Michigan’s wildest island has no roads, 30 wolves, and skies dark enough to see forever

It’s Lake Superior’s best-kept secret

Isle Royale National Park sits 50 miles off Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, out in the northwest corner of Lake Superior. You can’t drive there.

You can’t even see it from shore. The only way in is by ferry or seaplane, and once you land, you’re on a 45-mile-long island with no cars, no roads, and over 400 smaller islands scattered around it.

Ninety-nine percent of the land here is federally designated wilderness. The few people who make the trip tend to come back with stories they can’t stop telling.

Ancient copper mines and a name that means “the good place&quot”

The Ojibwe people called this island “Minong,” meaning “the good place,” and they had good reason. Native Americans mined copper here as far back as 4,500 years ago, using stone tools and fire to pull it from the rock.

Congress authorized the park in 1931 to preserve what it called “a prime example of North Woods Wilderness,” and President Franklin D. Roosevelt made it official on April 3, 1940.

In 2019, the island earned a spot on the National Register of Historic Places as the Minong Traditional Cultural Property. Two years later, the Minong Mine Copper Mining District became a National Historic Landmark.

Wolves howl at night, and 30 of them roam the island

Scientists have tracked wolves and moose on Isle Royale since 1958, making it the longest-running predator-prey study in the world. The relationship is tight.

Wolves are the only predators of moose here, and moose are the only real food for wolves. By 2018, inbreeding had dropped the wolf count to just two.

The National Park Service brought in 19 new wolves over the next year, and now about 30 roam the island in four territorial packs. You’re far more likely to hear them howling after dark than to spot one on the trail.

Walk 40 miles along the island’s rocky spine

More than 165 miles of trails cut across Isle Royale, and none of them sees a car.

The Greenstone Ridge Trail runs about 40 miles from one end of the island to the other, following the high spine through deep woods, exposed ridges, and past inland lakes. Most hikers take three to five days to finish it.

On clear days, you can look north from the ridge and see the shore of Lake Superior and even Canada beyond it. The trails here are rocky with tree roots everywhere, so bring boots you’ve already broken in.

Hike to a sea arch that Lake Superior carved thousands of years ago

The Scoville Point loop covers about 4.2 miles from Rock Harbor and takes you between the boreal forest and the rocky northeast tip of the island, where Lake Superior opens up wide in front of you.

Not far away, the trail to Suzy’s Cave runs about 3. 8 miles as a loop connecting the Rock Harbor and Tobin Harbor trails.

The cave is actually an inland sea arch, formed thousands of years ago when the lake’s water levels ran much higher.

Both hikes give you a raw look at the Lake Superior shoreline, and you might spot wildlife along the way.

Hike to a sea arch that Lake Superior carved thousands of years ago

Lookout Louise sits at the start of the Greenstone Ridge Trail, facing the island’s north side and the Canadian mainland across the water.

On a clear day, you can pick out the land formation called the Sleeping Giant over in Ontario. You can reach the overlook by water taxi or by paddling across Tobin Harbor and then hiking about a mile in.

Mount Franklin, considered one of the best viewpoints on the island, sits along the same stretch.

Combine Lookout Louise with a hike back along the Greenstone Ridge to Rock Harbor, and you’ve got a full day covering about 10 miles.

Paddle past 400 islands and watch moose wade the shallows

With more than 400 islands, countless bays, and a network of inland lakes, Isle Royale is built for paddling.

You can rent canoes and kayaks at Rock Harbor and Windigo, then head out into quiet coves and along rocky shorelines where moose sometimes wade right into the water.

Portage routes connect the inland lakes for canoeists who want to push deeper into the backcountry.

Tobin Harbor is especially popular for a calm paddle, with forest pressing in close on both sides and barely a ripple on the water.

Dive 25 shipwrecks where the paint is still on the hull

The waters around Isle Royale hold 25 shipwrecks, and 10 of them sit on the National Register of Historic Places. Lake Superior’s cold, fresh water and the absence of zebra mussels keep these wrecks in remarkable shape.

You can still see paint, name plates, and cargo on the hulls.

The SS America, a passenger ship that went down in 1928, starts just below the surface and drops to about 80 feet. The Chester A.

Congdon, a steel freighter that hit Canoe Rocks in 1918, rests with its bow standing upright and the pilothouse still open for divers to swim through.

Climb a lighthouse tower and visit a working fishery

Four historic lighthouses stand on or around Isle Royale, all on the National Register of Historic Places. Rock Harbor Lighthouse is the oldest and draws the most visitors.

Inside, you’ll find exhibits on shipwrecks, lighthouses, and the island’s mining history, and you can climb the tower for views of Rock Harbor and Lake Superior.

Nearby, the Edisen Fishery is a preserved commercial fishing site that the National Park Service maintains as a living history museum.

Ranger-guided boat tours aboard the MV Sandy take you out to the lighthouse, the fishery, and other remote spots around the island.

Moose at the beaver ponds and loons calling across the harbor

Wolves and moose get the headlines, but Isle Royale is full of life. Beavers, red foxes, snowshoe hares, river otters, mink, and bald eagles all live here.

About 247 bird species have been recorded in the park, and the call of the common loon carries across the harbors in a way that sticks with you.

Moose are the large animal you’re most likely to see, especially near beaver ponds, wetlands, and along lakeshores. Wild thimbleberries and blueberries grow along the trails for you to pick in summer.

The island is also home to chlorastrolite, a rare green gemstone known as Isle Royale greenstone, which is Michigan’s official state gem. You can look, but collecting is not allowed inside the park.

The Milky Way stretches right over your campsite

Isle Royale has almost no light pollution. It carries a Bortle Class 2 dark sky rating, which puts it among the darkest spots in the lower 48 states.

On clear nights, the Milky Way stretches across the sky in a way you’ve probably never seen from home.

The park is also one of the best places in Canada to catch the Northern Lights, most likely between mid-April and late October when the island is open.

Shoreline campgrounds put you right at the edge of the water with nothing between you and the sky but the sound of loons and waves.

Free ranger talks cover wolves, wrecks, and wilderness ecology

Park rangers run free programs on wolves, moose, geology, shipwrecks, and wilderness ecology throughout the season. You can catch talks at the Rock Harbor amphitheater and at other spots around the island.

The MV Sandy sightseeing boat runs ranger-guided tours to Hidden Lake, Raspberry Island, the Edisen Fishery, Rock Harbor Lighthouse, and Passage Island.

You can also join a guided hike to Passage Island Lighthouse, which includes a boat ride and a two-mile round-trip walk. The park stays open from mid-April through October each year.

Explore Isle Royale National Park in Michigan

If you want to stand on one of the wildest islands left in the lower 48, head to Isle Royale National Park in Lake Superior.

Ferries run from Houghton, Mich. (about six hours), Copper Harbor, Mich. (about 3.5 hours), and Grand Portage, Minn. Seaplanes from Houghton County get you there in under an hour.

The park charges $7 per person per day, and kids 15 and under get in free.

Rock Harbor Lodge is the only full-service lodging on the island, open early June through early September. The park also has 36 backcountry campgrounds, and camping requires a free permit.

Check the official website for ferry schedules and reservations before you go.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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