North America's chilly winter may mean expensive heating bills and bitingly cold walks to work, but for those living near Lake Superior, the largest of the five Great Lakes, it has its perks.
After temperatures in the continent dipped to record lows, the lake froze over completely, allowing access by foot for the first time in years to the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Caves in Northwestern Wisconsin.
The caves have been carved out by intense wave action generated by the lake. And while normally the sandstone caves are accessible by boat, bone-chilling temperatures have now turned them into one of the most popular winter destinations of 2014.
Icicles hang from the roof of the caves like animal fangs, some completely covered in sheets of ice so as to make them look like large wax candles melting away.
The Los Angeles Times reports that the Apostle Islands shore has seen more than 35,000 people hiking across the lake since officials declared the ice "low risk" Jan. 15.
"We have never had this number of people coming. It has been a bit overwhelming, but it has been great for the local community, and [the caves] are gorgeous," Julie Van Stappen, spokesperson for the National Park Service, told the LA Times.
"The caves were stunning with hoar frost clinging delicately to icicles hanging perfectly from the ceilings of the massive caves. Seeing those icicles hanging above my head, I was happy for the protective coverage of my camera as I snapped a few quick photos," Anna Kurth, managing editor of Sawyer County Record, wrote.
According to the NPS website, "ice caves are located at the western end of the Mainland Unit of Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in far northern Bayfield County. There is a parking area and stairs to the beach/ice at the end of Meyers Road."
The website also lists some precautionary measures for visitors that can be found here.
