Isle Royale Forums

We are planning our first trip in August with our kids aged 9 & 11.

We will be camping, hiking and fishing for 8 days.

Suggestions on favorite places/activities with kids would be appreciated.

Where on the island are you planning to be?
The possibilities are endless; in August the inland lakes should be warm enough to spend some time swimming; a couple days a week Rolf and Candy Peterson come to Daisy Farm to share with guests the story of the moose and wolves; and depending on where you are at, there are various things to explore... Old mines, old buildings, old geologic formations..

Thanks for the suggestions, I appreciate it. We are arriving in Windigo. Not sure if we are going to take the ferry to other parts of the island or not? We have one week. My son would love the old mines!

The big question is are you planning to backpack, or camp in one place and day hike? Windigo is great for basecamping because you can stay multiple days at the Washington Creek campground, about 1/4 mile from the dock and visitors center. At Rock Harbor, you can only camp for 1 night at a time, and the same for 3 Mile (the next closest campground, well 3 miles away). If you're backpacking, then the options open up, dependent on your and the kids experience. Whatever you do and however you experience it, IR is a special place!

My daughter loved the Minong mine. She was just fascinated with the mine, and all of the old equipment that surrounded it. I don't know if you will get there or not, but its a cool site.This year we are headed to see the datolite mine.I am not expecting much, but I think my 11 year old nephew is expecting more that an overgrown hole in the ground.

We are now thinking of camping several nights at Washington Creek, that sounds great, thanks for the suggestion!

Then maybe try a 3 day shorter backpacking loop with the kids. Looks like Huginnin Cove Loop might be fun? Maybe a day hike up to Minong Ridge Overlook?

Sounds great! Huginnin Cove is beautiful if you make that a side trip. There are shelters at Washington Creek, lined up along the creek which is frequented by moose. You can rent canoes to explore and fish Washington Harbor. Definitely hike to Grace Overlook--the trail follows the harbor, then up to a ridge with great views. I'm not sure how far down the Minong you have to hike to get open views. The hike up the Greenstone trail is a nice walk in the woods.

If you do Huginnin Cove for a night or two, you may be able to store some gear at the Windigo store so you don't have to pack it all, but I'm not positive about Windigo--they do provide that service at Rock Harbor. You can call the Rock Harbor Lodge to verify (it's the same concessionaire) 906-337-4993.

Thanks so much for the additional information, it all sounds great!!
The canoes would be a perfect addition to the trip