Isle Royale National Park

A wilderness island in the middle of Lake Superior and one of the least-visited national parks in the US, known for its moose and wolves, backpacking and paddling.

Isle Royale National Park lies in northwestern Lake Superior between the US and Canada. The main island, Isle Royale, is about 72 km long and 14 km wide, and together with some 400 surrounding smaller islands it makes up the park. It belongs to Michigan but is closer to Minnesota and Canada. The entire island is undeveloped boreal forest wilderness, with 99% of the land designated as wilderness; there are no roads or cars, and you can get around only on foot or by boat. The island's famous moose and wolves have been studied continuously since 1958, making it the longest-running predator-prey study in the world; the park reintroduced wolves after 2018. It is one of the least-visited national parks in the contiguous US, but has a very high rate of repeat visitors.

The park is open from about April 16 to October 31, with ferries and seaplanes operating mainly from June to mid-September. July–August is best for hiking and paddling, though bugs are plentiful; September brings the first fall colors and fewer people. Getting there: from Houghton, Michigan, there is the National Park Service's Ranger III ferry (about 6 hours) and seaplanes; from Copper Harbor, the Isle Royale Queen IV (about 3 hours); and from Grand Portage, Minnesota, the Voyageur II and Sea Hunter III run to Windigo and around the island. Rock Harbor at the east end is the main base, with the island's only lodge, plus cabins, a restaurant, a store and a visitor center; Windigo at the west end has a visitor center, a store and camper cabins. The entrance fee is about $7 per person per day, and overnight camping requires a free permit.

Suggestions: on a day trip, hike the Scoville Point and Tobin Harbor trails around Rock Harbor and take a boat tour to Edisen Fishery and Rock Harbor Lighthouse; with 3–5 days, stay at Rock Harbor and add Lookout Louise and Mount Ojibway; experienced backpackers can spend 5–7 days hiking the roughly 65 km Greenstone Ridge Trail or the more challenging Minong Ridge Trail. Drinking water on the island must be filtered, and ferries can be delayed by wind and waves, so build in some buffer time.

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