Apostle Islands Ice Caves: Are They Open, and Will They Open This Winter?
Are the Apostle Islands ice caves open, and will they open this winter? The Park Service’s status, Lake Superior’s ice on your day, and every winter since 2000 beside the ones the caves opened.
The ice caves open only in rare winters“From 2000 to 2023, the Mainland Ice Caves were open for only 2 percent of all days.” The last openings: nine days in 2015 and one in 2026.
On Feb 15, about 39% of Lake Superior is ice in an average winter (GLERL’s 1973–2025 average for the date). In the winters the Park Service names, the lake peaked at 52–96%.
Lake Superior’s peak ice each winter since 2000 — and the winters the caves opened
Lake-wide ice is a guide, not the rule. The Park Service writes: “Additionally, the Apostle Islands ice caves have only been accessible during years when Lake Superior’s ice coverage exceeded 90%.” NOAA GLERL’s record puts the lake’s peak at 52% in 2004, 63% in 2008 and 63% in 2026 — winters the park names — while 2003 and 2019 passed 90% without an opening it names. The ice at the cliffs decides it: “The ice may look stable; however, without an ice shelf that extends miles from shore to protect the lake ice at the bottom of the cliff from the open lake, the ice you see can break apart quickly.”
If they open: how a visit worked in February 2026
- “These caves are part of the park’s mainland unit, not on the islands themselves.”
- “There is no parking at Meyers Beach or on nearby Hwy 13.”
- “Shuttle service: $5 each way ($10 round trip), cash only.”
- “Ice Caves Event Fee: $5 per person/day (ages 16+; under 16 free).”
- “There is no shelter, water, concessions or garbage cans at the caves or Meyers Beach.”
- “Dogs: Allowed on a leash (6 ft max), but not recommended due to harsh conditions”
- “Tours: No authorized tours; visiting the ice caves is self-guided”
- The walk: 1.5 to 3 miles across the lake from Meyers Beach (the Park Service’s article). What to bring: warm, waterproof boots with traction devices; warm layers and windproof outerwear; trekking poles for stability; water and snacks.
- Meyers Beach from Cornucopia, WI ~4 mi, Bayfield, WI ~18 mi, Ashland, WI ~38 mi, Duluth, MN ~90 mi, Minneapolis, MN ~230 mi. The Ice Line: (715) 779-3398 x3.
- The Park Service’s ice caves page
Status and the winters: the National Park Service, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore (read October 9, 2026). Ice: NOAA GLERL’s Great Lakes Ice Cover Database — Lake Superior’s annual maximum and its 1973–2025 daily average.
The Apostle Islands ice caves open only in rare winters: the Park Service says they were open on 2% of days from 2000 to 2023, nine days in 2015 and one day in 2026. The tool shows the park’s status today, Lake Superior’s ice on your day, and every winter since 2000.
How to use it
Open the page to see the Park Service’s status line, read from its ice caves page. Pick the day you would go: the tool says how much of Lake Superior is ice on that date in an average winter, from NOAA’s records since 1973, and — in winter — NOAA’s latest reading of the lake. Below it, each winter’s peak ice since 2000 is marked against the winters the Park Service names as the ones the caves opened, and the visit as it worked the last time they did.
How rare is an opening?
In the Park Service’s own words: “From 2000 to 2023, the Mainland Ice Caves were open for only 2 percent of all days.” and “Moreover, most ice cave events since 2000 have occurred in just four outlier years: 2004, 2008, 2009, and 2014.” Since then: “As of 2026, the last time stable ice allowed access to the ice caves was for one day in 2026, and for a brief nine-day period in 2015.”
The ice has to reach the cliffs and stay there. The park’s article: “Additionally, the Apostle Islands ice caves have only been accessible during years when Lake Superior’s ice coverage exceeded 90%.” and “The long-term average maximum annual ice cover on Lake Superior dating back to 1973 is 60%.” NOAA’s record of each winter’s peak, though, puts three of the winters the park names well under 90% — so read lake-wide ice as a guide, not a rule.
