Isle Royale National Park around rock harbor · Around Rock Harbor in Isle Royale National Park
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Around Rock Harbor in Isle Royale National Park
Around Rock Harbor in Isle Royale National Park
If you're spending the night at Rock Harbor campground, staying at Rock Harbor Lodge, or a day-tripper from Michigan, there are several ways to spend your day.
Guided tours, organized activities, and boat expeditions are offered; check at the lodge to see what's on the schedule. The boat trips can take you to some of the more interesting spots along the southeast end of the island, such as Passage Island and its lighthouse a few miles into Lake Superior, and several of the sites mentioned below for self-exploration. The lodge also schedules nightly informational programs.
Rent a canoe and paddle Tobin Harbor, a long, sheltered inlet on the north side of the narrow peninsula the lodge and ranger station are on. This lightly-developed "historic district" was a popular site for little cottages a century ago (mostly out near the Lake), but aside from the periodic floatplane landing/take-off, it's generally more quiet than "hectic" Rock Harbor, and also provides a shortcut to the trail leading to the breathtaking view from Lookout Louise up on the Greenstone Ridge. (Sample canoe rental rate: $18 for six hours.)
Rent a canoe and paddle Rock Harbor. You can work your way along the shoreline of the harbor, or explore the several barrier islands that shelter it from Lake Superior. Raspberry Island (turn slightly to the left when you leave Snug Harbor) has a trail with closely-placed examples of several of Isle Royale's environments (including some short but difficult sections of trail). Note that Rock Harbor offers little shelter from windy weather, paddling between the barrier islands can expose you to Lake Superior waves, and on the lakeward side of the islands crashing waves and swells can easily tip or swamp a canoe. You'll also have to be prepared for periodic wakes from motorboats zipping the length of the harbor for one reason or another.
Rent a boat with an outboard motor and go fishing in Rock Harbor or explore farther afield. East Caribou and Mott Islands (joined by a footbridge) are home to the sometimes noisy park headquarters, but also have a 2.5-mile trail that takes you to the Lake Superior shore on the side away from Rock Harbor. Edisen Fishery and Rock Harbor Lighthouse (both well-preserved 19th century relics) are across from Daisy Farm campground at the mouth of Moskey Basin. Just a little west of Edisen is another former fishery which is the summer residence of wolf/moose researchers Candy and Rolf Peterson, who have a huge collection of moose bones in their yard (look for the Norwegian flag).
To spend a few hours on your feet, hike the Stoll Trail east out to rocky Scoville Point, passing a pair of old copper-mining pits along the way. Or take the Rock Harbor Trail a couple miles west to Suzy's Cave, a "secret passage" formed by the lake when it was much higher, and return on the Tobin Harbor Trail (or vice versa). The Tobin Harbor and Stoll Trails are the least difficult, but both involve some tricky footsteps (Stoll especially) and steep stretches of trail (Tobin Harbor especially).
For a longer hike, trek up onto the Greenstone Ridge to Mt. Franklin and back (about 10 miles round-trip). For a vigorous day-long hike, continue west to Mt. Ojibway and return by way of the Daisy Farm and Rock Harbor Trails (about 15 miles total). No water sources exist on the ridge proper, and it can reach the low-80s (25+ Celsius) on summer afternoons at higher altitudes -- pack accordingly.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Isle Royale National Park
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Isle Royale National Park - updated May 2024
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Isle Royale National Park Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
