Isle Royale - Michigan's Upper Peninsula

<html> <head> <title>Isle Royale - Michigan's Upper Peninsula</title> <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html;charset=ISO-8859-1"> <META Pragma: No-Cache> <META name="Pragma" No-Cache> <META Cache-control: No-Cache> <META HTTP-EQUIV="expires" CONTENT="Wed, 26 Feb 1997 08:21:57 GMT"> <META name="description" content="Our profile and visitor information for travelers to Isle Royale in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Includes how to prepare, where to hike and camp and kayak or canoe."> <base href="http://hunts-upguide.com/"> <link href="/style.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" /> </head> <body bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <center> <table width="100%" bgcolor="#F5F5D5" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 border=0> <tr> <td width="18%" colspan=2 height=82 bgcolor="#306799" valign="top"> <table width="100%" cellpadding=22 cellspacing=0 border=0> <tr> <td align="left"> <b><font size="-2" face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica"> <font color="#FEE384">We welcome<br> your comments<br> experiences &<br> corrections.<br></font> <img src="images/1x1.gif" width=10 height=8 alt="---"><br> <a class="whitelinkunderlined" target="_top" href="http://hunts-upguide.com/cgi-sys/cgiwrap/dehunt/feedback.pl">E-mail us</a> </font> </b> </td> </tr> </table> </td> <td width="63%" height=82 bgcolor="#306799" align="center" valign="top"> <table cellpadding=22 cellspacing=0 border=0> <tr> <td align="center"> <img src="/images/online_words.gif" width=386 height=13 alt="The online version of the popular regional travel book""><br> <img src="images/1x1.gif" width=500 height=2 alt="---"><br> <nobr><font color="#FFFFFF" size="+2" face="Georgia,Times New Roman,Times"><b>Hunts' Guide to Michigan's UPPER PENINSULA</b></font></nobr><br> <img src="images/1x1.gif" width=500 height=7 alt="---"><br> <img src="/images/candid_words.gif" width=391 height=13 alt="A candid guide to enjoying and understanding the U.P."> </td> </tr> </table> </td> <td valign=top width="1%" bgcolor="#F5F5D5" rowspan=3>  <img src="images/1x1.gif" width=9 height=25 alt="|"></td> <td width="18%" rowspan=3 valign="top"> <a target="_top" href="/cgi-sys/cgiwrap/dehunt/click.pl?nextfile=http://hunts-upguide.com/up_travel_map.html"><img src="/ads/Small_map_ad_ver_6.gif" border=0 ALT="UP Travel Map ad" width=160 height=418></a> <p>  <center> <script type="text/javascript"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> </center> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan=5 width="100%" height=9> <img src="images/1x1.gif" width=790 height=9 alt="---"></td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="17%">  <table width="100%" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0> <tr> <td width="100%" valign="top">   <table width="100%" cellpadding=22 cellspacing=0 border=0 bgcolor="#306799"> <tr> <td valign="top" bgcolor="#306799" align="left"> <font face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica" size="-2"> <b> <a class="creamlink" href="/" target="_top">Home</a><br> <img src="images/1x1.gif" width="85" height="3"><br> <a class="sidebar" href="http://hunts-upguide.com/cgi-sys/cgiwrap/dehunt/search.pl" target="_top">Search</a><br> <img src="images/1x1.gif" width="85" height="3"><br> <a class="greensidebar" href="u_p__maps.html" target="_top">U.P. 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The island has wolves, moose, and striking volcanic and glacial landscapes. </b></font> </td> </tr>  <tr> <td colspan=2 align="left"> <font face="Georgia"> This roadless island wilderness allows visitors to experience the natural world in an especially beautiful and geologically interesting place that's well removed from civilization and its discontents. Isle Royale National Park actually consists of the entire archipelago, including Isle Royale itself, the biggest island in the world's largest freshwater lake. <br><br>The island is formed of the ancient volcanic rock known as the Canadian Shield. Isle Royale is a very special, subtle <b><font size="-1">...continued below...