Isle Royale Natl Park

Tobin Harbor

View along Stoll trail to Scoville Point

We made it to Isle Royale Natl Park.  Check that off the bucket list (though we may be back).  We left the trailer in Copper Harbor & stayed three nights at Rock Harbor Lodge.  We rode the Isle Royale Queen IV over & back.  Nice ride out; not so nice ride back.  Recommend a heavier boat (Ranger III) or fly in. I know it's a lake, but 4-6 ft seas directly abeam make for a very uncomfortable ride in a light boat.   In our view, a day trip out and back doesn't do it justice.  You're just wasting your time.

Snug Harbor - Ranger III at the dock

We averaged about 9 miles a day hiking on Saturday & Sunday.  Easier hiking as the climbs & descents aren't as long as Shenandoah or the western mountain parks.  Took us four tries to get to Suzy's Cave.  Suzy's Cave is an old washed-out/cut-out rock cliff that was once at the shoreline of Lake Superior.  Either the lake level dropped or the land is rising.  Possibly a combination of both.  Overall, the park looks a lot like Voyageurs Natl Park.

View along Rock Harbor Trail - note the maintenance crew boat

Most people we met were trying to get their parks passport stamped or on follow-on visits.  Oh, and to my surprise, people travel there in their own boats.  Can't speak for the other areas of the park, but Rock Harbor has overnight docking, power, portable water and pump-out equipment.  If you look close at the Rock Harbor picture, you can see two boats doing just that just to the right of the Ranger III.

Trail view

Here's some pictures to give you a taste of what we saw.  Remember we only saw a sliver of the whole island.  Come prepared to camp & hike and you can go way farther than we did.  We talked to one person who told us he'd travel 29 miles the day before.  So it can be done.

Anyway, enjoy the pictures.  We had a great time taking them.  David

Trail to Scoville Point

Nice, clear lake water

Scoville Point

Seaplane dock at Tobin Harbor