Known for its backcountry remote camping, Isle Royale National Park is a remote island located in Lake Superior off the Canadian North Shore within view of Thunder Bay. This US park is in the state of Michigan but nearer to Minnesota than the Upper Peninsula. In many ways it’s not a distinct landscape – there are no gushing geysers or horsetail waterfalls. It’s not the Grand Canyon or a mountain top in Alaska. But it is a special place and thankfully someone recognized it and protected it as a place of national distinction. It is what I call a thin place – a place where the line between the living world and the spiritual world feels very thin.
Isle Royale is the largest island in the largest lake in the world – and one of the most remote National Parks in the United States. Reaching the island requires potentially harrowing journeys either by sea plane or long boat trips across Lake Superior, a lake well known for its legendary gales. After arriving on her shores, you'll find an island without roads - only footpaths. For wilderness backpackers this 50mile-long boreal jungle is all they could wish for. For mariners, the 450 islands that make up the archipelago invite endless exploration. Canoeists can portage to over 100 wilderness inland lakes. And there are even two inns on the island for those who prefer more modern accommodations but still want take a cold plunge in the crisp clear water of Lake Superior.
This park excels at delivering total immersion. This is the nature of island camping. Remote, disconnected, and surrounded by a great freshwater sea you are wholly subjected to the rhythms of the island and its many charms.
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| Predawn at Moskey Basin. Moskey Basin had this beautiful rock next to our shelter that we used to swim off of and for reading and watching the stars and sunrise. Moskey Basin was our favorite of the campgrounds we visited. Although I don't think it was so good that it would warrant a multi-night stay which is one of the plans we considered. The other campgrounds each had nice features. |
As we passed on, it seemed as if those scenes of visionary enchantment would never have an end.
– Meriwether Lewis
Measured by the cadence of waves and my own breathing time shed its urgency and took on new dimensions in the remote otherworld of Isle Royale National Park. The sky, the sun and stars, and Superior’s waves became my new gods of tempo. I felt this kind of enchantment before while camping on Rock Island off the tip of Door County – there is a heightening of primal instinct on these odysseys – surrounded by the weight of deep cold water these island environs seem planetary in their isolation.
Beyond the reach of wireless signal my digital worldview collapsed. It felt almost like fasting – a sort of forced withdrawal from most modern conveniences and luxuries. Though that’s not to say that the hiking gear I did carry was less than state-of-the-art. I peeled off even a few more layers from my typical backpacking kit by going the week without a stove, tent, and digital reader. Cold soak meals all the way, and an ultralight tarp and trekking poles as my only emergency shelter.
Another experiential push came from the island’s harsh fire restrictions. Campfires have always been part of my camp rituals whether traveling solo or in groups. A campfire is not just social – the act of building and tending a fire make a new campsite feel like my home – a critical component in my ability to sleep soundly through the night. It was certainly a change of pace to go without the crackle and amber glow against the darkness of night.
I enjoyed the revelations brought forth by this short-lived monk-life– but I’ll confess that this is not my preferred style of wilderness travel – I prefer canoe camping with all the trappings and comforts afforded a voyageur.
I have a lot I could say about this unusual park. I’ve decided to skip the five-page accounting of every trip highlight and leave you with some helpful tips and reflections ... and this one overriding sentiment - I left Isle Royale feeling purified by the mundanity of our daily activities. Each day we hiked long distances over uneven trails, we swam in the halting cold and clear Lake Superior, we watched the sun rise and the sun set and stars swarm the night sky, and each day I spent long hours reading and laying and being still.
Reflections - How the trip stacked up to our plans and expectations
COPPER HARBOR TO ROCK HARBORWhen we first began to plan our trip, the biggest question was how to get to the island. From our base in Madison WI getting to Grand Portage MN or Copper Harbor MI are relatively equal. Our choice of Copper Harbor was determined by our selection of September for our trip – there are significantly less options to reach the island after Labor Day. By taking the ferry from Copper Harbor we had a 5-day / 4-night trip which was just the right amount of time. In five days, without being ultramarathon runners, we were not able to get down the full length of the island and back – which was a good thing. The hiking route we ended up taking was just right for us and was easiest to pull off by starting and ending at Rock Harbor.
OUR ROUTE AND MILEAGE
Our route and mileage turned out to be just right. We questioned our route plan right up till we had to get our permit and provide our itinerary at the Rock Harbor Welcome Center. Our route was: 7.5-miles to Daisy Farm, 9.5-miles to Mcargoe Cove via Mt Ojibway, 8-miles to Moskey Basin, 8-miles to Three Mile, and 2.5-miles to Rock Harbor. This route exposed us to most of the variety the main island offers: long hikes along the coast with great places to stop and hang beside Lake Superior, then a trip to one of the highest elevations and a long and gradual descent on the Greenstone Ridge (My favorite day of the trip), followed by a day crossing the center of the island past its pristine inland lakes.
