Bayfield Area May See Boost In Summer Tourism Thanks To Ice Caves

The Apostle Islands ice caves that attracted worldwide attention and thousands of visitors last winter has led to an increase in summer business for the Bayfield area.

Bayfield Mayor Larry McDonald says inns and hotels got a tremendous boost for the summer from people who were first-time visitors to the Apostle Islands last winter.

“There were so many people … that showed up, that we’re going to get some spin-off,” said McDonald. A fair amount of those folks have never been here before. So yeah, I think we’re going to see a bump.”

The official count of ice cave visitors was 138,000 over two months.

Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Superintendent Bob Krumanaker also expects a bump this summer. He thinks it will go beyond the mainland sea caves to the 21 islands.

“My guess is the sea caves will be the first place people visit, but if you’re coming from a long way to see this area I would imagine that you’re not going to (just) stop at the caves,” he said.

Krumanaker said they’ll easily top the 1998 record of 237,000 visitors this year.

“I have a feeling that the obscurity of the Apostle Island ice caves and the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is over, and I don’t think we’ll ever come back to what we were before,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mayor McDonald says reservations are already being made for next winter, just in case the ice freezes again and the ice caves are accessible.