Winter comes to Wisconsin and temperatures drop while buckets of snow shower down from the heavens. Sounds dreamy or desolate right? If you’re looking for a Wisconsin winter adventure that is high on the dreamy and low on the desolate scale, look no further than Bayfield, Wisconsin. Visiting the Apostle Islands in winter is absolutely stunning. If you’re lucky enough to visit when the ice caves are open, you’re in for a treat. However, the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is wonderful in winter even if the ice caves are closed. Keep reading for our itinerary for a perfect weekend exploring the Apostle Islands in winter.
While the Apostle Islands in winter are really the gem of this weekend in Bayfield, there are so many other things to do in the Bayfield area in winter. In our weekend in Bayfield itinerary, we’ll take you to a roaring winter waterfall, winter hiking trails, along scenic roads and to fun drinking establishments. Keep reading for all of the fun!
About The Apostle Islands Ice Caves
The Apostle Islands ice caves sit just 20 miles northwest of Bayfield on the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Runoff flows from the red cliffs into Lake Superior and as winter approaches, this runoff freezes into stunning icicle like formations. And with the shapely cliffs along the shore, these icicles eventually form cave like enclosures at the bottom of the cliffs.
The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore crew monitors the conditions of the ice on Lake Superior carefully. And it is rare that the ice gets thick enough to walk on (as in once in a decade or so). However, you can still enjoy the ice caves at the Apostle Islands in winter from the shoreline as well. Keep reading to find how we viewed the Apostle Island ice caves even without the sea cave trail being open.
Bayfield and Apostle Islands Winter Weekend Itinerary
Day 1 – Copper Falls State Park and Ashland
First, start your day at Copper Falls State Park. This is one of our favorite parks in Wisconsin and is one of the best Wisconsin state parks to visit in the winter. Admission to Copper Falls State Park is $8/vehicle for people with Wisconsin license plates and $11/vehicle for out of state cars.
There are two great winter hikes at Copper Falls State Park. The Red Granite Falls Trail and the Winter Waterfall trail. If you are up for an adventure, you can also tack on the Doughboy Trail to the Winter Waterfall trail for additional winter fun!
Red Granite Falls Trail
Distance: 2.5 mile – loop | Elevation Gain: minimal | Time: 2 hours | Difficulty: easy (moderate in snow) | Great For: Snowshoeing
This well maintained snowshoe and cross country ski trail that is beautifully maintained and just challenging enough to be interesting.
Winter Waterfall Loop
Distance: 1 mile – loop | Elevation Gain: minimal | Time: 30 minutes | Difficulty: easy | Great For: Seeing the biggest waterfalls in the park
This is the most popular winter trail in the park as it allows you to see the still flowing Copper Falls and Brownstone Falls. This trail is well travelled making it very uneven in the snow.
Next, have lunch in Ashland.
Explore downtown Ashland in the afternoon. Ashland is famous for beautiful murals on their downtown buildings. Walk Main Street while looking for these murals. After walking the streets, warm up with a drink at the South Shore Brewery.
Lastly, have dinner is Ashland or Bayfield. We prefer the gourmet style of Bayfield to the “Wisconsin” style of Ashland (aka bar food).
We can recommend these Bayfield restaurants for dinner. The Old Rittenhouse Inn serves a five course gourmet local meal prepared by a fantastic chef. However, this is very expensive. We’ve also tried the Pickled Herring and the Pier Plaza Restaurant which are both very good and less expensive than Old Rittenhouse.
Where To Stay In Bayfield
For this weekend visiting the Apostle Islands in winter, we’d recommend staying in or near Bayfield. This charming town has plenty of cute bed and breakfast type establishments. While this is a popular (aka expensive) tourist destination in summer, winter is the off season and you can frequently get reduced room rates in the winter.
Day 2 – Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and Bayfield
Have breakfast at your Bed and Breakfast establishment. Or if breakfast isn’t included, check out Mannypenny Bistro for breakfast. Their breakfast is very hearty and delicious!
After stocking up on plenty of energy, time to explore the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.
First, you can spot many of the actual Apostle Islands in winter from Little Sand Bay. The Apostle Islands are a group of islands offshore of the Bayfield Peninsula. You can stop here to look out over the frozen section of Lake Superior.
Next, hike the Lakeshore Trail to see the ice caves. Park at Meyers Beach to start your hike. You will need to pay a $5/vehicle parking fee at the trailhead for the Lakeshore trail.
The Lakeshore Trail – sections 1 and 2
Distance: 4.8 miles – out and back | Elevation Gain: minimal | Time: 3 hours | Difficulty: easy (moderate in deep snow) | Great For: seeing ice caves
This is the best trail to give you a glimpse of the ice caves if you can’t walk on Lake Superior – which you can’t unless the park deems the ice conditions safe enough. The section 1 hike is mainly through woodland and is approximately 2 miles long. There are ice caves you can spot frequently for all of the section 2 hike. This hike is easy, however it does require some extra equipment. You’ll want crampons and trekking poles to keep your balance as you walk over ice and snow. Occasionally, snowshoes are the better choice, especially after a fresh snow.
On your way back to town, stop in at the Copper Crow Distillery for a hand crafted cocktail and some board games.
Next, head into Bayfield for lunch.
In the afternoon, wander downtown Bayfield and stop into the cute artsy shops. Once you are done shopping, make your way home after spending this amazing winter weekend in Bayfield.
Want To Adjust The Itinerary
If you have more time, and the ice conditions are correct, you can take the only temporary county road across Lake Superior to Madeline Island. You can then explore the sleepy off-season Madeline Island. We’ve never done this but it would be a great idea for you if you want to spend extra time curling up in a cozy cabin.
What To Pack For The Apostle Islands In Winter
We live in Wisconsin and even we find the temperatures along the shores of Lake Superior shockingly cold in the winter. So make sure you pack plenty of layers: base thermal layer, nice shirt/pants to be seen in, windproof outer shell – both pants and coat, hat/gloves/scarf, winter boots with good traction. You likely won’t ever be hot but at least with all of these clothes you won’t be cold. The wind is really extreme along the shores of Lake Superior so don’t underestimate the conditions when you pack.
Additionally, you’ll want to pack crampons, trekking poles and snowshoes so you can fully experience all of the hiking trails even in the hazardous conditions that winter brings.
We hope this has helped you to plan your trip to the Apostle Islands in winter. It is one of our favorite winter destinations in Wisconsin and the ice caves are absolutely beautiful. There are so many charming towns to see and beautiful quiet scenery to enjoy. We hope you’ll enjoy it as much as we did. Please leave any questions are comments in the section below and we’re happy to help.
