If you missed the ice caves of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore last year, the weather gods have given you another shot.

The National Park Service plans to open the caves near Bayfield to the public Saturday.

Unless ice conditions change before then, it will be the second year in a row that the northern Wisconsin caves have opened to the public. Last year, the caves drew an estimated 138,000 visitors over the two months they were open.

The park service checked the Lake Superior ice Wednesday and determined conditions along the lakeshore were stable enough to allow visitors to trek the mile-plus ice trail to the caves. This year, however, the park service warns that people will encounter very slippery conditions.

“We want people to be super cautious,” said Julie Van Stappen, chief of planning and resource management for the lakeshore.

The park service recommends visitors wear sturdy boots with ice cleats on the soles and carry ski poles. Visitors also should beware of overhead ice formations and avoid cracks in the ice found at the base of the lakeshore’s cliffs.

There also is no telling how long the icicle-filled caves and frozen waterfalls will remain accessible. Those planning to visit should first call the park service’s ice line at 715-779-3397 ext. 3 for the latest conditions.

Last winter was the first time since 2009 that the caves were open to the public, and a record-breaking number of people visited as news of the caves spread through the media and social networking.

That flood of visitors caught the park service by surprise. This year, a $5 fee has been instituted for visitors 16 and older to help pay the park service’s costs associated with the throngs of people.

The fee is payable in the Meyers Beach parking area at the start of the trail to the ice caves. People also can purchase an annual pass for $10 at the park service’s headquarters in Bayfield.

For more information, visit nps.gov/apis/mainland-caves-winter.htm.

Andy Rathbun can be reached at 651-228-2121.

Follow him at twitter.com/andyrathbun.