</font></b> </font> </td> </tr>  <tr> <td colspan=2 align="center"> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 bgcolor="#000000"> <tr> <td rowspan=2> <img src="images/1x1.gif" width="5" height=15 alt="-"></td> <td align="center"> <img src="images/1x1.gif" width="50" height=5 alt="-"><br> <A target="_top" href="http://hunts-upguide.com/maps/isle_royale.map"><img src="http://hunts-upguide.com/maps/isle_royale.gif" width=508 height=312 alt="isle royale" ISMAP border=0></a> </td> <td> <img src="images/1x1.gif" width="5" height=15 alt="-"></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" bgcolor="#000000"> <b><font color="#FFFFFF" face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica" size="-1">Click on any town in red on the map above<br> to get its profile, points of interest, and recommended<br> restaurants, lodgings, and area campgrounds</font></b><br> <img src="images/1x1.gif" width="50" height=14 alt="-"><br> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan=3 width=518 align="center"> <table border=1 bgcolor="#306799"> <tr> <td> <font face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica" size="-1" color="#FFFFFF"> <b>Towns & Maps:</b> <a class="townlink" href="/rock_harbor_area.html" target="_top">Rock Harbor area</a>  </font> </td> </tr> </table> </table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan=2>  <img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=4 alt="-"></td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="63%" align="left">   <img src="images/1x1.gif" width=300 height=1 alt="-"><br> <font face="Georgia"> place that exerts a powerful mystique. People who spend enough time here to accept it on its own terms usually want to return.<br><br>Books are available for planning Isle Royale trips and observing its rocks and wildlife. <B>Our short Isle Royale section</B> focuses on <B>planning considerations</B> and on selected <B>points of interest which are easily accessible from Rock Harbor</B>, the island's main developed visitor center and the only place with hotel and cabin accommodations. <br><br><b>Solitude in the wilderness</b> is Isle Royale's attraction for many. There's no TV, and the only showers are the ten outdoor showers at Rock Harbor and the ones in the lodge. A satellite pay phone has recently been set up at Rock Harbor, the island's most developed visitor base. That's the only phone on the island. <br><br>Many people are drawn here by adventure and physical challenge in hiking or paddling. However, it's also possible, for a considerable fee, to appreciate the island's unusual natural features without rustic camping. <br><br>The <b>archipelago</b> consists of over <b>400 smaller islands</b>, about 18 miles from the Canadian mainland, near the Canadian port and industrial center of Thunder Bay.<br><br>The island has been managed and protected as a wilderness by the National Park Service for over half a century. Its waters are home to naturally reproducing coaster brook trout and lake trout that are genetically the most diverse in <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/munising_lake_superior.html" target="_top">Lake Superior</a>. It is one of the last parts of <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/munising_lake_superior.html" target="_top">Lake Superior</a> to be <B>free of zebra mussels.</B> All boaters are urged to clean and empty their craft before bringing them to the island. <br><center> <table cellpadding=3 cellspacing=0 border=0 width=399> <tr> <td> <img src="http://hunts-upguide.com/photos/206.gif" width=399 height=93 alt="Ranger III" border=0> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <font face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica" size="-2"> <b>The National Park Service's <I>Ranger III</I> makes two trips a week from Houghton to Isle Royale. The 165-foot boat carries groceries, supplies, and up to 126 passengers.</b> </font> </td> </tr> </table> </center><p> <br>Ferries <B>from Grand Portage, Minnesota, take visitors to Windigo at the island's southwestern tip, 22 miles away</B>. Boats from Houghton and Copper Harbor in Michigan's Upper Peninsula go to <B>Rock Harbor</B>, the island's developed main visitor center. It has a <b>hotel, housekeeping cabins</b>, a campground, boat rentals and charters, and sightseeing cruises. <br><br><B>From Copper Harbor</B> it's a 56-mile, three-hour trip to Rock Harbor on the <I>Isle Royale Queen IV</I>, new for 2005. A significantly bigger boat than the <I>Queen III</I>, it has cut 1 1/2 hours off the time from Copper Harbor to Isle Royale. <br><br>Both Windigo and Rock Harbor have interesting free <b>evening programs in summer</b> on the island's natural and human history. From Houghton, the National Park Service's 165-foot <I>Ranger III</I> takes supplies and up to 126 passengers to Rock Harbor, a six-hour trip. It leaves two days a week in summer and returns the following day. <br> <br>Hundreds of moose, sometimes even thousands, live on Isle Royale. Their numbers expand and crash depending on the severity of winter and wolf predation. Moose have reduced the diversity of plants on the main island. Especially near dawn or dusk, visitors are likely to <b>see moose browsing</b> shrubs or wading to eat submerged aquatic plants. Moose are amazing animals to watch, with their huge heads and antlers and thin legs. They can be dangerous, so keep a safe distance. Don't get too close and disturb them! Cows with calves are especially dangerous.