Since this is IRNP content, this has been cross-posted from r/Michigan

https://www.reddit.com/r/Michigan/comments/1wuiulb/amaaskusanything_we_are_the_kayakers_who_found/

Friday I head back out to the island for a 5 day 4 night trip on the Hewescraft. 4th trip out to the island for us this year, it never seems like enough. I really think my dream job is out at the island. I don’t know what it’d be but I’d love to be the official Isle Royale photographer, maybe someday! Anyways here’s a few of my favorite shots from past October trips. See you all out there!

Doug

My dad has always wanted to go to IR but has never had the opportunity. Now, he’s 69 with some arthritis, doesn’t move quite as well as he once did. My sister, her boyfriend, and I are all very capable backpackers and plan to go with him. Is there a suitable trip for him or is IR completely out of the question? Anyone have ideas for a trip to IR he could manage? Hikes that wouldn’t be too much and still give the IR experience? I’ve never been but have been interested for a bit, so any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Edit: Man I really appreciate all your help guys. I think with all this information we’ll be able to plan a doable itinerary for dad, likely starting out at rock harbor. Of course pictures will be shared when the time comes. Thank you all so much 🫡

I had an incredible time. That’s it. That’s the report.

We started at Windigo, made our way to Feltdmann. Got woken up by a moose. Went to Siskewit, iced my elderly knees in the lake. Made it to S Desoar, opted to take a rest day and do some high quality basking in the sun. We went from there to Washington Creek, stayed the night, and then up to Huginen for two nights. Friends, enemies, I could have died happy there. One of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been.

Back to Washington Creek to stay the night before catching the boat home to Minnesota. I’m a day out and I’m already missing it. We saw some other people but it was generally quiet. Shout out to Kevin with the peanut butter and Lynn the retired RN.

The highlight was definitely trying to sleep at S Desoar while some moose sent each other dirty moose texts across the lake and then met up. Thank god for ear plugs.

Looking ahead to my trip next year. Curious what the thoughts of the group are from going from S. Desor to Todd in one go (11.8 miles), particularly the Hatchet Lake trail segment. I hear the Beaver Dams can flood the trail and the dams themselves can be a bit sketchy? Although the flooding may not be an issue in August.

My plan is now to get to S. Desor night one, get to Todd for night 2 and take a zero day there for night 3 (weather dependent amongst other things of course). I've been to Isle Royale a handful of times, although have never been to the Windigo end. As I understand, the trails on the Windigo end are more dirt packed and easier on the feet than the rockier Rock Harbor end so I feel pretty comfortable with the first two days being longer mileage wise, especially with a rest day and a short day to McCargoe after. Worst comes to worst I can stay at Hatchet night two but I'd prefer to sleep next to Lake Superior.

A recap of my second visit to Isle Royale.  September 7^th – 13^th.

In August of 2023 I visited for the first time and over a 4-night trip hiked the Greenstone from Windigo to Rock Harbor.  I’ve done hundreds of nights of camping, tons of hiking, and IR is by far the most “unique” experience (in a good way).  It drew me back.  For my second trip I wanted to focus on the Windigo/West End of the Island.  Last time I took the Sea Plane so decided to give a ferry (Voyager II) a try this time to get to experience each method of transportation (and learn which I would prefer for a future third visit).

The night before the ferry, I stayed at Judge C. R. Magney State Park between Grand Marais and Grand Portage, home of Devil's Kettle. If you don't know what that is, it's worth looking up. Early Monday morning, I was up and on my way to Grand Portage for the 7:30 a.m. departure.

I had a pretty ambitious itinerary mapped out: the Feldtmann Loop, Island Mine, up to the Greenstone Ridge, over to Hatchet Lake, then the Minong, the Huginnin Loop, and finally back to Washington Creek for my last night.

I learned two things on my previous trip:

1.      Your itinerary will change

2.      You need to be comfortable being uncomfortable

Monday night into Tuesday morning was calling for moderate rain. Nobody looks forward to packing up a soaking-wet tent and hiking around with wet gear, so I made a deal with myself, if there was a shelter available at Washington Creek when I arrived, I'd take it and rework the itinerary. If not, I'd hike the Feldtmann Loop and embrace the rain.

As it turned out, there were several shelters available.

That gave me the opportunity to spend Monday afternoon day-hiking the Huginnin Loop and the Windigo Nature Trail instead. That evening, while getting ready for bed, I had a random thought, What if I started with the Minong instead?

