A Royale Adventure

by Paul C. Mihalak

Isle Royale truly provides a cure for the craziness of the city. Established as a national park in 1940, the isle was designated as a wilderness in 1976 and a biosphere reserve in 1980. The main island is 48 miles long by 9 miles wide and is part of an archipelago of 400 islands. The locals joke that it is the farthest point north you can go without showing papers. With 165 miles of hiking trails and 36 campgrounds, you can be as far, or as near, to other people as you want to be.

The only daily public transportation to the island is by boat on the Isle Royale Queen III, which sails out of Copper Harbor, MI. Loading begins at 7:30AM, and the vessel promptly departs at 8:00AM. The trip takes about 4.5 hours, traveling a distance of 56 miles directly across Lake Superior. The island itself is just inside the international boundary, about 10 miles across from Thunder Bay, Ontario. The lake is generally cold and often becomes suddenly rough. Consequently, visitors should bring warm outer clothing and motion sickness tablets. On our recent visit, we encountered calm seas on the way over but 3-5' waves on the return trip. Needless to say, none of the passengers complained that the snack bar was closed.

In addition, The Ranger II sails out of Houghon, MI, several times weekly. Visitors considering passage to Isle Royale should check schedules and rates for both vessels on the website at National Parks.org. Round trip fares generally range from $85-100, with parking included.

Small craft (under 24') are discouraged from sailing on Lake Superior due to the vastness of the open waters and sudden storms which can occur. Superior is the largest and deepest of the great lakes, with some areas over 1,000'deep. Isle Royale does have protected harbors at both the east and west ends of the island. Captains should radio ahead for dockage availability.

Seaplane dockage is also located at Tobin Harbor, just minutes walking time from Rock Harbor Lodge. However, at this time no regularly scheduled commercial craft are flying to the island.

Hiking on Isle Royale is superb, with all trails well-marked and mapped. The scenery is pristine and ruggedly beautiful. Cranberries, blueberries, and thimble berries abound in this climate that most resembles Canada. You may enjoy eating the berries as you hike. However, you may not sell or remove them from the island.

The latest wildlife count shows 1,100 moose, which particularly like to feed on the marshy plants which grow in abundance. We encountered numerous hoof prints and droppings. Unfortunately, we did not see any moose. They are shy and feed nocturnally. We wimped out and stayed at the lodge, choosing not to awaken early to find and photograph them.

We did hear the magnificent, mournful cry of one of the 67 wolves which inhabit Isle Royale. In addition, we either encountered or saw evidence of the many fox, raccoon, squirrels, and chipmunks, which are all part of the island's delicate food chain.

Waterfowl, such as loons, ducks, and geese can easily be seen. You may also be lucky enough to glimpse a bald eagle.

Another popular pastime is boating on the hundreds of waterways which crisscross the park's many smaller islands. Boats, canoes, and kayaks are available to rent, if you don't wish to bring your own. Daily rates range from $25-50, depending on the equipment you wish to rent.

Camping is offered on 36 campgrounds evenly spaced throughout the island. Although park personnel have constructed screened, protected sites, camping is primitive in nature, with pit toilets. None of the sites have electricity or potable water, either. Parasites do populate the streams and ponds. Consequently, you should not drink the water without boiling or filtering it thoroughly.

The only other accommodations are at the Rock Harbor Lodge on the east end of the main island. The lodge is ruggedly constructed from stone and timber. The rooms are clean and comfortable, although sparsely furnished. The showers there are the only ones available on Isle Royale. Gourmet meals are included under the modified American plan for about $122 per person, per day. You will especially find their steaks as pleasantly memorable as your visit.

Sadly, all good things must come to an end. The Isle Royale Queen sails from Rock Harbor to the mainland at Copper Harbor at 3:00PM daily. If you long to return, you will not be alone. Although the least visited of our national parks, Isle Royale has the distinction of being the most revisited. Lastly, due to its northern location, Isle Royale is blasted yearly by significant snow and ice storms. Consequently, services to and on the island are only offered from May through September. Schedule your travel plans early to enjoy a wilderness vacation on Isle Royale.

About the Author

My wife, Janet, and I are avid mountain hikers, and particularly enjoy hiking in the eastern United States. We also enjoy caving and rock climbing.