Isle Royale

The Midwest has so many wild places to explore. Devil’s Lake State Park and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area draw thousands of visitors every summer. If you are looking for a far less crowded destination, plan a trip to Isle Royale National Park. The National Park Service reports that in 2025, the remote island park in Lake Superior was the fourth-least-visited national park, with 29,000 visitors.

The reason for the low visitor numbers isn’t complicated. It’s simply a “You can’t get there from here” dilemma. First, campers use the Recreation.Gov reservation system to secure a permit.

The next step is a little more complicated. As the name implies, Isle Royale is a remote collection of islands in Lake Superior. The only way to reach the park is via ferry or seaplane. For the most adventurous, don’t even think about trying to paddle. It’s a difficult 15-20 open water sea kayak trip. Put that crazy idea out of your head and start your search for transportation.

There are several important decisions to make. First, where will you start your trip? There are ferries, seaplanes, and private boats available. All three options leave from Houghton, Copper Harbor, or Grand Portage. A seaplane trip takes about 45 minutes. Budget around $400 for a round-trip ticket.

Ferry schedules can get complicated depending on the time of year. Round-trip tickets are approximately $200- $ 225 per person.

The last decision is where you will start your Isle Royale adventure. Depending on your hiking plans, you can start at the Rock Harbor on the East End or Windigo on the West End.

Who, What, When, Where, and Why?

There’s no shortage of information about visiting Isle Royale National Park. Midwest camping forums, Facebook groups, books, and the National Park Service all publish helpful guides.

For many people contemplating a visit, personal conversations are the best way to get questions about transportation, trails, weather, where to see the moose (more about that later), and other information tailored to their needs.

Sisters Share an Adventure Journal

Silent Sports presents a conversation between Claire and Emily Dzierzak. Sisters who have extensive experience exploring wild places from Yellowstone, the Gates of the Arctic National Park, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, Quetico Provincial Park, and the Canadian far north. They can truly say, “Been there, done that.”

Ferry Rides and First Days
Emily

I had the opportunity to spend 9 days on the island this summer, guiding 5 high school girls on their first backpacking trip! We started bright and early in Grand Portage and boarded the ferry, filled with anticipation about what lay ahead. I had been on a similar backpacking trip, but as a camper, it brought me so much joy to go back and get to experience it again with campers who had never been before. Similarly, when we got off the ferry, we spoke with the ranger and were on our way.

The first half started off very muggy, and passing day hikers never failed to comment on our massive packs filled with all our food, gear, and emergency supplies for the nine days. Right after we stopped for lunch, it started to rain, and it didn’t stop for the entire eight miles that day. It was a hard day, but it changed our perspective going into the rest of the days. Nothing could be as soggy and humid as that, and the next few days were filled with long, beautiful sunny miles, stopping occasionally for a break in the shade, a snack, or at a fire lookout.

Claire

Backpacking on Isle Royale has been near the top of my ‘to-do’ list for over a decade. I had heard such incredible stories from my brother, close friends, and guiding colleagues. Stories of hard, rewarding days of hiking, incredible vista views of the big lake, and awe-inspiring sightings of wildlife.

I was comforted in this decision, knowing that my sister would also be making a trip to the island earlier in the season and could give me updated trail beta and enthusiastic stoke.

My partner and I decided to loop around the southwestern side of the island, given our home base in Duluth and our wallets. We then set out to decide which direction we wanted to traverse the coveted Minong ridge. We planned to spend seven days and six nights on the island and to carry all our food.  After some hemming and hawing, we decided to save the Minong for later in the trip, with lighter packs.

We started our trip in Grand Portage, MN, and hopped on the Voyageur II ferry boat bright and early at 7 am. The ferry’s pace helped slow my ever-active mind to the pace of the trail. We arrived at the Windigo ranger station two hours later, stepped off the boat, picked up our backpacks from the top deck, and walked to the picnic shelter to get our permit. After a three-minute conversation with a Ranger, we were on our way.

A Rare Moose Encounter
Emily

In the morning, we left Siskiwit Bay and started walking along the lake’s beach. It was such a beautiful way to start the morning. We were heading towards the South Lake Desor campsite.

The trail was steep and all our heads were down trying to make it up the hill when we heard some rustling in the bushes near us and there was a big bull moose to our left, we immediately went silent and watched for awhile just admiring the beautiful creature, thankfully it was too busy eating to notice us and we quietly keep going on the trail.

It was one of those moments you hear about when going to Isle Royale, but never really know if it’s going to happen to you. We all felt so lucky. The following morning at South Lake Desor we were having a slow morning coffee and warm breakfast tending our blisters before heading out for the day when a wolf ran through our campsite and grabbed our bag of trash and ran off, we were all in shock questioning to ourselves if it really happened but sure enough it wasn’t too far away in the woods, it was even more of a shock to us. We took our time and went on with our day once we realized the wolf was long gone.

Fourteen Long Miles
Claire

We set out for Island Mine with full packs, each weighing about forty-five pounds. It took us a few miles to settle into our pace and begin to notice more of the details around us in the woods. We felt confident in the route we had chosen and felt it would balance our goals of hiking most of the day while also enjoying some downtime on nights we spent out on the shore of the big lake.

