Isle Royale Forums

Hi all! I will be making my first trip to Isle Royale this summer. I've dreamed of going since I was a kid and am excited to finally have a chance to explore it (and see mooses...meese!? )! I am starting to finalize my planning and would appreciate some feedback from folks who have spent some time on the island.

For context, I am a semi-experienced backpacker (many 3-4 day trips in the Driftless and Loess Hills of Iowa, as well some time on the SHT and Pictured Rocks). I like to keep moving but still have the time and energy to stop and enjoy the things I find along the way (I find 10-15 miles per day comfortable). I'm in my early 20's with an active day job, so I don't mind long days on feet occasionally. I would like to experience as much of the island as I can; I don't often get chances to do long trips during the summer.

I will be traveling via the Ranger III (reservations already made) in late June to spend 7 full days and 8 nights on the island. I plan to zig-zag across the island to give myself some flexibility for weather, etc. Here is what I was thinking:

Tuesday, 6/24 - Arrive at Rock Harbor via Ranger III, 3pm. Lane Cove (6.9)
Wednesday, 6/25 - West Chickenbone (12.7)
Thursday, 6/26 - Todd Harbor (10.7)
Friday, 6/27 - Little Todd (7)
Saturday, 6/28 - McCargoe Cove (13.5)
Sunday, 6/29 - Chippewa Harbor (10.6)
Monday, 6/30 - Moskey Basin (6.2)
Tuesday, 7/1 - Threemile (8.3)
Wednesday, 7/2 - Depart from Rock Harbor via Ranger III, 9am. (3)

Concerns:
- Rigid ferry connection times: I'm not accustomed to hiking with a set end-time. I'm hoping the zig-zag route and shorter miles towards the end will give me enough flexibility.
- Lane cove first day: I would really like to stay at Lane cove because I have read that it is very nice and I would like to avoid the busier campsites, but 7 miles right off the ferry is admittedly, quite a lot. I don't mind hiking into the evening, but wouldn't want to impose on others' quiet evening in the case I arrive late and have to share a site.
- Bugs: I typically use permethrin, long-sleeves/pants, and a bugnet. Would you recommend bringing a spray along too?
- Unfamiliar terrain: What is the island like compared to the SHT or Pictured Rocks?
- Any other words of wisdom? This will be my first trip without any reasonably easy bailout options, so I want to make sure I take care of all the details I can.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions you might have!

Welcome to the forum and your first trip to the island! You’re going to love it. I’d suggest planning at least one zero day so you have some flexibility for bad weather or rest. Personally, I wouldn’t plan a six mile hike right after getting off the ferry at 3pm, but the nice thing about isle Royale is you can adjust your plans on the fly. Bugs will be heavy in June, but it sounds like you’ve got a good plan - definitely bring the bug net. The trails are generally like the SHT, but can be more overgrown and a little rougher in places. Plan for slower going on the Minong trail as it’s less maintained. Enjoy!


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Your itinerary is more ambitious than average. After a couple of days you should have a decent handle on things except the weather of course. (especially after climbing out of Lane Cove.) You can then consider making adjustments to shorten mileage or not. This is much more easily accomplished on the eastern end as the campgrounds are more plentiful and generally closer together. If you're keen on keeping Lane Cove then Little Todd, as nice as it is, makes a good choice to skip if necessary. All the campgrounds on this end are nice with the exception of East Chickenbone as it's a hike to get water and Daisy Farm, as it is usually the busiest. Although, if you desire a shelter, Daisy Farm is typically a good bet as it has, by far the most at 16 of them. Campgrounds directly on Lake Superior will typically provide extra relief from bugs, especially black flies, provided there's a bit of a breeze. You'll find some trail sections slower going than expected due to poor footing (rocks and roots) or almost constant small ups and downs with no real elevation change. This is particularly true from Moskey Basin to Rock Harbor where the trail follows an ancient shoreline. If you didn't get enough of the panorama on the Greenstone Ridge during your 2nd day, I suggest, if you've got gas in the tank and the weather is nice, go back up at Daisy Farm on your way to Three Mile. It's actually only 3/4 mile longer (plus the elevation of course.

One advantage of taking the Ranger III is that you arrive on the island with permit in hand, so your only waiting at the dock is for your pack. Once your pack is in hand, hitting the trail is easy.

The advice to plan to have a zero day is sound. You will likely not regret building in that flexibility (and it might make the rigidity of the end time feel less...rigid).

Otherwise, on nearly every day of your itinerary, you have options, and those are good to have. The planning is important—however, once you arrive on the island the only part of your itinerary that truly matters is showing up on time at the end. Everything else is adjustable.

Enjoy your trip!

that looks superfun! Planning ahead and preparing---which you're doing---will enable you to frame and execute contingency plans if it makes sense to do that. For triangulation purposes, here are a few more thoughts.