<br><center> <table cellpadding=3 cellspacing=0 border=0 width=420> <font face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica" size="-1"><b>...continued below...</b></font> <br clear="all"> <hr> <center> <script type="text/javascript"> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> </center> <hr> <tr> <td> <img src="http://hunts-upguide.com/photos/349.gif" width=420 height=248 alt="IR moose" border=0> </td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right"> <font face="Gill Sans Light,Verdana,Arial,Helvetica" size="-3"> Ben Kilpela </font> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <font face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica" size="-2"> <b>Seeing a moose is one of the thrills of an Isle Royale visit. It's more likely near dawn and dusk, when they browse in low, wet places. Browsing by moose has limited the varieties of plants on the main island, making the outer islands the places to see wildflowers, including orchids.</b> </font> </td> </tr> </table> </center><p> <br>Islands with their limitations are ideal for scientific research studies. Isle Royale's wolves, arrived over ice in 1949, are the subject of Michigan Tech professor Rolf Peterson's wolf-moose study, the <B>longest-running predator-prey study</B> anywhere. See his site, <a href="http://www.isleroyalewolf.org" target="_new">http//Xwww.isleroyalewolf.org</a>, for perspective on what such a study can show, and for a video clip of wolves bringing down a moose. A very interesting memoir by Rolf's wife, Candy Peterson, is currently on the site. She describes what 35 summers on the island have taught her, and how the simplicity of island summers shaped the Petersons' sons. Away from peer pressure and teen culture's focus on entertainment and organized activities, they read more and undertook countless experiments, explorations, and projects. <br><br>There are no bears on the island. Foxes are the island's scavengers, hanging around campgrounds and docks hoping for a handout. Don't encourage them, and keep your food in your tent. <br><br>The <b>call of loons</b> reinforces the atmosphere of solitude. Canoe traffic is usually the biggest noise generator on the island. Too many canoes do prevent loons from nesting, it's been shown. The howl of a <b>wolf</b>, the most secretive of animals, could be heard in theory. But what sounds like a wolf call is probably a loon. <br><br>The 45-mile-long island has a special attraction for paddlers, backpackers, boaters, anglers, botanists, birders, and geologists. Small deposits of gemstones, including the famous <b>Isle Royale greenstone</b>, occasionally occur in the vesicles or spaces formed by air bubbles as the volcanic rock cooled. (Taking rocks, flowers, plants, or driftwood in a national park is prohibited, however.)<br> <br>The island has <B>long, rocky, protected bays</B> and <B>inland lakes</B>; open <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/munising_lake_superior.html" target="_top">Lake Superior</a> shore where waves can come crashing in; bogs and wetlands; and <B>high ridges</B>. Greenstone Ridge is the island's backbone and its longest hiking trail. Inland lakes and a deep cove make it possible to canoe from one side of the island to another, with six portages. There are even a few "mountains" (actually ridges) and lookouts, which descend to Lake Superior at the dramatic <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/rock_harbor_area_five_fingers_area.html" target="_top">Five Fingers area</a> on the island's northeastern end. They trail off into smaller islands and reefs. Ten <b>shipwrecks</b> around different parts of the island are attractions for divers today because <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/munising_lake_superior.html" target="_top">Lake Superior</a>'s cold water preserves them in excellent condition. Of the <B>four lighthouses</b>, the Rock Harbor and Passage Island lights can be viewed via the <I>M.V. Sandy</I> sightseeing boat.<br><center> <table cellpadding=3 cellspacing=0 border=0 width=419> <tr> <td> <img src="http://hunts-upguide.com/photos/348.gif" width=419 height=200 alt="IR lichen" border=0> </td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right"> <font face="Gill Sans Light,Verdana,Arial,Helvetica" size="-3"> Ben Kilpela </font> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <font face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica" size="-2"> <b>Lichen on Outer Island are stunning against the blue water. Leave no trace ethics will preserve this beauty for future visitors. Rock Harbor is in the distance.