There are some trails, that run along the obvious ridge, that are visible in Google Maps satellite imagery. They do not appear on any of the published maps either paper or digital that I have seen.

DuFresne has a new business that sells digital (and printable or printed) maps that give much more detail. If you want them, I think there’s a shoutout in the fly leaf of the 5th edition. Or just search for Michigan hiking maps.

Also McCargoe Cove is a fairly key emergency evacuation node too, so a helicopter drop zone/basic landing pad might make sense. There are a couple helipads in various locations in the archipelago already, and I’ve seen a couple sites in Superior National Forest on the mainland too.

On my kayak trip, I stayed mostly at boat-in campsites. Except for heavy powerboat usage at Windigo/Beaver Is/Grace Harbor due to an annual fishing tournament on my first weekend, usage didn’t seem too bad. Didn’t really cross paths with many hikers.

Todd Harbor is one of my favorite campgrounds on the island. It does have a shelter, picnic tables, and over by the group sites there’s a dock and a fire ring. The beach is cobblestone and great for swimming. LTH is more remote and less developed, but has a strip of beach too. No picnic tables and ...

I have camped at Ek Lake, and Agnes Lake as well as many sites on Namakon and Kabatogama Lakes. Those interior sites tend to be very quiet! Sounds like you and your daughter had a good trip. I have switched between IsRo, the BWCAW, and Voyageurs for my main vacation backcountry over the past 35 ...

Tookers Island is a very useful place for boaters, kayakers, and packrafters. Close to RH and with 2 shelters and an open field, it can accommodate a few extra tents. For some reason, however, it always has flies-maybe it’s the sunny open space. Not really great aesthetics, but a useful location.

I think they are all identical or mirror image. Ask the concessionaire for a recommended unit for your party’s mobility needs. The units sit along a hillside and some may be easier to approach than others, even if they are all similar once you’ve arrived at your unit.

Oh, and, if you do the hike to 3-Mile, the Tobin Harbor trail is smoother and easier than the Rock Harbor side. Good to know if you’re carrying an awkward load. I did it once, but I left most of my gear in my kayak. I hand-carried my sleeping bag and a poncho-tarp, a headlamp, and 2 liters of water ...

Contact the park and ask for a waiver of the 1-night limit for your special case. Out of respect for the process, use a tent site For the extra night rather than a shelter in the campground. Or, as mentioned, pack light and walk to 3-mile, or spend one of the nights in the lodge or cabins.

Krause, my thought on reversing the route is that the water taxi to or from Moskey Basin is an element that adds complexity (potential weather delays, missed connections etc) and I would always rather have those elements at the beginning of the trip and get them over with. If adjustments need to be ...

Actually, that plan is perfect - I will see you on Beaver Island, an hour or two after the Ranger3 arrives. My plan is all about camping on all the sites where hikers can’t get to, so my trip looks like 4 parts: south shore Windigo-Malone Bay, inland lakes Malone-Chippewa, 5 Fingers region after ...

Top carrot, have fun! If you go by way of Grand Portage, could you snap a photo of the new dock construction in progress, to satisfy my curiosity!

Kelly has been planning such a hike, for next year (2025). See thread entitled “A Comprehensive Question” last posted in October of 2023.

The Windigo station is not as exposed as any of the others? I can imagine a difference, particularly in winds, between being in a deep, sheltered cove (Washington Harbor) and up on the ridge line like Ojibway or out on an exposed rock(Rock of Ages). It’s interesting to watch the reports from the ...