Malone Bay or Chippewa Harbor Side Trip?

[Spinnister]

I'm looking at my rough itinerary, and have a little wiggle room for a side trip, if I don't need a rest day. I've never been to Malone or Chippewa, and am wondering which would be a better option if it ends up fitting in. Chippewa Harbor might fit in a little better, possibly as a day hike, but Malone would add an extra ~11 mile fully-loaded day. Either one would require back-tracking, but if it's worth it.... Which is nicer? Quieter? I'm kind of a hermit, so if they tend to be busier and noisier, I'd probably skip it, and enjoy an extra night at Moskey or Lake Richie. But this is a good opportunity for me to see as much of the island as I can. Another option would be a day hike to Lane Cove later.

[Tom]

I'm probably a bigger fan of Chippewa than Malone; both are pretty sites, both fairly quiet because they are dead-ends. Depending on the time of year, you'll perhaps see private boat traffic at either one. The dock at Malone is much further away from the campsites than at Chippewa, but you never know if (and who) your boaters might be.
At Chippewa, you set up on a hillside with a spectacular view of the harbor. You can hike the hillside behind you, or head over to Lake Mason, or visit the "old school house." There are four shelters, and a handful of tent sites.
At Malone, the view is the Siskiwit Bay/South Shore. You're slightly lower, but most shelters (5) provide a decent view of the lake. There are no individual tent sites, but two group tent locations. It's a short hike to Siskiwit Lake, the stream and water falls (both an upper and "middle" falls), an old ranger station with reading material, etc.

I've always used both of them as 'end of the trip' camps and arranged for the Voyageur II to pick me up from them. The hike back out of Chippewa is, in my opinion, an easier tread to return. It's pretty both directions, and you probably don't notice you're needing to go up as much.
The hike out of Malone would be easy for the first three or four miles, as it follows along the lake and lowlands, but then it's a solid nearly 3mi hike at a nearly continuous uphill grade, to a fairly high point on the Island. Personally, I've always preferred the thought of hiking down it.

[Ingo]

I'll second Tom's comments. Love Chippewa Harbor. Malone is great, but I wouldn't choose it over Chippewa, especially considering the effort to get in and out. I've only paddled into each, so can't speak to the trails.

[treeplanter]

I’m a big fan of Malone, primarily because of its remoteness. If you want to be alone, go here. Most hikers just don’t go to Malone, because it’s a “one-way in” campground. Once you’re there, you have to backtrack and take the same trail out to return to the Greenstone. It is much more popular with kayakers (me) and boaters. I do admit to not being there in years, but last time we were there (late August), the campground was largely empty.

That being said, Chippewa is the prettier of the two campgrounds, though it can have a lot more people.

Honestly, you can’t go wrong with either campground.

[fonixmunkee]

Either campsite is gorgeous, but my personal favorite is Chippewa. I've gone there many times and have many great memories.

Chippewa can be busy, as there is a bunch of shelters and a boat dock there, but that comes with added adventure...I've had some great meals provided by some of the fishermen who stop in Chippewa (with a cocktail).

The best part? The hike up to the top of the hill directly behind the campsite for a breath-taking view of Isle Royale and an incredible sunset. Here's a taste of that view and sunset: https://goo.gl/photos/jCrtgc7LeCTrj5Aw6 and https://goo.gl/photos/7xfFmAr2RY4t4tGr7

P.S., Full photos of Chippewa here (in the same trip) are here: https://goo.gl/photos/T9BUETLxs961aBfx9

[johnhens]

I would have to put my vote in for Malone. Quiet, access to both Superior and Siskiwit for fishing, I like sleeping next to the lake (though it can be noisy if the lake is kicking up), there is something enjoyable about sitting in the little cabin near the dock on a rainy day to read-with a good cup of coffee of course. The stars at night over the lake are amazing, had great views there of the International Space Station. I have spent more time at Malone than Chippewa.