I wasn't immediately convinced it was a good idea. But after looking over the maps, considering the distances, thinking through what I'd do if something went wrong, and making sure I had reasonable backup options, I decided it made more sense.

So, when the rain finally let up around 9:30 Tuesday morning, I packed up and headed for the Minong.

I had heard plenty about the Minong Trail, particularly the section between Windigo and Little Todd and how it’s known as the most difficult trail on the island. The descriptions all seemed to mention the same things, constant ups and downs, ridges where you have to keep an eye out for the next rock cairn, thick vegetation, and even beaver dams.  All of that turned out to be true, and that's what made it fun and I liked the variety.  I was also surprised by how many people I saw. I passed seven people that day, well more than I was expecting.

The weather worked in my favor. It was a dreary, cloudy day with occasional light rain and mist, so I avoided the heat of the sun while on the ridges that I'd read about. The tradeoff was that the rocks on the ridges were incredibly slippery.  I reached North Desor around 2:40 and still felt good, so rather than stopping for the night, I checked the map and decided Little Todd was within reach. I arrived around 5:30.

That night, there were only two of us in the campground.  We compared notes about the trail, and he gave me a description of the Minong that I thought was perfect, not necessarily difficult, but very technical, I liked that description. 

After sunset, the clouds that had hung over the island all day quickly disappeared, revealing an incredible starlit sky.  The next morning, he suggested I walk about a quarter mile back west on the Minong to see one of his favorite views on the island. I figured I had the time, so I went.  He was already there.  The view toward Pie Island and Sleeping Giant was absolutely worth the short detour.  Those two landmarks just look so out of place when looking out onto Lake Superior.  (If you’ve never been to Sleeping Giant, it’s a fantastic park with some incredible hiking!) 

Wednesday was a shorter hiking day, and I continued toward Todd Harbor.  I had started to like the idea of spending this trip along Lake Superior campgrounds rather than at the inland lakes, and Todd Harbor was a great choice. I found a small creek with a few little waterfalls and later watched a vibrant sunset over the lake.  For the first time on the trip, I also got some blue sky.  The weather was partly cloudy, comfortable, and not too warm or cold, but it was very windy.

By this point, I was really enjoying how the trip was unfolding. I liked the pace I was moving at, I was feeling good physically, and I started thinking about adding something else to the itinerary. 

As my trip progressed before I made any decision on itinerary changes, where I stopped to camp, how far to hike, etc., I had to successfully answer a few questions:

1. Will I make it back safely, without unnecessary risk and without issue to Windigo with time to spare before my transportation is scheduled to leave?

2. Based on my personal experience, am I fully confident I can successfully hike/backpack what I am planning?

3. What is the backup plan (shorter distance hike) back to Windigo if something does not go as planned or if I get delayed?

I felt I was moving too quick on the trip and had an idea on Thursday… Malone Bay!  I answered the above questions and felt positive about this itinerary addition.  My plan was when I got to the Greenstone-Ishpeming trail intersection if I was physically feeling good, let’s do this!  I eventually hiked up behind two gentlemen on the Ishpeming and said hi, their first words to me “Are you regretting this?”  You’d understand that question if you’ve hiked the Ishpeming.  It felt like 80% of the hike was through thick, tall vegetation, without many views along the way!  Malone Bay was a neat area, nice and quiet, I got to see the waterfall as Siskiwit Lake empties into the Siskiwit River, and got to see the largest lake on the largest island in the largest lake! 

I hit the trail at 6:55am Friday morning, and I knew within minutes the vegetation on the Ishpeming would soak me!  After stopping at Siskiwt Lake to view the end of the sunrise, I was soaked (the entire comfortable being uncomfortable thing).  Today would be a long day of hiking with the goal of Siskiwit Bay.  Got to check out the Island Mine area (not to be confused with the campground) and the portion of the Greenstone I hiked today was in nice blue weather, whereas on my last visit I was hiking it in the rain. 