Our most strenuous day of hiking was on our second day, when we covered 14 miles between Island Mine and Hatchet Lake. Though the day was long, we had amazing weather, delicious snacks, and good footwear. This was the day when I truly discovered the difference it makes to have trekking poles on a backpacking trip. With the many small ups and downs of the trail, it was nice to have extra weight distribution and opportunities for balance. I highly recommend trekking poles.

After that second day, our days mostly got shorter, and we were able to take longer breaks on pristine spots along the trail, lying in moss and enjoying the lake breeze.

During our trip, the trail was easily navigable, well-packed, and clearly marked, with a few exceptions of overgrown thimbleberry and raspberry bushes in several low, marshy sections.

Tested by the Terrain
Emily

The next few days were less eventful, but that allowed us to focus on the details around us and have a really intentional conversation about what it meant to be in such an incredible place. We were so surprised by how much the terrain changed. One moment, it was a forest and tall thimbleberry bushes; the next, it was aspens or a ridge. It never got boring and kept you on your toes with the ever-changing terrain, one minute you were hiking on boardwalks over a swamp, and the next, you were climbing up a hill; you never knew what to expect. These were my favorite days when we had the chance to slow down and really take everything in. When we got to Little Todd, we took a layover day and spent it basking in the sun, making cinnamon rolls and burritos, and swimming in the lake as much as we could. Sitting on the rocks all day allowed us to rest and enjoy the island in a new way. Most other days, when we got into camp, it was about making food and getting to sleep as soon as possible to rest for the next day. Having a layover day at Little Todd, we relaxed all day, appreciating the sounds of the lake and the warmth of the rocks.

The Minong Ridge

Our favorite days were the last three of the trip, along Todd Harbor and the Minong Ridge. The trail is really diverse terrain-wise, flows well between sections, and highlights many beautiful vistas and stellar camping spots. Our favorite campsite was the one we had along the beach at Little Todd. We were able to dry out our clothes in the sun, lie on the warm rocks on the beach, and listen to a pack of wolves howling along the ridge. With lighter packs, having eaten all but one of our meals and having used most of our fuel, we traversed ten miles of the Minong on our last day. The day went smoothly with plenty of breaks to gawk at the lake and Sleeping Giant Provincial Park off in the distance. On another future trip, we took note. We eventually made our way to the group campsite at Washington Creek and treated ourselves to some post-hike treats at the general store. It was hard to decide between a cold beer and a cold ice cream sandwich, so we went with both. From there, we jumped in the water off the main dock to rinse off and enjoy some cold, clear water!

Emily

When we had one more hiking day before we did the Minong, we knew it was going to be hard, which got us in the mood for the anticipation and nerves to be high when we woke up early to tackle the day! But yet again, our perspective changed as we walked along the ridge, following the cairns. The views were beautiful, and it was such a great adventure that we hardly noticed all the steep hills. When we got to the turn off for Washington Creek, we thought it was a joke, no way we had done ten miles already, but I guess time flies when you’re having fun. We enjoyed a nice dinner and a swim off the dock before staying in the shelter for the night. Our time on the island was filled with laughter, incredible views, and the effort to notice all the bright colors.

Last Words

One aspect of the island I had not really prepared myself for is how vibrant it is, with countless shades of color! We planned the trip for August, mostly to miss the bugs, but we lucked out with the start of fall color changes. Gorgeous deep reds in every little thimbleberry poking out behind big flat leaves, crisp and detailed minty green in beds of lichen and moss, some of the richest dynamic greys in big storm clouds rolling over the lake, and an intense pristine teal at the depths of the harbor at the bottom of a cold plunge into the lake. What an incredible mosaic of such vivid colors that I savored for weeks after the trip. When we returned home from our trip, and I called my sister to swap stories, I couldn’t stop myself from reveling in all the colors we saw. It was such a joy to hear about her experience, to listen to the details of her observations, and to share in the awe of such a wild and storied place! We’ll be back, and maybe next time we’ll make it a sisters’ trip!

Top Ten  Lessons
Learned From Isle Royale

Take moments to pause and listen to the trees

Don’t Miss The Sleeping Giant Views

Little Todd is worth the stop

Swim in Washington Harbor (If you don’t mind cold water)

Treat yourself to fresh berries! (If you can safely identify them)

Be sure to carry extra water on the Minong

Bring Trekking Poles

Don’t EXPECT to see much wildlife

Bring good rain gear!!!

Always walk up the fire lookouts if possible

Emily Route

Day 1: Grand Marais -> Windigo ->Feldtman Lake

Day 2: Feldtman Lake -> Siskiwit Bay

Day 3: Siskiwit Bay -> South Lake Desor

Day 4: South Lake Desor->Hatchet Lake

Day 5: Hatchet lake -> Little Tod

Day 6: Little tod-> Little tod

Day 7: Little Tod-> North Lake Desor

Day 8: North Lake Desor-> Washington Creek

Day 9: Washington Creek -> Grand Marais

Claire & Seb’s Route

Day 1: Grand Portage > Windigo > Island Mine

Day 2: Island Mine > Hatchet Lake

Day 3: Hatchet Lake > Todd Harbor

Day 4: Todd Harbor > Little Todd

Day 5: Little Todd > North Lake Desor

Day 6: North Lake Desor > Washington Creek

Day 7: Washington Creek > Windigo > Grand Portage