Ice-covered sea caves in Bayfield, Wisconsin. (PHOTO: Mike Crowley)
If you were holding out on making a trip to see the Apostle Islands ice caves this year, you waited too long.
The popular attraction along the shores of Lake Superior closed for the season on Monday, just eight days after it opened for the year. Officials with the the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore said temperatures climbing above freezing mean the ice has started to melt, which creates numerous safety concerns about ice falling from the formations.
The caves attracted more than 138,000 visitors last year, thanks to social media generating massive interest. This year, just 36,000 people were able to make the two-mile hike on the ice to see the formations.