In addition to omitting Little Todd, another "zero day" option already built into your itinerary is to skip the night at Chippewa and instead go straight from McCargo to Moskey (about 8.5 miles).

That said, when it comes to Little Todd and Chippewa, both the walks to and the places themselves are tremendous. Although it's a close call for me, I'd say Little Todd is slightly more tremendous. So if it were me and I were feeling perky, I'd head to Little Todd on Day 4, knowing I still had a possible zero day in the bank later in the trip.

The walk to Lane Cove is a great introduction to the island, and the sun sets so late in June that you'll arrive in broad daylight. (I've made it to McCargo from the Ranger without worrying about being benighted.) That should make any negotiations with its established denizens easier.

Outbound from Rock Harbor, again in my experience, the Rock Harbor trail is more fun and the Tobin Harbor trail is more efficient and moosier. Part of why the Rock Harbor trail is more fun is that it's rockier. Time permitting, you could save it for your inbound trip, when your pack is light and your island legs are well established.

Carrying on all the way to Rock Harbor on the penultimate day would alleviate stress about making the ferry.

Enjoy your trip. As has been stated, the key is flexibility. Game plan what sort of changes you might make and what choices are open to you for each night. Then, don’t be afraid to make a change if needed, or you just want to. That mindset is important.

In the last few years, the island has been busier and campsites full. Remember that shelters are first come and, unlike the AP, not required to be shared (bad weather being an exception, in my view). The order for where to camp is generally: Empty shelter, empty tent site, overflow group site (recently, one site has been so designated), request to share a tent site. Final fall back is backcountry, off trail. I have not heard of that being needed much, although last year, i met a couple of guys who were about to do that. I told them to squeeze into my small site.

I say all this because with so many newbies on the island of late, folks don’t know and also to let you know what you may face if you hike into a site late in the day.

One other vote for a layover day. Nothing enhances flexibility more. Plus, it is a nice opportunity to explore the area around a site. Chippewa has some great spots above the campground and around the shore to explore, for example.

None of this is meant to discourage you. A bad day on the island is still a great day!

I just noticed on page 8 of last year’s Greenstone (https://www.nps.gov/isro/upload/Web_202 ... _Final.pdf) the official guidance on choosing campsites. It is as related above but includes a final option before camping outside the campground: Ask to pitch a tent outside a shelter.

(I did not remember that one!)

Thank you all for your thoughts and advice! I will definitely consider adding a zero day--probably at Moskey (skipping Chippewa), but maybe I will do Todd (skipping Little Todd). I may leave it up to what the weather does and try to stay flexible.

Do you have any favorite things to do on zero days? JerryB, you mentioned exploring around the campsites. I like that idea; I've spent some good days bushwacking nearer to home before, but was under the impression that the woods on the island are pretty thick and hard to get through. Maybe it's not so bad without a full pack?

Some campsites have wonderful places to explore nearby, and mostly they aren't off-trail. As Jerry mentioned, Chippewa Harbor is one of these -- there are semi-volunteer trails, well established, that take you to the old schoolhouse, to the top of a nearby bluff with fantastic views, and to Lake Mason. Daisy Farm offers the Mt. Ojibway loop, showing off the Greenstone and the fire tower, all on well maintained trails.

But some have fewer options -- for example, Moskey Basin gets you to Lake Richie, but not much else. Going truly off trail is particularly difficult. I once spent half of a day bushwhacking about 2 miles (round trip) to the next point of land around the shoreline from shelter #8 at Moskey and decided to never try that again.

There's Minong Mine near McCargoe Cove. Near Todd Harbor there's a trail to Haytown Mine, and the area beyond that pit is worth exploring.

I second what torpified said about spending the last night at Rock Harbor. While it's no hardship to make it from Three Mile to Rock Harbor on the morning of the ferry, you can relieve that mental burden by already being there. Plus, you could have dinner at the Greenstone Grill, if that's your thing.

Kelly wrote: Sun Apr 06, 2025 3:53 pm There's Minong Mine near McCargoe Cove. Near Todd Harbor there's a trail to Haytown Mine, and the area beyond that pit is worth exploring.

I second what torpified said about spending the last night at Rock Harbor. While it's no hardship to make it from Three Mile to Rock Harbor on the morning of the ferry, you can relieve that mental burden by already being there. Plus, you could have dinner at the Greenstone Grill, if that's your thing.

If you stay at rock harbor, you can also do the Stoll Trail as a day trip. It is fantastic

JerryB wrote: Sun Apr 06, 2025 9:24 am I just noticed on page 8 of last year’s Greenstone (https://www.nps.gov/isro/upload/Web_202 ... _Final.pdf) the official guidance on choosing campsites. It is as related above but includes a final option before camping outside the campground: Ask to pitch a tent outside a shelter.

(I did not remember that one!)

That's because it was a "recent" change in 2022. In 2021 it was it was expressly forbidden to pitch a tent or hammock near a shelter.