</b> </font> </td> </tr> </table> </center><p> <br>For thousands of years the island was used for hunting, fishing, and mining copper from surface deposits. <b> Benjamin Franklin</b> secured Isle Royale for the U.S. in negotiations with the British because he thought its copper would be useful in electrical experiments. <br><br><b>Commercial copper mining</b> occurred in the 1840s, then in the Civil War era, and again during the 1880s. Mines housing upwards of 80 men and their families were near McCargoe, Cove, Windigo, and Siskiwit Bay. Many trees were cut for use underground and above ground. Isle Royale is not a place to see big old-growth trees, due to mining activities, forest fires, and rocky soil. (Maples and yellow birch do well in the better soil at the island's southwest end.) <br><br>In the early 1900s steamship companies built <b>seven resort hotels</b> on Isle Royale and its western neighbor, Washington Island. They were part of the north woods resort boom fueled by well-to-do Midwestern city people seeking a cool, pollen-free climate and rustic fishing retreats. Individual families built cottages on the protected bays of the <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/rock_harbor_area_five_fingers_area.html" target="_top">Five Fingers area</a> at the island's northeastern end. <B>Cottages clustered at Tobin Harbor</B>, close to Rock Harbor on the other shore of a narrow, long peninsula. The only substantial building remaining from this era is a guest house built in Rock Harbor around 1900. <br><br>The <b>outstanding Lake Superior fishery for lake trout</b> led up to a hundred families of commercial fishermen to live here, usually from spring through fall. Fishing peaked in the 1920s. In the 1930s falling prices triggered the gradual demise of commercial fishing on Isle Royale. The lives of island fishing families are conveyed in books of historical photographs and in the wonderful watercolors of Howard Sivertson, son of a commercial fisherman, who spent his boyhood here. His memorable <a target="_top" href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0962436933/huntsupperpen-20">Once upon an Isle</a> ($21 list) features facing pages of a written recollection and scenes painted from memory of things like being out in a fishing tug, for instance, or hanging out the wash and shooing away a moose. <br><br>Summer people were the ones who successfully lobbied to have Congress pass a bill in 1931 to protect the island for future generations as a national park. In 1940 the National Park Service took over management of the island. The descendants of the resorters who lobbied for the national park still form the core of the <b>Isle Royale Natural History Association</b> (<a target="_top" href="http://www.irnha.org">www.irnha.org</a>). It has published some 16 <b>books on the island</b> and its natural history, plus posters and note cards. Each summer the association's <b>artist-in-residence program</b> invites five artists or writers to spend two or three weeks apiece on the island. Each artist then gives a weekly presentation at Rock Harbor. The program is funded by the association, the National Park Service, and donations from park visitors. <br><br><b>Three-fourths of the island's visitors are backpackers or paddlers</b> who stay in the more remote back country. The steep ups and downs of the island's trails and the long portages can be more of a challenge than some backpackers and paddlers expected. For inspiring photos and instructive comments, check out the varied hiking journals on web pages by contributors to Mike Tremblay's excellent Isle Royale webring, <a target="_top" href="http://www.isleroyale/mail.shtml">www.isleroyale/mail.shtml</a>. Standouts are Jim's Hiking Pages and photo essays and island introductions by Ben Kilpela (a captain of the ferry from Copper Harbor). <br><br>Our site's advice, gleaned from repeat Isle Royale visitors of many ages, is aimed the appreciative <b>middle way of experiencing Isle Royale</b>, somewhere between a wilderness physical challenge on the one hand and days of mostly planned group sightseeing activities on the other. <br><br>For many nearby families from Minnesota and Copper Country, Isle Royale has long been a beloved destination for family <b>boating</b> getaways. Overnight boaters are required to get camping permits ($4/da/persony) and inform park rangers of where they will be. <br><br><b>Divers</b> are in their own fascinating world, accurately described in mystery writer Nevada Barr's <a target="_top" href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/042519471X/huntsupperpen-20">A Superior Death</a>, featuring detective Anna Pigeon. Barr's perceptive view of Isle Royale National Park Service personnel and visitors is considered on-target; after all, she herself has been an NPS ranger. <br><br>Surveys of Isle Royale visitors show that most want solitude. That turns out to be not all so easy to find between the Fourth of July weekend through mid August, when most visitors come. The island draws over 17,000 visitors annually. The average stay is four