Everything you should know about Isle Royale National Park
Michigan’s remote and rugged Lake Superior archipelago—which encompasses nearly 450 islands—is a true Northwoods escape, ideal for hikers, wildlife lovers, and stargazers.
Isle Royale National Park offers an unforgettable Lake Superior wilderness escape in Michigan. Despite its name, Isle Royale encompasses not merely its namesake island, but an archipelago of nearly 450 islands located 14 miles (22.5 km) from the nearest mainland. Once in the park, you’ll discover a landscape of rocky shoreline and basalt ridges covered with sugar maple, birch, and evergreen forest. The woods are carpeted with delicate wildflowers like bluebells, Canada Mayflowers, and lady’s slippers, and in late summer, you can harvest thimbleberries for snacking. If you’re lucky, you may spot moose, wolves, and aquatic birds along the park’s 165 miles (265 km) of hiking trails.
However remote Isle Royale is geographically, the park is also isolated by its short season. Visitors are permitted fewer than six months per year, making this a place largely free of human influence, a place where Mother Nature reigns.
Detroit News journalist Albert Stoll, Jr., is credited with championing the preservation of Isle Royale after a visit to the islands in the 1920s. Congress responded to his efforts, and President Franklin Roosevelt established Isle Royale National Park in 1940.
(Here's everything you should know when planning a trip to Michigan.)
Best times to visit Isle Royale
Isle Royale officially opens to visitors from April 16 through October 31, but transportation and park lodging follow a shorter schedule. Hiking, camping, and paddling are reliably enjoyable in July, August, and September. However, the weather in the Lake Superior area is notoriously unpredictable, so you should arrive prepared for anything. Because of the short season, it’s imperative to make transportation and lodging reservations early.
Where to find the best views in the park
You’ll find plenty of great vistas all along the Lake Superior shoreline. But one of the park’s most scenic is Scoville Point, easily accessible from Rock Harbor, the entry point for most visitors. Located two miles (3.2 km) east of the lodge, the point provides nearly 360-degree views of rocky surf and cobalt-blue water.
Visitors have to work a little to reach Lookout Louise, set 880 feet (268 m) above Lake Superior, but the view from the top is worth it. After paddling across Tobin Harbor to Hidden Lake, you’ll make a steep 1-mile (1.6-km) climb to the viewpoint, which overlooks spectacular views of Lake Superior, numerous islands, and the southern shore of Ontario.
Where to find the best hiking trails
Many of Isle Royale’s most beautiful trails are day hikes. Stoll Memorial Trail, near Rock Harbor, leads four miles (6.4 km) round trip to Scoville Point and includes some of Isle Royale’s most beautiful shoreline. The three-mile (4.8-km) Tobin Harbor Trail parallels the shore over a bed of pine needles, leading past a quiet harbor popular with aquatic birds and otters. In the western end of the park, the Grace Creek Overlook trail measures 3.6 miles (5.8 km) round-trip from Windigo and overlooks Grace Creek, Grace Harbor, and Lake Superior.
If you’re up for a more challenging hike, consider the 42-mile (68-km) Greenstone Ridge Trail, the classic Isle Royale hike. The Greenstone follows a basalt ridge running east to west, a journey that typically takes backpackers 4 to 5 days. The trail leads through diverse landscapes, from the Lake Superior shore through thick hardwood forests, alongside primitive backcountry campgrounds, and atop the exposed Greenstone Ridge that gives the trail its name.
The best spots to see wildlife
Most visitors long to see Isle Royale’s elusive moose and wolves, the largest mammals in the park. Moose are most commonly seen along the Lake Superior shore near the island’s western end, where aquatic grazing is easy, and crowds are thin. But visitors may see moose anywhere in the park, even grazing the lawn around Rock Harbor Lodge.
It has become increasingly easy to spot wolves at Isle Royale campsites as the animals’ numbers have increased and they have become acclimated to humans. Although the animals rarely pose any risk to visitors, they are always at risk of removal if they become overly friendly. Campers must carry animal-resistant food containers and utilize campground food lockers.
Loons enjoy splashing around in Isle Royale’s inland lakes and in Tobin Harbor. If you’re fortunate, you may see them paddling around. It’s a quintessential Northwoods experience to hear their haunting calls at night.
Expert recommendations and tips
Getting to Isle Royale takes some time and planning. But Liz Valencia, Supervisory Park Ranger for Isle Royale National Park, believes the effort is worth it.
