On Isle Royale, it is recommended to use a 0.4 micron or finer water filter. The BeFree and MSR in-line filters are 0.1 and 0.2 microns, respectively. You should be fine with that setup.

Expect black flies and mosquitoes to peak in June or July. I personally find black flies to be the most troublesome. If you haven't yet met the upper Midwest's major pest, the black fly, you will. In addition to a headnet, I also bring along some rubber bands to seal off my shirt/pant cuffs in an at...

Welcome to the Isle Royale Forums. National and regional parks are experiencing larger crowds; Isle Royale National Park is no exception. Most campers are accommodating about sharing their tent site if there is room. The following is an excerpt from the park newspaper, the Greenstone. Link --> https...

How do you remember Daisy Farm from the dock? ... I remember an actual large very empty field of tall grass and many times full of Daisies. This year marks the 50 year anniversary of my first trip to Isle Royale in August 1972. I was a junior in high school. Took the bus from suburban Detroit to Ho...

NPS has updated the information on Cross-Country Camping for 2022. Refer to the post at the top of this thread for more details on...

1) Cross-Country Camping Regulations
2) Cross-Country Camping Zones

I usually do one or two nights a trip doing off trail cross country camping. My single person tent works better than a larger tent as many of the reasonably flat places to pitch are quite small. I’ve never used a hammock. Plan ahead by perusing topo maps and satellite views. I use http://mapper.acme...

Wow! I can't believe it was that crowded at McCargoe Cove in the middle of September. I bet the algal-bloom issues at some of the campsites forced people to congregate in larger numbers elsewhere.

Name: Mark Hometown: St. Paul, MN Arrival Date: After Labor Day Departure Date: Six days later Coming From/Via: Grand Portage/Voyageur II Itinerary: Day 1 - Grand Portage to McCargoe Cove Day 2 - McCargoe Cove to Todd Harbor Day 3 - Todd Harbor to Little Todd Harbor Day 4 - Little Todd Harbor to Nor...

Welcome to the Isle Royale Forums. I'm glad you found this forum useful for your trip planning. Your hike sounds wonderful. I like the blend of hiking with a pack and day hiking without it.

Welcome to the Isle Royale Forums. Nice first post! And a trip report no less.

Thanks for the trip report. If I remember correctly, the National Park Service states that the busiest times at Isle Royale are in July/August. Even September is busier than it used to be.

The topography on Isle Royale is such that the north side of the ridges (i.e. Greenstone Ridge Trail) are steep and the south sides are much more gradual. I've cross-country camped in the western portion of zone 9 but it is a tangled mess of dead and fallen trees. A better bet would be to camp in zo...

Great trip report! I liked the route you chose.

Where exactly is the beaver takeover between Hatchet and Todd Harbor? Is it on the Minong Ridge Trail or the Hatchet Lake Trail?

...I plan to get off the Voyageur on the west end of the island around 12-1pm and then hike to Desor (~11mi). How is the terrain on this stretch? Is this too ambitious of a plan? Although my preference is to go slow and take in the surrounding(s)... That stretch of the Greenstone Trail from Windigo...

One thing that came up when we were talking is private charters to the island. Is there a page to find this? Link to thread on "Private Boat/Chartering a Boat" ---> https://isleroyaleforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=4280 The two ferry/water taxi options to access Malone Bay are... 1. Vo...