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ROCK HARBOR AREA
POINTS
OF
INTEREST
Edisen Fishery and Rock Harbor lighthouse. The island lighthouse is one of the oldest on Lake Superior. A 1930s commercial fishery here is wonderfully brought back to life by a resident fisherman ...
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Five Fingers Area. Circle the island's scenic dramatic northeastern tip and cruise far inland to the Minong Mine ...
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Hiking and Paddling Isle Royale. Isle Royale offers exceptional opportunities both for hiking and paddling. Here's a look at your choices and tips for how to have a pleasant adventure ...
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Lookout Louise. At the northeastern end of Greenstone Ridge, this spot offers a view of the island's many bays and on a clear day, even the smokestacks of Thunder Bay, Ontario ...
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Passage Island Lighthouse. The all-day North Shore Cruise includes passing by the unusual Passage Island Lighthouse, made of Jacobsville sandstone ...
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Raspberry Island. This rugged outer island has a splendid one-mile self-guided nature trail. Highly recommended ...
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Hiking and Paddling Isle Royale
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Backpacking and canoeing are the ways to best get into the backcountry that offers the solitude and challenge sought by many here on this wilderness island. Canoes have the edge over kayaks for this kind of experience because they can generally carry more gear and food, and a two-person canoe is simpler to carry over the portages than two kayaks.
Lingering at the quiet inland lakes, mostly reachable by canoe, kayak, or hiking trail, is a great way to connect with the wilderness.
Many inland canoe routes are possible. Very fit experienced canoeists can paddle a big circle route that includes four inland lakes and some of the island's most striking scenery. Four lakes connect Rock Harbor with McCargoe Cove (five portages, two to three days of travel). The challenging northern water route returning from McCargoe through the Amygdaloid Channel and around the Five Fingers to Rock Harbor is at around 30 miles. Or you could take a water taxi back.
For paddlers, the National Park's free The Greenstone tabloid and the Isle Royale Natural History Association's Trails Illustrated map ($10) have not only a color trail map but a chart of portages with elevations, dis-tance, ascent or descent, and comments.
Backpackers have more options than paddlers for getting away from the most-used trails and campgrounds.
Hiking the 40-mile-long Greenstone Ridge Trail is the goal many backpackers set for themselves. The trail down the island's long axis is criss-crossed with fault lines, making for lots of ups and downs. The exposed rock portions of Greenstone Ridge and other ridge trails can get quite hot by 10 a.m.
Footing on trails is often difficult, due to an unusual number of roots and rocks, plus slanted bedrock that may be mossy and slick after a rain. On the roadless island, hikers who injure themselves are far from help. Marathons are for the mainland, advises the staff.
Greenstone Ridge is not the best hike anyway, especially not the first time around, saya Ben Kilpela. He has enjoyed summer adventures on the island virtually all his life. He feels the northeast end offers the best hiking. And he has detailed it in Trails and Hiking Routes: Northeast Isle Royale, available at his family's Copper Harbor ferry office and on his site.
Jim DuFresne's Isle Royale National Park: Foot Trails and Water Routes recommends the Minong Ridge Trail along the island's north side as a less developed alternative to the Greenstone Ridge Trail along the island's spine. For those who especially seek solitude, he suggests the Feldtmann Ridge Trail and the Island Mine Trail, reached from Windigo, the island's western port. Jim's short book is the best available trail guide, with lots of helpful details and trail descriptions.
Conditions on Lake Superior can change quickly. All paddlers must be aware of that fact. Superior is so cold, it can quickly become life-threatening — a special danger to canoeists. Staying close to shore is essential. Lake Superior is for experienced canoeists only. The north side is especially difficult.
Hikers should plan conservatively, start slowly, and not push themselves. Plan to carry at least a half gallon of water per person. Ten miles a day carrying a backpack with food is a challenge on Isle Royale. East-west trails are up and down over a series of lava flow edges. They go up and down from 600 feet to 1,300 feet and back. Park rangers recommend five to eight miles a day unless you've been here a lot.
Slopes on the north side of the Green-stone Ridge are steeper because it's at the tilted-up edge of the ancient lava flow. This is quite relevant for hikers and canoeists! Trails and portages on the south side of Greenstone Ridge are more gradual.
Sunscreen is essential on the water or on the trail. Some paths grow thick with thimbleberries and other obstructions by August, so have long pants handy.
"Low impact" and "leave no trace" are the watchwords for camping and hiking. To disturb the island as little as possible and to preserve its natural beauty, hiking here is more disciplined than most vacationers are accustomed to. Leave no trace means, among other things: rigorously packing out all trash with you; wearing subdued colors of clothing; staying in the middle of trails to reduce erosion; and using backpacking stoves rather than making campfires.
Potable water is only available at Rock Harbor and Windigo. Otherwise, drinking water should be boiled at least two minutes or passed through a .4-micron water filter. Bring replacement filters. ·(—May, 2008)
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