Mother Nature has become a Chihuly-like sculptress in sea caves along Lake Superior in northern Wisconsin. Icicles hang by the thousands in caves at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. In warmer weather, the caves would be accessible only by water, but during this consistently cold winter, they are accessible by frozen lakeshore.
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Ice caves in northern Wisconsin are dazzling winter phenomena

Mother Nature has become a Chihuly-like sculptress in sea caves along Lake Superior in northern Wisconsin. Icicles hang by the thousands in caves at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. In warmer weather, the caves would be accessible only by water, but during this consistently cold winter, they are accessible by frozen lakeshore.

Mother Nature has become a Chihuly-like sculptress in sea caves along Lake Superior in northern Wisconsin. Icicles hang by the thousands in caves at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. In warmer weather, the caves would be accessible only by water, but during this consistently cold winter, they are accessible by frozen lakeshore. (Brian Peterson / Associated Press)

Icicles assume fantastic shapes inside a cave at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in northern Wisconsin.

Icicles assume fantastic shapes inside a cave at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in northern Wisconsin. (Brian Peterson / Associated Press)

Small ice caves like this 4-foot high one pockmark the red cliffs abutting Lake Superior.

Small ice caves like this 4-foot high one pockmark the red cliffs abutting Lake Superior. (Mark Hoffman / MCT)

This is the first time the ice caves in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore have been accessible over the ice since 2009.

This is the first time the ice caves in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore have been accessible over the ice since 2009.  (Mark Hoffman / MCT)

Bundled-up visitors are flocking to the caves at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in northern Wisconsin, which have been transformed into ice sculptures in the arctic freeze.

Bundled-up visitors are flocking to the caves at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in northern Wisconsin, which have been transformed into ice sculptures in the arctic freeze.  (Brian Peterson / AP)

Icicles form in the frigid interior of a cave at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in northern Wisconsin.

Icicles form in the frigid interior of a cave at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in northern Wisconsin. (Brian Peterson / AP)

In this Feb. 2 photograph, crowds hike to the caves at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.

In this Feb. 2 photograph, crowds hike to the caves at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.  (Brian Peterson / Associated Press)

Visitors snap photos inside an ice cave at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in northern Wisconsin.

Visitors snap photos inside an ice cave at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in northern Wisconsin.  (Brian Peterson / Associated Press)

A visitor attempts to capture the wonder of a frozen cave at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in northern Wisconsin.

A visitor attempts to capture the wonder of a frozen cave at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in northern Wisconsin. (Brian Peterson / Associated Press)

Icicles resemble an art installation inside a cave at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in northern Wisconsin.

Icicles resemble an art installation inside a cave at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in northern Wisconsin. (Brian Peterson / AP)

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