days, far longer than more widely visited national parks. <br><br><b>PLANNING AN ISLE ROYALE TRIP</b><br><br>Advance planning is essential because of the cost of getting to the island, ferry schedules, campsite rules and restrictions, lodgings availability and cost, and backpacking logistics. <br><br>The round trip is at least $100 per adult. Rooms at the Rock Harbor Lodge are at least $170/person/night. Duplex housekeeping cottages are less, but at $165-$206 for two, still expensive. Campers are limited to no more than five consecutive nights in any site, with a one-night limit near Rock Harbor. <br>For all prospective visitors, the National Park's free 12-page tabloid annual guide, <b><i>The Greenstone</b></i>, is an <b>essential planning tool</b>. It has a large map; planning, camping, and hiking tips; current fishing and other regulations; transportation fees and schedules to the island; guidelines for <b>leave-no-trace wilderness use</b>; and schedules of interpretive programs. Furthermore, <i>The Greenstone</i> features interesting news about park happenings, the park planning process, and Isle Royale's role in scientific and environmental research. Request a separate information sheet or the concessionaire's website for current details about the lodgings, meals, and marina services it offers. <br><br>An excellent look at the island's interior can be gleaned from several you-are-there illustrated trail journals at Mike Tremblay's webring of Isle Royale fans, <a target="_top" href="http://www.isleroyale/mail.shtml">www.isleroyale/mail.shtml</a>. One of Ben Kilpela's contributions is intended as an illustrated introduction. A son of the ferry captain and now a summer captain himself, he draws on decades of Isle Royale trips. <br><br>Several books and a video also help first-time visitors plan. The National Park Service has prepared a very helpful video, <b><i>Exploring Isle Royale: An Island Wilderness</b></i>, well worth its $17.95 price. It doubles as a souvenir of scenic spots. <a target="_top" href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0935289097/huntsupperpen-20">Superior Wilderness: Isle Royale National Park</a> by Napier Shelton (173 pp., $15.95) gives a good overview of island wildlife and ecosystems. <a target="_top" href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0935289011/huntsupperpen-20">Isle Royale: Moods, Magic & Mystique</a> by Jeff Rennicke (40 pp., $11.95) is a briefer overview, with beautiful color photographs. <br><br>Any backpacker or paddler should get Jim DuFresne's <a target="_top" href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0898867924/huntsupperpen-20">Isle Royale National Park: Foot Trails & Water Routes</a> (currently $14.95). It's a brief but complete guide to the island's human and natural history and to its hiking and water trails, recommended and sold by the National Park Service. It also outlines the options for day trips around Rock Harbor. <br><br><br><b>The island is open to visitors</b> from mid April through October. However, transportation to the island is for a more limited season. It's available from Minnesota from mid May through most of October. Scheduled transportation from Copper Harbor is from mid May through early September. Boaters are allowed earlier and later. Rock Harbor Lodge is open from June 12 or so through the first week of September. Cabins open in late May and close at the same time as the lodge. National Park Service visitor programming runs from June 14 or so through Labor Day. <br> <br><b>Be prepared for cold, wet weather</b>, especially near <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/munising_lake_superior.html" target="_top">Lake Superior</a>. Stores in Houghton and Copper Harbor sell winter clothing to layer for prospective visitors who hear just how cold July can be. <br> <br><b>Handicap Access</b>: A few rooms in Rock Harbor Lodge and some housekeeping units are wheelchair-accessible. The sightseeing boat M.V. Sandy, while not officially accessible, has taken people in wheelchairs. Trails are not generally handicap-accessible. Call the Isle Royale National Park for advice about individual cases. <br><br><b>GETTING THERE</b><br><br><b>Careful budgeting and planning</b> is required for prospective visitors, starting with the <b>round-trip fare to the island</b> (at least $76 from Minnesota and $100 from Michigan for adults) and the $4 a day user fee. <b>Make reservations several months ahead</b>, especially if you want certain days at busy times. Advance reservations are taken starting January 1. <br><br>All plans are provisional and weather-dependent. If <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/munising_lake_superior.html" target="_top">Lake Superior</a> is too rough, <b>vessels to and from the mainland may miss scheduled crossings</b>, creating