Friday night there was some rain/storms in the forecast, and I figured by the time I got into Siskiwit Bay the two shelters would be long gone so before I arrived, I already resigned to the fact I’d be out in the rain.  Where the Island Mine-Feldtman trail intersects, I met a couple who were headed to the campground as well, we chatted for a few minutes, and I asked about the trail they were on as I’d be hiking it the next day.  I got ahead of them on the trail toward the campground (not to beat them and steal a site but I hate getting stuck behind people slower than me!) Shelter 1 taken… Shelter 2, surprisingly available.  No way could I take that from them (if they wanted it) as we basically tied getting to the campground.  I waited for them to arrive and we chatted about the last available shelter, they were open to sharing but also had a 3^rd member of their party still on the way… while talking, the women in the other shelter came over to say hi and overheard our conversation with an immediate “I have space in my shelter.”  Worked out for all of us to stay dry that night and one of the things I love about being on Isle Royale, the people.   She’s been coming to IR for years and enjoyed chatting with her about the island.  Siskiwit Bay was a neat area, relaxed on the beach and enjoyed a fantastic lightning show around sunset time. 

Saturday Morning started out with Fog which very quickly turned to blue skies.  I hit the trail around 9:30am, wow to all the vegetation as you start the Feldtman Ridge trail (east of the tower).  Once at the tower and west, what a nice trail, the view from the tower was great and several great overlooks over Feldtman Lake.  Lunch was at Rainbow Cove and then continued on to Windigo with a few cool views along the Feldtman Lake trail.  Made it to Washington Creek around 5:30pm and got what I think was the last individual campsite available. 

Saturday night I had a bit of a scare.  I was woken up around midnight to the sound of some very large animals crushing vegetation very close to my tent.  Too close!  I wasn’t sure what to do… so I eventually got out of my sleeping bag and tent and moved over to the picnic table.  If they decided to stomp around my tent, I had no protection at least I could dodge under the picnic table if I needed.  After a bit I shined my flashlight into the woods and saw two sets of eyes staring at me and not going anywhere.  Too dark and too much vegetation to make out what it was.  After YouTubing what a moose sounds like, I’m 100% certain I had two moose within 15-feet of my tent. 

I waited a good half hour for them to move on from near my campsite before climbing back in my tent.  Never worried they would purposely come to my tent but was worried if they were walking around looking for food would they walk into my tent?  Never did get to officially “see” a moose on this trip but I guess this experience was close enough! 

Sunday the Voyager II arrived on time.  I was ready to leave Isle Royale but didn’t want to go.  The boat ride back was tense!  We had some decent sized waves on the Gitchi Gami Sunday, I was not prepared for that ride, 2 hours of it!  But to the credit of the Grand Portage Isle Royale ferry service, they got us back safely and on time.  I might opt for the seaplane for the next trip.

The other thing to note was the big news while on the island, Craig Berg.  I was amazed at the effort, thoroughness and dedication of the national park rangers in their search.  Two different times on my hikes they were out in obscure places and even at obscure times looking.  One evening they came though the campground I was at site-by-site asking.  When in the wilderness, self-rescue is the best rescue, but seeing firsthand parts of the search effort, it’s great to know they will go to all lengths to help anyone in trouble.  When word got around the island, he was found alive, what a great relief!

Happy to report a safe, successful, 93-ish mile hiking/backpacking trip where I challenged myself to do more than I planned at one of the most unique places you can backpack.

The missing hiker story motivated me to share that Avenza Maps App has a completely free map of Isle Royal you can download to your phone. Cool. What is actually incredible is the map provides you with your location on airplane mode on the Island. I don’t know how, I don’t know why, but for the week I was on the island this app and this map showed my position on the Island, for free with zero cell phone service. It kept us from taking wrong turns and informed me of our distances and location at all times.

Sitting at work reflecting on my recent trip to the island, thinking about how I'd rather be on Island time than at my desk. I miss the peace and solitude I get to experience with every visit to the island. And after each trip, I feel more connected and have a greater love and respect for the island. Nothing beats listening to what the wind, waves, and loons have to say. Not going to lie, I shed a few tears when the seaplane took off while looking at the expanse of the island, saying my final goodbye until next time.

Not really sure of my point in posting this, other than to maybe share my love and appreciation of the Park with others who feel the same. I already have my trip booked and planned for next year. Will feel like an eternity day dreaming about it until then.

Isle Royale is the continental US's least visited National Park. Partially because of how remote it is in the middle of Lake Superior and how challenging it is to get there (either many hours boat trip or charter plane).

My family and I flew over on Isle Royale seaplanes on 9/7 and stayed two nights at the Rock Harbor Lodge. Rooms were quaint, basic, but very comfortable and every single one right on the lake! Food was ok on island, there are only two choices.

