Turquoise Door Vacation Rental

So beautiful! Different season, different reason. Spending time in Beachwalk never disappoints! Stop 7

Dazzling, but deadly! Stay on the beach and please keep off the shelf ice. Do not risk your life! Despite its unusual beauty, visitors need to be aware of its dangers. Especially because, for some, it's hard to tell where the beach ends and the shelf ice begins. Please enjoy the view of the shelf ice—from a distance! To be safe, view the shelf ice from the base of the first sand dune or further inland. Only view shelf ice from solid ground and never attempt to climb it.

What is shelf ice? Although shelf ice appears solid, it provides only a false sense of security. Shelf ice forms when breaking waves and spray freeze in frigid air temperatures, creating irregularly patterned ice full of cracks, crevices, and holes. Shelf ice is an unstable formation that builds from the beach out the lake, without freezing to the lake bottom. Due to the nature of its structure and fluctuating temperatures above freezing, shelf ice is unpredictable and unsafe to step on.

For more information, visit our shelf ice page at https://www.nps.gov/indu/planyourvisit/shelf-ice.htm

For more information on winter safety, visit https://www.nps.gov/indu/planyourvisit/safety.htm

Credit: NPS / Wes Butler
Image: Photo of shelf ice over Lake Michigan with a danger sign.