Isle Royale Forums

Hello All,

This is last minute but my schedule has freed up and I have time off of work Thursday, August 29 through labor day. I'm a moderately experienced weekend backpacker with plenty of gear and am looking for itinerary recommendations for the island.

Depending on availability, I'd like to leave from Houghton early on Thursday (seaplane) and return on Labor Day. This would give me 4 nights on the island. Any thoughts or recommendations are welcome, thanks.

Here are a few that get you to some of my favorite locations. You can mix and match and make up lots of variations on these. None are too hard, and all of them have convenient ditch points if you need them. All of them end at Three Mile on the assumption that you'll have time to hike in to Rock Harbor to meet your plane out on Labor Day. If not, you could extend the last day's hike, but that could lead to a really long hike!

A lot of these take you through Daisy Farm. I like Daisy a lot, but many others don't. Also, if you're looking for inland lake fishing, you'll want to aim for Lake Richie and Chickenbone, rather than the more Lake Superior campgrounds that I've listed here.

See a bunch of east end favorites:
1. Lane Cove
2. Daisy Farm (via the Greenstone, be sure to stop at Mt. Franklin and Mt. Ojibway)
3. Moskey Basin
4. Three Mile
5. Hike to Rock Harbor and leave

Longer days, but get to see both McCargoe and Moskey (two of my top favorites):
1. Daisy Farm
2. McCargoe Cove OR West Chickenbone (both lovely)
3. Moskey Basin
4. Three Mile
5. Hike to Rock Harbor and leave

A very simple and light itinerary with an easy zero day at Moskey:
1. Three Mile
2. Moskey Basin OR stop at Daisy Farm and do the Mt. Ojibway loop as a day hike
3. Rest day at Moskey OR hike to Moskey
4. Three Mile
5. Hike to Rock Harbor and leave

Long hikes, get all the way to Chippewa Harbor (pretty far towards the middle of the island, and many day hikes possible):
1. Daisy Farm
2. Chippewa Harbor
3. Rest day at Chippewa and day hikes (schoolhouse, up the cliff, Lake Mason) OR Moskey Basin
4. Three Mile
5. Hike to Rock Harbor and leave

If I were you, I'd err on the side of shorter hikes (at most 8 miles/day) and take time to enjoy things instead. No need to kill yourself with 14 mile days if you won't enjoy the places you end up at!

All of dcclark's suggestions are good. My old standby is #1 it's a nice hike. not to much, not to little. If you can get the plane early out and late back you could also consider:

1. fly to windigo> S Lake desor
2. Desor > W chickenbone
3. W chickenbone > Daisy
4. Daisy > Rock Harbor
5. hang at Rock, shop, beer, Stoll trail. or break up one of the other days and show up just before your plane. There is no extra charge for drop off pick up on opposite sides of the island.

this would be longer days and like dc says "No need to kill yourself with 14 mile days if you won't enjoy the places you end up at!" but some people like miles.