Apostle Islands Sea Caves

Useful Information

Location:	2 Front Street Bayfield, WI 54814. (46.8111326, -90.8132301)
Open:	no restrictions. [2025]
Fee:	free. [2025]
Classification:	Karst Cave
Light:	bring torch
Dimension:
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Apostle Islands Cruises, 2 Front Street Bayfield, WI 54814, Tel: +1-800-323-7619. Apostle Islands Kayaking Express, 206 Wilson Ave, Bayfield WI 54814, Tel: +1-715-913-0013.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

Description

The Apostle Islands Sea Caves are known as two different kinds of attraction. One are sea caves in red sandstone which are visited during summer with rented kajaks or during boat trips. The other one are Ice Caves which are visited by walking over the frozen Lake Superior. Of course, both are the same site, the only difference is how they are approached, which is obviously weather dependent.

But let’s start at the beginning, Lake Superior is one of the Big Lakes at the northern border of the U.S.A. The lake is actually quite big, and so there are waves which are caused by the wind. Those waves erode the rocks at the shores, especially the rather soft reddish sandstone at the Apostle Islands, adjacent to the Bayfield peninsula in far northern Wisconsin. There is a total of 21 islands and also 20 km of mainland coastline which have sea caves, caves eroded by the waves of the lake.