Remote location and a contingent of moderately-obsessed regulars help give Isle Royale an average stay of 3.5 days. A day-trip is conceivable from Grand Portage or Copper Harbor, but you’ll spend more than $100 to ride a ferry for 4 – 6 hours, which leaves you with just a few hours to enjoy the scenery. For the real Isle Royale experience, the wild side is where you need to go. To get there you’ll need at least three days. It’s possible to hike from Rock Harbor to Windigo in 3 days, but for this exercise it’s more prudent to create a separate 3-day itinerary for visitors of Rock Harbor and visitors of Windigo. Dining, grocery stores, lodging, festivals, and attractions on the mainland are listed in the What’s Nearby section.
Vacation Planner (Rock Harbor)
A sample 3-day itinerary for guests arriving at Rock Harbor is provided below. This is a backpacking trip. A tent is required for camping at Lane Cove. Shelters are available at Daisy Farm.
Day 1: If you didn’t arrive aboard Ranger III, pop in the visitor center to get a backcountry permit (let the ranger know that you would like to camp at Lane Cove and Daisy Farm). Today, you’ll hike 7.4 miles to Lane Cove. Begin by heading west on either Rock Harbor or Tobin Harbor Trail. Taking the detour to Suzy’s Cave is up to you. Tobin Harbor Trail takes you directly past it, while Rock Harbor Trail requires roughly a 1 mile detour. What you’re really looking for is Mount Franklin Trail. Take it north to Greenstone Ridge where the trail intersects Greenstone and Lane Cove Trails. Mount Franklin, a short distance west along The Greenstone is a nice place to pause for a snack, drink, or photo. Otherwise, Lane Cove, where you’ll spend the night, is just 2.4 miles from the intersection.
Day 2: There’s no need to rush today, you’re only going to hike seven miles. The route backtracks along Lane Cove Trail, to Mount Franklin and Mount Ojibway Overlook via The Greenstone. From Mount Ojibway Overlook it’s 5.1 miles along Daisy Farm Trail to camp.
Day 3: Return to Rock Harbor (either to camp for the night, to catch the Ranger III back to Houghton, or to catch the Royale Queen IV back to Copper Harbor). The last leg is 7.2 miles along Rock Harbor Trail. You should have plenty of time to catch a ranger program, hike Stoll Trail, or take a shower (coin operated).
A sample 3 – 4-day itinerary beginning at Windigo is provided below. A tent is required for Feldtmann Lake and Island Mine Camps. Siskiwit Bay has two shelters.
Day 1: First stop in at the visitor center to get a backcountry permit (let the ranger know that you would like to camp at Feldtmann Lake and Siskiwit Bay). You’ll probably want to start hiking right away, because it’s 8.8 miles along Feldtmann Lake/Ridge Trail to the camp.
Day 2: Today, hike 10.5 miles from Feldtmann Lake Camp to Siskiwit Bay Camp via Feldtmann Ridge Trail. Along the way you’ll skirt the shores of Siskiwit Bay. If you want to continue hiking, it’s another 4.4 miles to Island Mine Camp, but this site is one of the least desirable camping destinations on the island.
Day 3: To return to Windigo (11.0 miles from Siskiwit Bay) you’ll take Indian Mine Trail to The Greenstone, which leads back to Windigo where you can catch your ferry or spend another night close to the docks. You’ll probably want to take advantage of the coin-operated showers too.