Isle Royale National Park paddle · Paddle in Isle Royale National Park
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Paddle in Isle Royale National Park
Paddle in Isle Royale National Park
Southern lakes - A series of lakes connected by relatively short portages runs from Chippewa Harbor through Lakes Whittlesey, Wood, Siskiwit (the island's largest), Intermediate, and Richie, reaching territory inaccessible by hikers. A 2-mile portage connects Lake Richie to Moskey Basin and Rock Harbor. (With a special permit, you can camp anywhere along the shorelines of the canoe-only lakes.)
Indian Portage - To cross the island via inland lakes, there's a 1.2-mile portage from Chippewa Harbor to Lake Richie, somewhat shorter ones to Lakes LeSage, Livermore, and Chickenbone, then another hike to McCargoe Cove (roughly following the Indian Portage Trail). This route crosses the Greenstone Ridge, so those short portages are difficult.
Northeast bays - Starting from McCargoe Cove, a series of channels, coves, and bays on the northeast end of the island provide a reasonably safe, sheltered route through the waters of Lake Superior back to Rock Harbor. This route includes a few fairly short portages, and one heartbreaker up over the Greenstone to avoid a dangerous paddle around the exposed tip of the island.
South shore - For experienced sea kayakers only (canoes aren't safe in the open waters of Superior, and even kayaks are advised to stick close to shore) you can make your way by a series of lakeside campgrounds from Rock Harbor to Windigo, portage-free.
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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.