caves are sandstone formations along Lake Superior within Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in Wisconsin. In winter, when the lake ice is stable, visitors can walk onto the ice to view the caves' frozen icicle formations from the shoreline. The National Park Service manages access to the caves and issues advisories based on ice conditions each season.

Mainland Sea Caves, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

Frozen ice formations coat sandstone walls inside the Apostle Islands Mainland Sea Caves on Lake Superior.
Frozen seepage forms ice curtains inside the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Mainland Sea Caves along Lake Superior in Wisconsin. The sandstone caves are accessible on foot only when winter ice on the lake is thick enough to support visitors.

Frozen Ice Formations, Apostle Islands Mainland Sea Caves

Ice-covered sandstone cliffs at the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore mainland sea caves on Lake Superior.
Ice formations coat sandstone cliffs at the mainland sea caves of Apostle Islands National Lakeshore on Lake Superior. The caves, located along the shoreline near Bayfield, Wisconsin, are accessible on foot when lake ice is thick enough to support visitors.

Frozen Sea Caves, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

Icicles and ice formations coat sandstone walls inside a frozen sea cave at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.
The mainland sea caves are located along the Lake Superior shoreline within Apostle Islands National Lakeshore near Cornucopia, Wisconsin. The caves form in sandstone eroded by wave action, and in winter, meltwater freezes into icicles and ice formations along the cave walls and ceilings.

Icicle Formations, Mainland Sea Caves, Apostle Islands

Ice formations in a cave along the shore of Lake Superior at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Wisconsin, February 2014.
During the winter of 2014, the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in Wisconsin experienced a period of extreme cold, leading to the formation of spectacular ice caves along the mainland shore. These natural formations are created when waves freeze onto the sandstone cliffs, and dripping water from above forms icicles and ice curtains. The caves are a temporary natural phenomenon, accessible only when Lake Superior freezes over sufficiently to allow safe passage. Their ephemeral beauty draws visitors who brave the cold to witness these unique geological structures before they melt with the spring thaw.

Apostle Islands Ice Formations, February 2014

Built in Minneapolis

Minneapolis Photographer

An ongoing archive of work.

© 1996–2026 Chad Davis