Published April 29, 2026 03:00AM
The pontoons of our seaplane settled onto Lake Superior with a gentle, satisfying splash. With too little planning and a lot of effort, our team of three arrived on the southwestern shore of the third least-visited national park in the United States, Isle Royale. Though the other two—Gates of Arctic and American Samoa—are just as remote, this site, on the largest freshwater lake in the world, Lake Superior, is technically more accessible.
Isle Royale National Park is only open to the public only from mid-April through mid-October, due to the frigid temperatures (10 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit) through the winter months. Despite the logistical challenges of getting there, if you have a solid plan, it is a national park experience unlike any other. And in a world of overtourism, Isle Royale’s barrier to entry and seasonal access is its greatest selling point.
I’m here as part of a community engagement project, sponsored by the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation. My group and I are to here to bring more attention to Isle Royale. I’ve lived in the Midwest for more than 30 years, and even I had never been there before. With my fellow travelers, Alice Jasper and Lorena Aguayo-Márquez, I plotted a short trip to scout the location, only to realize exactly why it is so hard to get to. Due to a logistical nightmare of getting there on short notice late in the summer season, we could only stay there for one day. But despite the headaches, it was worth the trek.
Isle Royale, the Most Accessible Least-Visited National Park
Isle Royale was established as our 26th national park in 1940. The ancestral home of the Ojibwe People for over 4,000 years, it is still known as Minong, or the Good Place. A prized location for fishing and hunting, it was also a site for the mining cooper to make tools, ornaments, and other valued items. For millennia, Minong was part of a vast trade network across North America. But even then, the island was only accessible by canoe. Though there have been recorded cases of humans crossing the frozen lake in winter, that method is far too dangerous.
Located on Lake Superior off the shores of Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, Isle Royale is the high point of a Midcontinent Rift. More than a billion years ago, this tectonic crest rose up as the Earth’s crust settled into place. Flowing lava formed a series of ridges and valleys that now run the length of the island from northwest to southeast. Layers of volcanic rock were scoured away with the advancement and receding of glaciers that created the lake during the last Ice Age. With an abundance of fresh water, the island features a dense boreal forest, populated by wolves, moose, foxes, snowshoe hares, and beavers. After more than 10,000 years, the topography of this region is marked with steep climbs and rugged terrain that today make it a much-desired location for backpacking.
The Best Time to Visit Isle Royale
From mid-October through mid-April, frozen waters and treacherous winds make the crossing all but impossible, even by air. In season, access to the island is limited exclusively to ferry boats and seaplanes. Unlike most national parks, driving is not an option. The frequency of transportation and a finite number of seats to and from the island limit the number of possible visitors to 25,000 to 30,000 each year. And during periods of inclement weather with high winds and rough seas, flights and boat departures are frequently delayed or even canceled.
Making plans to visit Isle Royale late in the season was not a good idea. Even with the support and encouragement of the National Park Service, our team had no easy way to negotiate the logistics of our arrival. By mid-August, there were no seats on the ferries available even through the middle of October (when the park closes). The only way to get there was by seaplane. However, a limited number of remaining round-trip flights, for a group of three, also shortened the window of opportunity for us. From landing to take-off, we could be there for just over 24 hours. And as you might imagine, flying more than doubled our transportation costs.
How to Get to Isle Royale
The flight to Isle Royale from Houghton, Michigan, is only 35 to 40 minutes. By contrast, the Ranger III ferry to the landing at Rock Harbor takes six hours, and the Isle Royale Queen IV from Copper Harbor takes 3.5 hours. Another option is departing from Grand Portage, Minnesota. More than 150 miles north of Duluth, this remote location offers passage on the Voyager II to the Windigo Ranger Station and takes two hours with continuing service to Rock Harbor. The journey on the Sea Hunter III is just 1.5 hours but only goes as far as Windigo.
With so few points of access, the difficulties of planning a trip to Isle Royale can be more than a little frustrating. But once you get there, it’s totally worth it. The seaplane delivered us to the dock at the Windigo Visitors Center. The alternate location for arrival is on the opposite end of the island at Rock Harbor. Everyone is required to check in with the rangers at either site to register each member of their party and secure a camping permit. The fee is $7 per person, or with a National Park Pass, up to four can camp at no charge.
Campsites at Windigo and throughout the island are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Group campsites, for seven to ten visitors, are available for $25 per night and must be reserved in advance. Online reservations open each year on January 2, but they are not processed and approved until April. Booking early is highly recommended for group sites and for ferry or flight accommodations.
Where to Stay on Isle Royale
Isle Royale is noted for its very rustic amenities. But the Rock Harbor Lodge (scheduled to open for the 2026 season on June 5) offers hotel-style rooms and a full-service restaurant for casual dining. It’s a great spot for an overnight visit or a basecamp to begin or end a multi-day backpacking trip.
There is potable water, flush toilets, and a store at the visitor centers at Windigo and Rock Harbor. Still, it’s always recommended to bring plenty of food (preferably dehydrated) and systems for purifying drinking water. There are no public trash receptacles on the island, so everything you pack in must be packed out. Another unique aspect to consider is that flammable liquids are not allowed while traveling by seaplane, but stove fuel is available for purchase at the camp store.
Best Trails on Isle Royale
Routes for backpacking or short day-hikes abound throughout the island. Greenstone Ridge Trail stretches about 40 miles along Isle Royale’s central ridge. It offers amazing views of Lake Superior, often with moose sightings along the way. Feldtmann Loop is a 45-mile circuit that starts and ends at Windigo. These trails combine hiking along the shoreline, ridge views of the surrounding landscape, and access to isolated interior lakes. With less traffic than the Greenstone, it’s known for solitude and wildlife.
A more rugged, remote 30-mile trek across the island’s northern spine is the Minong Ridge Trail. Known for its challenging terrain and fewer hikers, it offers dramatic vistas and a deep sense of isolation. For those leaving the rucksack behind and looking for a day hike, from Rock Harbor, the Stoll Trail leads to scenic points like Scoville Point. Suzy’s Cave provides a glimpse into the island’s glacial geology. From Windigo, trails to Huginnin Cove and Grace Creek allow for short, but fun, backpacking excursions.
Though it is remote and isolated, Isle Royale can still be a most inviting destination. By early September, a week after Labor Day, the summer temperatures had cooled and the presence of biting mosquitoes, which can be prolific throughout the season, was minimal. With relatively few other visitors, we had our pick of campsites near the Windigo Ranger Station, and it just so happened that our overnight stay fell on a full moon.
With few object hazards once you arrive, Isle Royale offers some of the most beautifully maintained trails and campsites of any national park in the system. The difficulties of getting there help to reduce the number of people who can impact the natural environment, so it is much less trampled than sites that are more easily accessible.
If you’re able to schedule the time, Isle Royale is certainly worth visiting. In a world overwhelmed by the overabundance of humanity, such places are ever fewer and harder to find.
James Edward Mills is a professional backcountry guide and National Geographic Explorer with a specialty in our national parks. He’s lived in the Midwest for more than 30 years and is working with the National Park Service to raise awareness for the accessibility of this hard-to-get-to destination in a project called Isle Royale For All. As an Outside contributor he shares stories about outdoor recreation at the intersection of social and environmental justice. His previously wrote why we need the National Brotherhood of Snowsports more than ever.
