Isle Royale Forums

Hello all,

I was curious if anyone has gone back country for zone 27, particularly if you get bad weather or tired hiking into Malone Bay. I see that Zone 27 is closed the majority of the year, but is open within 1/4 mile of Siskiwit which is what I'd be doing.

I'm taking my 11 year old twins this year and the hike from Hatchet to Malone is going to be a very very long one for them so I debated pulling off when we get to Siskiwit and hiking a short distance along the waters edge until I got to a spot to set up a tent. Might be nice to break up that long hike....

Thoughts?
What is the trail into Malone like when you get close to siskiwit? Is this possible/realistic?

Thanks
Andy

It's been a few years, but I remember the trail along Siskiwit being intermittent marsh/stream and exposed rock in the beginning. It is relatively flat with the exception of one stretch about 1/2-2/3 of the way along the lake.

I think the delineation between 27 and 41 is the Ishpeming Trail, itself. Therefore, if you're hiking down from the tower, you could camp on the West side of the trail any season. That said, you want to get yourself to a water source, and honestly, other than a couple beaver holdings, there isn't a whole lot until you get to Siskiwit. Just about where 27 and 41 meet in the SW corner of the lake, there is an inlet stream. Once you cross that, the trail turns east and is mostly flat and easy to hike into camp, although still at least 3 miles. If your twins are tired and the allure of the possibilities of a shelter and a dock doesn't persuade them to march onward, I would look to find camp somewhere just due South of that stream crossing near the corner of the lake. For one, the land on that side of the stream is flatter; for two, there is fairly easy lake access and a shallow area if folks wanted to swim. I'm also aware that's where the trail crews have set up backcountry work camps in the past, so it must work to find a place. It's probably in zone 41, although it's hard to tell how that line works around the lake - But moot if you're within 1/4 mile, anyway...

Once you are at Ishpeming Point, the hardest part of your hike is done. I have found that the hike down from there to Malone goes very fast (at double the speed) because it is all downhill. The slowest part is the wetlands and boards at the west end of the lake near the stream. As Tom said, just past this stream there are some areas to camp (in fact there was once a trail here that went out to Crow Point). That being said, once you have come this far, it is a short, flat and easy hike from there to the campground and you will spend as much time looking for a site to setup as it would take to walk the final distance into Malone.

Andy, I've thought about doing similar off-trail camping along the SW shore of Siskiwit Lake, but from the off-trail camping rules, your camp must be at least a 1/4 mile from any trail. That does not leave too many places where you can legally camp and still be close to the water.

Thanks for the feedback. I'm hoping to be able to push on, however I wanted to have a back up plan.


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