Overview
- Webcams showed a stable ice pack late Tuesday and scattered shards with open water by Wednesday morning, leading the park to say the conditions that formed the ice are unlikely to return before spring.
- The National Park Service had already closed access on Tuesday to ensure public safety as a winter storm warning took effect for the south shore of Lake Superior.
- Monday marked the first on-foot access since 2015, drawing thousands who filled parking areas and faced lengthy waits for shuttle buses to the Meyers Beach trailhead.
- One park employee reported more than 1,200 online payments processed by 9 a.m. Monday for the daily event fee, which is $5 per person, with shuttle service from Bayfield costing about $10 round trip.
- Access requires a 2- to 6-mile round trip over lake ice, and rangers test thickness and monitor conditions with the National Weather Service in Duluth; officials said paid ice-cave fees will be honored for a future visit.