SEPTMEBER
I was very happy with our choice of late September for our first visit. We made our plans and purchased our tickets in February, and at the time any week was on the table. I didn’t want to deal with crowds and pressure to get good shelters or sites. Even in late September we felt that pressure and it was the only downside of our whole trip and led to the only disagreement and flap between me and my hiking companion. I’ve found that in every situation where reservations are not allowed that the unknown of what your sleeping conditions will be can infect your mind and alter your actions to your detriment.
Overall, even though there were more crowds than I expected, and the fall colors had not yet started, the late summer vibe we were treated to was quite special. I never put on mosquito repellant and used a Thermacell only once or twice. The lake water is warmer at this time of year as it takes the whole summer for Superior to heat up. And the shorter days are somehow just right. Being able to watch the sunrise and sunset and also get 9-10 hours of darkness for sleeping seems to be just the right balance. You can see the amazing night sky and its infinite stars and still get 8 solid hours of sleep before sunrise.
SHELTERS
The shelters do make it easier to backpack on Isle Royale. They provide a definite sense of security and in a storm or even just on a rainy day I’d be especially happy to be in one. They are also as difficult to claim as I expected. Our trip was supposedly planned for one of the least popular weeks of the year and the shelters were all taken at Three Mile, Mccargoe Cove, and Moskey Basin by 2pm. Be warned that you need to be on the move early to get a shelter.
WOLVES
One of the big concerns I had before the trip was the wolf issue. In the summer before our trip the island’s famous wolves realized that they could get food from the hikers (wonder how that happened? Please don’t feed the wolves!). There were many scary articles written about the wolf contacts that visitors were having and the Park Rangers posted one of the coldest alerts I’ve ever read: “due to a high amount of wolf and human interactions in campgrounds …”
The last thing I want is an interaction with a wolf. It’s bad enough trying to sleep when they are howling. But here’s how it went. We never saw or heard a wolf. I did see some fresh tracks on a trail we were on. I overheard some other campers say that they had seen wolves in the campground we were at – but honestly that’s just hearsay. I was careful with my food as I always am. I don’t think extraordinary personal measures are needed. But at the same time, I’m very surprised that the park service does not already have bear bins at all campgrounds like the ones installed at the Apostle Islands. Their ad-hoc approach was ok, I guess. But considering this is a remote island and all services including concessions are closed for the season after Labor Day I’d expect the rangers would try to help people protect their food rations against any scavengers – even a racoon or a fox will take an easy opportunity if presented with one.
CAMPFIRES
I was surprised to learn that campfires are mostly forbidden. In all my hiking and canoe camping I’ve always ended the day with a campfire – whether I’m traveling solo or with a group. But I didn’t really miss them on Isle Royale. I felt like the trip was bit less social on account of not sitting around a shared fire. But I appreciated focusing on the scene around me and especially the sky above which maybe I wouldn’t have dedicated that much focus to if there had been nightly campfires.
COLD SOAKING FOOD, GOING TENTLESS, AND BRINGING FISHING GEAR
I wanted to try some different approaches to my gear kit on this 5-day hike – in an effort to save weight, but also to experience new approaches to backpacking. My cold soak meals worked very well. I devoured all my food and it was just the right amount of rations. I feel like I ate healthier and more well rounded than I usually do, and I didn’t miss the stove or hot food. Going tentless worked because we were able to claim shelters each night. However, I won’t bother with fishing gear on a backpacking trip again. Its too much extra fuss and shore fishing has never interested me before and that apparently hasn’t changed.
NEXT TIME
There will be a next time, as for me this was a scouting mission. I’ll be back in a few years to do a solo canoe camping trip. I think that will be a far easier, more exciting, and a more fulfilling trip all around.
When you go to a mountain park expect to mountain climb. When you go to a park with hot springs expect to swim. When you go to the Grand Canyon bring a camera and a tripod - its all about the photogenic scenery. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. So when you come to an archipelago in canoe country - a place where people have been portaging and canoeing since prehistoric times, then the best way to experience this place is certain to be by canoe.
There’s just no comparison in my book between backpacking and canoe camping. Backpacking is tiring, canoeing is easy going. You can bring real food and plenty of gear because at worst you’re only portaging gear a couple miles per day – so what’s an extra trip back and forth to know that you have all the fun outdoor things you could want. Fishing can get real from a canoe – in fact it’s my favorite platform for fishing. Wildlife sightings happen frequently from a canoe – and very infrequently when I hike. Having the canoe will also allow me to reach campsites on the outer islands and open up new route possibilities. Now that I’ve seen a sample of what Isle Royale offers, I’m convinced that canoe camping is going to be the way to experience the best of this archipelago park.