| Winter | Lake Superior’s peak ice | On | Ice caves |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025–26 | 63% | Mar 2 | Named by the Park Service (1 day) |
| 2024–25 | 46% | Feb 21 | — |
| 2023–24 | 12% | Feb 19 | — |
| 2022–23 | 20% | Feb 24 | — |
| 2021–22 | 80% | Mar 15 | — |
| 2020–21 | 51% | Feb 19 | — |
| 2019–20 | 23% | Feb 17 | — |
| 2018–19 | 95% | Mar 8 | — |
| 2017–18 | 77% | Feb 11 | — |
| 2016–17 | 19% | Mar 4 | — |
| 2015–16 | 23% | Feb 14 | — |
| 2014–15 | 96% | Feb 28 | Named by the Park Service (9 days) |
| 2013–14 | 96% | Mar 3 | Named by the Park Service |
| 2012–13 | 39% | Feb 17 | — |
| 2011–12 | 8% | Jan 22 | — |
| 2010–11 | 34% | Apr 2 | — |
| 2009–10 | 27% | Feb 22 | — |
| 2008–09 | 94% | Mar 2 | Named by the Park Service |
| 2007–08 | 63% | Mar 10 | Named by the Park Service |
| 2006–07 | 52% | Mar 8 | — |
| 2005–06 | 17% | Mar 2 | — |
| 2004–05 | 55% | Mar 17 | — |
| 2003–04 | 52% | Feb 19 | Named by the Park Service |
| 2002–03 | 96% | Mar 4 | — |
| 2001–02 | 10% | Mar 17 | — |
| 2000–01 | 47% | Mar 12 | — |
| 1999–00 | 34% | Feb 18 | — |
Peak ice: NOAA GLERL’s annual maximum for Lake Superior. The Park Service names the winters with most openings and the days of the last two; a dash means it names none that winter, not that the caves were certainly shut every day.
Worked examples
A trip on January 15. On Jan 15, about 14% of Lake Superior is ice in an average winter — early: the lake’s ice usually peaks between the end of February and early March.
Presidents’ Day weekend, February 15. On Feb 15, about 39% of Lake Superior is ice in an average winter. In 2026 the park expected to open the caves on February 16, “if current ice conditions remain stable.”
March 1, near the usual peak. On Mar 1, about 46% of Lake Superior is ice in an average winter.
Common mistakes
- Trusting the webcam. “The ice may look stable; however, without an ice shelf that extends miles from shore to protect the lake ice at the bottom of the cliff from the open lake, the ice you see can break apart quickly.” In 2013 the park was ready to open, and the next morning the ice broke up.
- Driving up on a rumor. The park changes its status line, its Facebook page and the Ice Line when the caves open: “If conditions haven’t been updated recently, it’s an indication that conditions haven’t changed and remain unfavorable for ice cave access.”
- Parking at Meyers Beach. “There is no parking at Meyers Beach or on nearby Hwy 13.” In 2026 the county ran shuttles from lots in Cornucopia and at the Sand River gravel pit.
- Looking on the islands. “These caves are part of the park’s mainland unit, not on the islands themselves.”
Plan the trip
Bayfield is the town for the lakeshore — see the most beautiful towns in Wisconsin and the Bayfield Peninsula — and for a winter trip, winter travel destinations. Check how much of each Great Lake is ice month by month with Great Lakes Ice Cover, the summer water with Great Lakes Water Temperature, and the dark nights over the lake with the Stargazing Planner.
FAQ
Are the Apostle Islands ice caves open?
The tool shows the Park Service’s status line from its ice caves page. When they open, the park updates that page, its Facebook page and the Ice Line, (715) 779-3398 x3.
When were the Apostle Islands ice caves last open?
For one day in 2026 and nine days in 2015, the Park Service says; before that, most openings since 2000 came in 2004, 2008, 2009 and 2014.
How often do the ice caves open?
Rarely: on 2% of all days from 2000 to 2023, in the Park Service’s count. It takes a long cold spell with little wind, and an ice shelf locked to the shore for miles.
Where are the Apostle Islands ice caves?
Along the mainland cliffs near Meyers Beach, on Lake Superior’s south shore in northern Wisconsin — about 4 miles from Cornucopia and 18 from Bayfield. You walk 1.5 to 3 miles across the frozen lake to reach them.
How much does it cost to see the ice caves?
In 2026: the park’s event fee, $5 a person a day (ages 16 and over; under 16 free), and the county shuttle, $5 each way in cash, plus a parking fee at the lot.
Does Lake Superior have to freeze over for the ice caves to open?
Not all of it. The Park Service ties openings to winters over 90% ice, but NOAA’s record shows 52% in 2004 and 63% in 2008 and 2026 — what matters is a stable shelf at the cliffs.