Isle Royale Forums

Hello,

We're a family of 5 with 3 teenage kids, and we've decided to do a family trip to a national park before the nest empties... Anyway we're all very active and my wife and I have some experience with camping, hiking, and canoeing, but haven't done much at all in the past 15+ years. Our kids have done some camping / hiking here in Switzerland where we live, but not of that really was really in what you could call wilderness. We've been reading up on this (very useful!) forum and the various NPS web links about a visit to Isle Royale and think we'll be prepared in terms of equipment and supplies. I'm just a bit nervous since we have little experience with this sort of trip.

We have around 5 days and figure we'll take the boat to Rock Harbour and rent canoes from there. By reading some of the other posts here it sounds like a good choice would be to head from Rock Harbour to Moskey Basin, then do the rather long portage to Ritchie, and from there, time and weather permitting, portage to some of the other lakes and then head back.

This is probably the only time in my life I'll make it to IR. As far as I can gather, the draw of the island is to experience rugged wilderness, which is why we are going. However I'm wondering if there as some really interesting /special things which we should try to see while we're there, which are easy to get to from RH?

Also, how soon should we consider reserving things we'll need for the visit, e.g. transportation, canoe rental, etc.? Should we already start doing that or is a week or two in advance enough?

I like your general plan. Things I would be sure to include:
- Hike to Scoville Point out of Rock Harbor (4 miles round trip). Best Lake Superior shoreline trail on the island, in my opinion.
- Hike up the Greenstone Ridge to either Mt Franklin from 3 Mile campground, or Mt Ojibway from Daisy Farm (or both).
- The Edison Fishery and R.H. Lighthouse. While they're civilization to some, it gives you a sense of what it was like for us humans to live and survive their. Also the wolf/moose researcher's cabin is near there on the shore of Moskey Basin--has a huge collection of moose skulls and antlers.
- Get up for the sunrise! Moskey Basin and Daisy Farm (from the shore/dock) are known for them.

You can make the trip a little easier by staying at Moskey Basin an extra night and day hiking to Lake Richie. I'm not sure I'd do that 2+ mile portage in and out just for a night at Lake Richie (well, I did that once and swore never again). Whichever way, it will give you taste of the inland lakes, and you don't have to make the decision until you're there.

While this is not the most secluded wilderness trip you could do, I think it will give you a good taste of what the island's all about, and appropriate for your experience level. And if you do get back some day, you can plan a more ambitious trip having a better idea of what you're capable of.

You should make your boat reservations as soon as possible. I've made them as little as 2 weeks in advance for a late July trip, but that was a bit of luck (and for 2 people, not 5). I don't think the canoe rental will be an issue, but I'd do that as soon as the boat is set just to make sure.

I second Ingo's comments. Some additional comments:

With only 5 days your eventual schedule depends on your desire, adventurousness and weather. If things work out well and weather is good then on the first day you might might make it all the way to Moskey Basin. Maybe not. Strong headwinds can make the going slow sometimes.

My suggestion is to not try to schedule too much. Plan to be able to be a bit flexible. Weather is unpredictable. Have good rain gear. The stretch of Lake Superior water from Rock Harbor to Moskey Basin is mostly protected from harsh seas but there are places where certain winds can cause delays. If this happens then day trips up the Greenstone ridge from Three Mile and Daisy Farm can fill in nicely. A visit to Isle Royale without a trip to the Greenstone Ridge (on a nice sunny day) is a great loss.

Plan for one easy day. If you don't need it OK but it might come in handy so you are not rushed getting back to Rock Harbor.

The canoes for rent on the island will be sturdy aluminum models, not the lightest for portaging but still very practical and doable. I've carried a heavy canoe on that Moskey to Lake Ritchie trail. The trail is long but not rugged. Depending how things are going, when you reach Moskey Basin you might want to leave your canoes in Moskey then hike into Lake Ritchie for the day or spend the night at Lake Ritchie.

When you call or write about reserving the canoes make sure you are clear about personal flotation devices in terms of availability and sizes. You may want to or need to make special arrangements.