THE NUMBER 1 MOST REVISTED NATIONAL PARK
Isle Royale is the most revisted national park in the United States. After having been there once, and being certain that I will return, I'm still not sure I can quite explain why this might be. But I expect I will be there many times. I could see myself trying a few different approaches here. A short tent or hammock camping trip. A stay at the inn. Canoe camping the inland lakes and canoe camping the coves and channels. I could even consider circumnavigating the island in a sea kayak.
If you do go once, just know you'll probably be back.
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| Fog leant a dreamy charm to our hike on our last day |
Photos
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| With its home port in Copper Harbor MI on the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula, the Ise Royale Queen IV is one of the more popular ferries out to the East side of Isle Royale. This boat can accommodate 80+ passengers and all their gear and has indoor and outdoor seating, restrooms, and a concession on board. |
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| The trip out to the Island is about 3 1/2 hours in calm weather. During the length of the ferry ride you'll meet and get to know the other adventurers that you will be sharing the island with for the next week. |
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| As the ferry approaches Isle Royale and Rock Harbor, you'll pass some of the barrier islands and get a feel for the iconic terrain of this park - ancient worn rock topped with boreal forest. |
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| Once we started hiking there were plenty of moments to see and photograph. The rocks and the water seemed a striking contrast that kept drawing my attention. |
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| We made it 8-miles or so on our first day to Daisy Farm - one of the most popular campgrounds on the Island. There were lots of small shelters like this one available for us to choose from. Its wonderful to just drop your stuff at the end of a day of hiking rather than worry about setting up a campsite. Battery operated warm colored string lights made the place feel protected and like home. |
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| It turns out that we woke each morning before sunrise. I was already packed by the time I took this photo just before the sun rose on our second day. It seemed like sunrises and sunsets took on a greater importance and were organizing features each day out on the island. Normally I mostly unaware of sunrise and sunset. |
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| I'm not sure if the incredible sky colors were something normal that Iusually don't pay attention to, were the result of unusually good weather, or the result of air quality. For whatever reason, it seemed this trip was dominated by looking at the sky. |
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| On our second day we climbed to the top of Greenstone Ridge. Mt Ojibway has an old fire tower that we were able to climb up for better vantage points. This was a highlight of the trip. Getting a bird's eye view of the island helped us with a sense of ourselves and how we related to this place. |
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| From MT Ojibway we got a good vantage point of Thunder Bay and Sleeping Giant Provincial Park in Ontario. Sleeping Giant is a park that is on my bucket list for a future sea kayaking expedition, so it was especially neat for me to see it first hand since I've been studying the coastline on maps so intently. |
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| As we descended Greenstone Ridge towards Chickenbone we were entering moose territory. We saw our first moose between Chickenbone and Mcargoe, but unfortunately, I wasn't able to capture any wildlife photos. |
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| Alot has been made of Mccargoe Cove. I didn't find it to be much of a standout. But I did want to get my eyes on this landing and the portage trail over to Chickenbone as I'll be coming back here in a few years for a canoe camping expedition. |
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| Some of the trail around Chickenbone was pretty scrappy. We almost went into the muck when a board gave way beneath us. |
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| I spent so many hours laying on my back and looking at the sky on this trip. |
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| Hangong out on the rocks after a long day of hiking was the thing to do. And the only thing thats going on are the changes in the sky. This view is from the big rocks at Moskey Basin. We arrived at Moskey and took possession of a shelter, went for a long swim off the rock and then hung out on the rock for the rest of the day and into the evening. Once I had seen the stars at their full brightness I finally called it and retreated to the shelter for sleep. |
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| But I was up again to watch the sunrise at Moskey Basin. |
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| The sun is a spectacular feature of the sky. It's amazing how little attention I usually pay to it. |
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| Our last day of hiking began with thick fog cover which gave an atmospheric look to hike. |
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| The docks at the campgrounds are a main feature where people congregate to socialize if there aren't giant rocks like at Moskey and Mccargoe. We swam each day after our hikes. Swimming isn't usually a priority activity for me, but Lake Superior is clear, clean, and wonderful to swim in - especially of a long hot hike through the woods. |
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| I could have and should have taken so many more photos of the fog in this atmospheric place. |
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| I not usually one for taking a photo of the park sign, but I love the moose antlers laid out here. Its very Isle Royal. |
Links
Isle Royale National Park
The Greenstone
The Greenstone is the yearly Isle Royale brochure / newsletter. This is going to be your best source for planning a trip. The Greenstone has in it: Trail Mileage Charts, Listings for all ferry boats and sea plane options side by side for comparison, Campsite Tables, Fishing Regulations, Visitor Center Programs, Info on Lodging.