backups. Hikers and paddlers should take food for more days than they anticipate spending on the island. You may want to stay longer - and you may be slowed down by bad weather. You can't count on getting a space on the next vessel back to the mainland, either. <br> <br>The two Michigan ferries to Isle Royale allow up to 100 pounds of gear without charge; the Minnesota boats charge $28 for each 100 pounds over an initial 40 pounds. See <i>The Greenstone</i> for schedule and details for transporting other boats, fuel tanks, etc., or call or consult the park web site, <a target="_top" href="http://www.nps.gov/ISRO">www.nps.gov/ISRO</a>. <br><br>For people who suffer from motion sickness, vessel size is a factor if waves are high, and dramamine is recommended. <br>From <b>Copper Harbor, Michigan to Rock Harbor</b> (3 hours). The 100-foot, 149-passenger <i>Isle Royale Queen IV</i> makes a round-trip at least five days a week from early June through Labor Day, daily in August, and on Monday and Friday from mid-May into early June and through most of September. The new <I>Queen</I> is 18 feet longer and 1 1/2 hours faster than the old one. Expect some interesting commentary from the three captains, Kilpela brothers Don Junior, Ben, and John. Round-trip fares are $100 (adults), $50 (children 1-11), $50 canoes and kayaks. (906) 289-4437. Fax: 289-4952. E-mail: <a href="mailto:Captain@up.net">Captain@up.net</a>. <a target="_top" href="http://www.isleroyale.com">www.isleroyale.com</a> <br> <br>From <b>Houghton, Michigan to Rock Harbor</b> (6 hours). The National Park Service's big, 165-foot, 128-passenger <i>Ranger III</i> is the preferred boat for those subject to seasickness. It leaves twice a week from May 30 thru early September and returns the next day. Free ranger programs and on-board campground registration are nice extras. Round-trip fares: $104 (adult), $48 (children 1-11), $21 for canoes, kayaks, and boats up to and including 20'. (906) 482-0984. Fax: 482-8753. <a target="_top" href="http://www.nps.gov/ISRO">www.nps.gov/ISRO</a><br><br>From <b>Grand Portage, Minnesota to Windigo</b> (2 hours) and Rock Harbor (7 hours). In season the 60-foot <i>Voyageur II</i> leaves three times a week and goes all the way around the island, stopping at six smaller docks - a service much used by backpackers and paddlers. Its season begins in mid May and lasts through most of October. From late September on, it's the only commercial transportation to the island. Round-trip adult fares are $106 to Windigo, $124 to Rock Harbor. Children 4 through 11 are $68, canoes and kayaks are $56 to $64. (715) 392-2100. Fax: 392-5586. <a target="_top" href="http://www.GRAND-ISLE-ROYALE.com">www.GRAND-ISLE-ROYALE.com</a> <br> <br>From <b>Grand Portage to Windigo</b> (3 hours). The 63-foot <i>Wenonah</i> makes daily round trips from early June thru mid September. Round-trip fares: $72 (adult), $40 (children 4 thru 11), children 3 and under free. Most canoes and kayaks $28-$32. Same-day round-trip fares are $40, $20 for children. Phone and website same as for <i>Voyageur II</i> above. <br> <br><b>For seaplane schedule</b>, check at park headquarters in <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/houghton_downtown_houghton.html" target="_top">downtown Houghton</a> (906) 482-06-986). The seaplane is now back in action. Rates from 2004 were $170 one way, $240 round-trip. The <b>Houghton dock</b> is on the Portage Waterway west of town on the Houghton Canal Road. From M-26, look for the sign as the highway turns and heads uphill to the commercial strip. <br><br><b>SOLITUDE VERSUS CONVENIENCE</b><br><br>If solitude is definitely your goal, it's possible to adopt strategies to reduce the frequency of encounters with others. Get away from the main harbors to less-used trails and campgrounds. To get to more isolated campgrounds, you need to leapfrog to get started past each boat's wave of backpackers. There are only a few on-ramps. Or you can hike longer and farther than most backpackers to reach more remote areas. Consult Jim DuFresne's <a target="_top" href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0898867924/huntsupperpen-20">Isle Royale National Park: Foot Trails & Water Routes</a> for more tips on finding less-used places. Or ask the ranger who issues your permit. Rangers have a good idea of current use patterns. <br><br>Another way to reach less-frequented areas is to <b>have the <I>Voyageur II</I> drop you off</b> at McCargoe Cove, Malone Bay, Belle Isle, Daisy Farm, or Chippewa Harbor or points in between. (This will cost an extra $35 to $47 and will require schedule coordination.) <br><br>There's also a <b>water taxi from Rock Harbor</b>, which can take you and your canoe or kayak to shoreline places including campgrounds on smaller islands, subject to weather and lake conditions. Some sample one-way rates: one to five miles (to Caribou or Tookers Islands or Three Mile Dock), $45 for one or two people, up to $57 for six. (A canoe or kayak counts as a person.) Eleven to sixteen miles (to Chippewa Harbor campgrounds) $134 for one or two, $158 for six.