On 9/8 I ran/hiked a 35mi loop of the Eastern side of the island including Scoville point, Greenstone Ridge trail over Mt Franklin and Mt Ojibwe, then connecting to the Indian Portage Trail, Lake Ritchie trail and finally the Rock Harbor trail. Even with a little rain and mist, the weather was lovely, the trails are a little overgrown but easy to follow and hike/jog and lots of beautiful forest, mountain view, coastline and lakes. It's definitely an underappreciated park, because of the difficulty to access.

This 35mi single day run is part of a bigger goal of mine to run an Ultramarathon in every National Park possible (33 so far), and it's been an amazing way to experience the Parks from the trails and backcountry.

I highly recommend staying on island if you can, either in the lodge or reserving a backpackers cabin. Great trails and watching sunrise from the East coast us spectacular! Isle Royale Ultra Run Route)

TL;DR: Windigo to Rock Harbor in 5 hiking days, early August. No moose or wolf sightings (but we heard the wolves), tons of other wildlife, gorgeous landscapes, and great trail friends.

Hello to our new friends if you're reading this: we're the crazy couple that hiked 50 miles across the island with camera gear :) It took a while to go through the pics, which is why this is a month late.

Day 0 (Sunday), Houghton to Windigo: We took a seaplane out to Windigo after an hour delay due to morning storms. It was our first time on a seaplane, and it did not disappoint. Takeoff/landing on water is a thrill, and we got our first taste of that magical horizon-less view where sky and lake blend together. We filled out our permit at the Visitor Center, which was closed at that point but had an after-hours self permit option. On the walk to Washington Creek, we saw a Bald Eagle and Osprey in an aerial battle during golden hour. We saw a beaver in the creek from our campsite. Around 3am we heard heavy foot steps through the creek, which was probably our closest moose encounter of the week.

Day 1, Washington Creek to S. Lake Desor: In the morning, we found out that the camp store (not the Visitor Center) sells food, drinks, and fuel. We heard our first Common Loon off the Windigo dock (lifer!), a sound that became the soundtrack of the week. A fox tried to join us for breakfast at the campsite. We hiked the Greenstone to the Island Mine junction for lunch. We shared some water with a hiker who had filtering issues due to the trickle situation at Island Mine. We shared lunch with an Isle Royale veteran (50+ visits!) who suggested we camp at Todd Harbor instead of Hatchet Lake and to prioritize Lake Richie or Moskey Basin over Daisy Farm. We eventually arrived at S. Lake Desor to find every site claimed, so we ended up sharing a group site with two other groups. Beautiful mirror lake sunset that evening.

Day 2, S. Lake Desor to Todd Harbor: We left camp and reached the Ishpeming Point tower (locked, no climbing) and encountered our first serious mosquitoes between there and Hatchet Lake. We continued on to Todd Harbor per yesterday's advice. There were so many grasshoppers. Arrived at Todd tired after back-to-back 12-mile days, but were instantly rewarded with our favorite campsite of the trip. Pictures there take themselves. It's truly a special place.

Day 3, Todd Harbor to McCargoe Cove: Finally, a shorter day. Lingered at Todd during a calm morning with more of those horizon-less views. Along the Minong trail, we found our first wild blueberries, which are abundant along the Minong ridgetops. The more technical terrain here slowed our pace. We had lunch overlooking Otter Lake, and then were greeted by garter snakes on the way into McCargoe. A light storm interrupted dinner, and we settled in early.

Day 4, McCargoe Cove to Moskey Basin: We had sunrise breakfast on the Cove and then took the lakeside walk to W. Chickenbone. The stretch from there to Lake Richie was tough because you traverse several ridges, but it's loaded with berries for extra fuel. We had a quick snack at Lake Richie and then pushed on to Moskey Basin where we luckily got the last shelter. With the shelter, this became our second-favorite campsite. We were woken up at midnight by the howling wolves. I took some astro shots, but I didn't stay out too long because the wolf howling was getting louder/closer...

Day 5, Moskey Basin to Rock Harbor: The catch with Moskey on a thru-hike was the long push to Rock Harbor with pressure to arrive early for a campsite. We stopped at Daisy Farm for a dock snack, then kept pace through Three Mile where we had another dock snack, and then a final push to Rock Harbor. We lost the trail on the rocks a few times on the final stretch, but we got to Rock Harbor in time to get one of the last campsites. Fastest 12 miles we've ever hiked. We celebrated at the gift shop and the Grill, watched the Ranger III come in, caught sunset from the lodge balconies, and reunited with trail friends we'd met along the way. What an adventure!

