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Isle Royale - Michigan
Descriptive:
The untamed island of Isle Royale is a serene wilderness of unspoiled forests, rugged landscape and scenic beauty. Isle Royale lays off the shore in Lake Superior, which is the largest freshwater lake in the world. Access to the island is only available by passenger ferry or seaplane. From Michigan, the boat ride is about six hours long; from Minnesota, about 2 1/2 hours. No vehicles whatsoever are permitted on the island; perhaps that's the reason for a full 160 miles of crisscrossing trails on this 37 mile long island in the middle of Lake Superior. Although the Park itself covers an expanse of more than six hundred square miles, only about two hundred square miles of that are on land, on the island of Isle Royale itself. A superb and enchanting wilderness locked by water, Isle Royale is a National Park not to be missed; nevertheless, Isle Royale generally receives fewer visitors in a year than Yellowstone does in a day. Open from mid-May through mid-October, this is a Park definitely visited more comfortably during milder months.
Two curious inhabitants of the island are the moose and the timber wolf; both are believed to have reached the island by walking across frozen waters, fifty years apart from the other, from the Canadian shore. Reflecting the dynamic equilibrium of Nature, the wolves arrived just as the moose herds were growing overabundant. Because the proliferation of the moose was taxing the land, both species ultimately prospered by the arrival of the wolves, creating a natural balance between predator and prey in harmony with the land.
Scuba Diving is excellent here. The underwater ruins of ten wrecked ships lay around the island. Prowling around these underwater wreckages invokes the imagination and compels stories, real or imagined, from the past. A permit and license are required to scuba dive.
A camping permit is required to camp on the island, and can be obtained free from the Ranger's Station. The water is not drinkable and needs to be boiled or passed through a filter capable of filtering to 25 microns.
Vegetation:
Balsam fir
Paper birch
Quaking aspen
White pine
Red oak
Sugar maple
Raspberry
Blueberry
Wild orchid
Wildlife:
Moose
Timber wolf
Mink
Muskrat
Fox
Snowshoe hare
Weasel
Bald eagle
Ospreys
Woodpecker
Whitefish
Trout
Herring
Key locations:
An old lighthouse, built in the mid-1800s, which used to alert ships and help them navigate into Rock Harbor, is located at the harbor's point just across from Daisy Farm.
Daisy Farm is a definite stop for daisy-lovers and is an excellent place to camp. From here,the Mount Ojibway Trail begins its ascent for more panoramic views. From the top of Mount Ojibway, visit the fire lookout tower. The Greenstone Ridge Trail runs the length of the island, and can be picked up here in either direction. This trail extends from the Windigo Inn to Rock Harbor Lodge, some 40 miles. Pass Sugar Mountain on this trail, as well as Mount Ishpeming, Mount Franklin and Mount Siskiwit; the trail is flanked at one point by Mount Desor and Lake Desor.
The Rock Harbor Trail reveals remnants of copper mining at the old Siskiwit Copper Mine. What was once a thriving industry, dating back many thousands of years to the time of the Indians, is marked only by the many mining sites across the island.
Scoville Point provides an excellent vantage point from which to view the Isle Royale archipelago.
In Washington Harbor, lays the wreck of a mighty steamer. Look for its bow just two feet below the surface as the ferry enters the harbor. This eerie reminder disappears in shadows below the water's surface. The spot is marked by a buoy.
Activities:
Fishing
Boating
Kayaking
Scuba Diving
Camping permit
Geology:
Keweenawan lavas.
Trails:
Albert Stoll, Jr. Memorial Trail
Commodore Kneutson Trail
Feldtmann Ridge Trail
Greenstone Ridge Trail
Lake Richie Trail
Lookout Lousie-Mount Franklin Trail
Minong Ridge Trail
Mount Ojibway Trail
Old Lighthouse Trail
Rock Harbor Trail
Windigo Nature Trail