“The journey itself is part of the adventure,” says Valencia. “Once you leave the mainland, either by boat or plane, and travel across the expanse of Lake Superior, you are transitioning to a different world. It’s a place to relax, take in some beautiful scenery, unplug, and just enjoy being in the outdoors surrounded by nature.”
For first-timers, Valencia advises, “If you only have time for a day trip, spend time on the shore watching the waves or take a short hike into the woods. Go to a ranger talk. Rent a canoe or kayak and get out on the water for a different perspective. Look for wildflowers and trees you don’t recognize. Appreciate all the lichens, because they are signs of excellent air quality. If you have more time, there are multiple two- to three-day backpacking routes and similar trips for canoes and kayaks.”
The Isle Royale website offers planning information specifically designed for first-timers to the park.
Things to do on Isle Royale
A network of popular hiking trails leads from Isle Royale’s entry points at Rock Harbor and Windigo. But this national park is also a great paddling destination. Rock Harbor Lodge rents boats and kayaks in both entry points. Tobin and Washington Harbors are especially popular, where you can search for signs of wildlife or drop a line and fish for walleye, trout, or perch. When Lake Superior is calm, paddling to Raspberry Island and its popular interpretive trail, an informative hike features boardwalks and paths with signs detailing the local plant life as well as ecological and geological history.
After dark, the night sky on Isle Royale is amazing thanks to the park’s location far from artificial light. Try stargazing or watching for the Northern Lights on the island’s seaplane dock, less than .25 miles (.4 km) from Rock Harbor Lodge. On warm summer evenings, visitors lie on the dock and gaze skyward to enjoy stellar views late into the night.
Best things to do for families
Day hikes and paddling trips around Rock Harbor Lodge are perennially popular with families. The views are beautiful, and the terrain is easy along the Stoll Memorial Trail to Scoville Point (four miles/6.4 km round-trip) and a collection of abandoned copper mines. Two popular hikes among young visitors are the Tobin Harbor Trail (six miles/9.7 km round-trip) and the trek to Suzy’s Cave, an inland sea arch carved from the rock when Lake Superior was higher. The four-mile (6.4 km) Tobin Harbor/Rock Harbor trail loop leads to the cave and passes several rocky ridges to enjoy a picnic.
Families should also consider a guided sightseeing tour aboard the MV Sandy. The boat excursions lead to Hidden Lake and Lookout Louise, Passage Island and its lighthouse, Raspberry Island at sunset, and Edisen Island, with a commercial fishery dating back to the late 1800s.
Where to stay
Lodge: Rock Harbor Lodge is an easy walk from the Rock Harbor ferry dock and offers full-service accommodations overlooking Lake Superior. The lodge operates a public bar and grill and a restaurant and is also the place to arrange boat rentals, water taxis, and excursions aboard the SV Sandy.
Cabins: Housekeeping cabins in Rock Harbor accommodate up to six people and include bedding, towels, a kitchenette, and cookware. In Windigo, Washington Harbor camper cabins provide bunk beds, a table and chairs, a grill, and a deck, but no indoor plumbing. Shared outdoor restrooms are nearby.
Campgrounds: Thirty-six primitive campgrounds are outfitted with vault toilets and, in many cases, camping shelters, but no potable water or electricity. Camping requires a free backcountry permit and is first-come, first-served except for groups of seven or more, which require reservations. Popular campgrounds may have a limit on stays stays.
What else should you know?
Access: Isle Royale is reached via ferry from Copper Harbor or Houghton, Michigan, and from Grand Portage, Minnesota. Ferry service generally runs from mid-May through September. Isle Royale Seaplanes fly between Hancock, Michigan, and the island from early June through mid-September. You can also reach Isle Royale via a personal boat.
Day visits to Isle Royale are possible, but because of the transportation requirements, most visitors opt to spend at least one night. A Michigan fishing license is required on Lake Superior, but not on inland lakes or for those under age 17.
Are pets allowed: Pets are not allowed within Isle Royale park boundaries, which includes a buffer of 4.5 miles into Lake Superior for those arriving via personal watercraft.
How accessible is the park?
Visitor centers in Rock Harbor and Windigo are accessible, although walkways to the Windigo center are unpaved and steep. Rock Harbor Lodge is accessible, as are the paved walkways between the lodge and the Rock Harbor dock. Ferries and seaplanes vary in accessibility. Contact your transportation provider in advance of travel.
Service dogs are permitted on Isle Royale and its neighboring waters, provided the animal receives an approved veterinary certificate.
