Lake Superior ice caves, Wisconsin: Ice caves open for a spectacular but brief season

The iced-over sea caves of Lake Superior, in Wisconsin, USA, opened to the public again this year attracting nearly 36,000 visitors.

The ice caves opened to the public on Saturday, February 28. It attracted over 17,000 visitors on the weekend alone.

However, US National Park Service will be closing the ice caves from Monday night (7 pm local time); earlier than expected due to warmer temperatures and strong winds which is starting to melt the ice.

Hundreds of years of wave action has sculpted the sandstone caves with delicate arches, vaulted chambers and honeycombed passageways.

Last year was the first time the caves were open for five years, and 140,000 people made the one-and-a-half kilometre-long trek along the beach to reach the caves, which continue for almost four kilometres.