Isle Royale Forums

I know there is a side trail on the map to the minong mine outside of Mcargoe Cove. Is there another trail not on the map leading out of the minong mine heading to the west that meets up with the Minong trial, or do I have to backtrack on the same trial that I came in on.

As far as I know, you have to backtrack to get back up to the Minong.

Yup, you'll have to backtrack (or bushwhack!)

That's now how it was two years ago when I was there. The trail that is marked on maps is no longer there (as of about 5 years ago). The trail out of McCargo use to go straight into the mine from the east and the Minong Ridge Trail took a sharp right at the junction with this trail and went up onto the ridge. There were a couple of old relics to mark the spot including an old rusted wheel. However, the last couple of times I was there (sorry if they have changed this in the last two years), this trail was really overgrown and I could see little evidence of it being used. I never did like this entrance as you had to walk over several mounds of slag rocks to get to the interesting stuff in the far northwest corner of the mine area. How it is now is there is a trail that comes into the mine area from the north from of the Minong and ends at the right near the old mine shafts and the few placards which tell about the area. I think there was a signpost indicating where this norther trail meets the Minong. There also use to be a signpost marking the intersection with the eastern trail out of McCargo, but it was not there with the last time I was. You could probably bushwack the eastern trail, but I wouldn't recommend it with a pack as it is REALLY difficult to walk over the slag mounds with a pack.

JimJ is correct; some older maps show the spur trail off the Minong to come in to the mine from the East. (Loaded that one on my GPS two years ago and tried my darndest to 'follow' it - Very difficult)
Now one just keeps hiking a little further west on the Minong, until you come to a trail sign that will direct you down to the South off the Minong. To the best of my knowledge, it's one way in, one way out, unless you wish to blaze your own trail. "Picking up" the Minong probably wouldn't be that hard in that stretch, but I don't think you'd save any time bushwacking off trail.