<br><br> A much cheaper alternative is the <b>"water bus service"</b> that's offered in conjunction with <I>M.V. Sandy</I> scheduled cruises (see below and in <i>The Greenstone</i>). The <i>Sandy</i> can drop off day-hikers or backpackers at its various destinations. Fare is $30 per adult. <br><br>On the other hand, you may find that the advantages of staying close to the <b>main visitor center</b> at <b>Rock Harbor</b> outweigh the attractions of solitude. The typical Isle Royale visitor is a fairly quiet nature-lover willing to forgo TV and other amenities. Staying near Rock Harbor spares you the planning logistics and physical work of carrying all your food and gear on steep trails or taxing portages. Even the nearby trails aren't crowded, and they're the island's most varied. The Rock Harbor area is nowhere near as crowded as a summer visit to Tahquamenon Falls or Pictured Rocks. <br><br>Especially if you're over 40, you may find that sleeping in a bed is much more restful than a tent, which is why Rock Harbor's <b>housekeeping cabins</b> are so popular. Hotel rooms at Rock Harbor Lodge are the ultimate in convenience, if you get the American Plan with all meals included. <br>Interpretive programs are also based in Rock Harbor. The National Park Service's interesting <b>free evening programs</b> about the island's natural and human history, usually held at 8:30 or 8 p.m. from early June through Labor Day, have never been disappointing, says one woman who visits the island yearly with her geologist husband. Some programs are held at Windigo as well. It's best to check with the Visitor Center for times and locations. <br><br><b>Sightseeing cruises</b> on the 50-passenger <i>M.V. Sandy</i> out of Rock Harbor ($30/half day, children half off) can show you new areas and sometimes give you the option of hiking back. You can also expand your range by <b>renting a kayak or canoe</b> ($45 and $30/full day), or especially a boat and motor ($64/full day). <b>The Scoville Point Trail</b>, about a six-mile hiking loop east from Rock Harbor, offers beautiful, rocky vistas. <p align="right">Return to <a href="regions.html" target="_top">Home/Guide to Upper Peninsula Regions</a></p> <br> </font> </td> <td valign=top width="37%">  <table width="100%" cellpadding=8 cellspacing=0 border=0> <tr> <td valign=top bgcolor="#FFE19B"> <img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=9 alt="-"><br> <font face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica" size="-1"> <center><font color="#C7302D" size="+1"><b>HELPFUL AREA INFORMATION</b></font></center> <b>CONTACTS <br>Isle Royale National Park Houghton Visitor Center & Isle Royale Natural History Association Store</b>. <br><br>(906) 482-0984. Visitor fax: 482-8753. <a target="_top" href="http://www.nps.gov/ISRO">www.nps.gov/ISRO</a>. E-mail for info: ISRO_ParkInfo@nps.gov<br>By the dock of the <i>Ranger III</i>, this building in <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/houghton_downtown_houghton.html" target="_top">downtown Houghton</a> accommodates both a <b>bookstore</b> and a year-round staffed <b>information center</b> where park rangers with detailed maps can answer prospective visitor questions and provide some advice. <br> The shop offers a tightly focused selection of books, brochures, maps, videos, and posters either about Isle Royale or about subjects pertaining to it, such as wolves, moose, field guides, and Native American culture. Some poster images are from the natural history association's artist-in-residence program. A substantial portion of all merchandise profits goes to the national park. <B>Mail orders are welcome</B>; call (800) 678-6925 or e-mail: irnha@irnha.org<br>For the complete online catalog, visit <a target="_top" href="http://www.irnha.org">www.irnha.org</a>. <br> Adjoining the shop are offices of National Park Service Isle Royale staff. <br><i>By the dock at 800 E. Lakeshore. From Shelden Ave./U.S. 41, look for signs, turn north just before entering downtown at the tall Franklin Square Inn . From mid June thru late August: open Mon-Sat 8-6. From late August thru mid Sept. closes at 4:30. From late Sept. to mid June: open Mon-Fri 8-4:30. Wheelchair-accessible. </i> </font> </font> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table>  </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan=5 align="center">  <br> <center> <font size="+1" color="#454545" face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica">Copyright © 1997-2007 Midwestern Guides</font> </center> </td> </tr> </table> </center> </body> </html>