The Mainland Sea Caves at Meyers Beach
Near Bayfield, Wisconsin
West of Bayfield, the mainland shoreline near Meyers Beach hides one of the most photographed places on Lake Superior, the mainland sea caves. The cliffs here are made of ancient sandstone laid down long before the age of dinosaurs, and for uncounted centuries the lake has hammered at them. Wave after wave, storm after storm, the water has hollowed out arches, honeycombed chambers, and vaulted rooms, some deep enough to paddle a kayak inside.
Thin seams and cracks in the rock guided the erosion, so the caves form delicate ribs and columns rather than plain hollows. In summer, sea kayakers glide beneath the overhangs and through the arches, listening to the water slap and echo in the dark. It is beautiful but serious country.
Lake Superior is cold enough to be dangerous the whole year round, and the weather can turn a calm paddle into a pounding surf within the hour, so guides watch the forecast closely. The caves line the cliffs along the shore, part of the national lakeshore's mainland unit. Reaching them by land means a hike along the bluff top from the Meyers Beach trailhead, west of town, where boardwalks and overlooks let you peer down at the water still working, patiently, on some of the oldest rock in the region.