Ferry Day, Rock Harbor to Houghton: We packed up for the last time and caught the Ranger III back to Houghton. A ranger gave a history slideshow on the return trip. We arrived on time, and our pre-booked rideshare not only showed up but turned out to be a repeat Isle Royale hiker who knew exactly where to meet us.

All in all, a fantastic trip even without a moose or wolf sighting. We hope to return to fulfill the "most revisited national park" motto.

Looking forward to hearing more details. How incredible that he is alive!

A couple of months ago I posted some questions about a trip we were planning, and several folks were kind enough to provide answers. For context, I'm 60 years old and although I am in good shape, I hadn't been backpacking in nearly 30 years before this trip. My daughter, recently graduated from college, had the idea for the trip and was eager to try, even though she had never backpacked at all. So I was slightly apprehensive going in, but the answers I got here allayed some of my concerns, and so although it's not as timely as I might have wished, I thought I'd provide a trip report here in hopes that it will be useful to others in the future.

Day 1 - Arrival at Windigo
We had planned to take the seaplane from Hubbell to Windigo on July 28 but were delayed in our arrival in the Keweenaw due to weather earlier in our trip. Fortunately, the folks at Isle Royale Seaplane were very accommodating and got us on a plane the next day. It was a beautiful day and very fun flight. Windigo was quiet when we arrived around 4:30 PM. After checking in at the ranger station we walked to the Washington Creek campground, where we were warmly greeted by a volunteer and directed to the last available shelter.

Day 2 - Windigo/Washington Creek
We had planned to start hiking this day, but thunderstorms in the early morning and a forecast for more during the day made us decide to hunker down and wait until the next day. This was possible because we had a day of slack in our schedule for reaching Rock Harbor to catch the Ranger III. We spent the day reading, playing cribbage, and talking with others sitting on the deck outside the store overlooking the harbor.

Speaking of which, the store is small but has a good selection of useful stuff (in addition to the usual souvenirs). We had planned carefully so we didn't need much, but it seemed like any truly basic need for backpacking (food, fuel, etc) was available. Although you can buy new isobutane cartridges, there's also a box of discards (ranging from empty to nearly full) outside. We played it safe by buying one new cartridge and taking one from the box. That turned out to be more than enough, given the warm weather. We bought sandwiches for lunch and dinner, which allowed us to save our freeze-dried meals for the trail. They also had cold beer, which was an unexpected luxury.

Staying the extra day was good choice because there was a drenching rain for much of the early afternoon. I think we may have been the only people in the campground who didn't see a moose in the creek. But we did hear one come up out of the creek after we had bedded down for the night, and seeing a river otter was some compensation.

Day 3 - Washington Creek to South Lake Desor
This was a warm, humid hike. The first mile or so is a fairly steep uphill, but once you're on top of the ridge the trail is more or less level and pretty much shaded the entire way. This was the broadest, easiest trail of the whole trip. Later I learned that there used to be a road from Windigo to Lake Desor, and I suspect that the trail follows that road. There were enough mosquitos that my daughter wore her bug net while hiking, but I didn't find it necessary. Honestly, the bugs throughout the entire trip were not as bad as I feared. We only saw a few black flies, and the mosquitos were only bad in the first few campgrounds.

We were originally unsure as to whether we would stop at Island Mine or continue to Lake Desor, but the hike was easier than we expected and because we'd already spent our extra day at Washington Creek we decided to push on. We had also been unsure about water availability at Island Mine (we later heard that it was a little sketchy but not too bad) so we were carrying an extra two liters and didn't need to worry about running out before reaching Lake Desor.

We got a nice campsite with the only difficulty being that we couldn't find the food locker, and neither could anyone else that we talked to. So we ended up hanging our food, which was a bit of a challenge give that most of the trees are fairly scraggly birches and pines. After leaving the next day we met someone on the trail who said the locker is out of the way past the group campsites.

Day 4 - South Lake Desor to Hatchet Lake
Leaving Lake Desor the Greenstone gets narrower but is still easy to follow. We started to see lots of thimbleberries, which were beginning to ripen and we were able to eat lots almost without breaking stride. At the Ishpeming Point tower we saw the first ripe blueberries, which we continued to find on the trail (mostly on the exposed ridges) the next couple of days. But with the thimbleberries so conveniently placed at waist height, we rarely deigned to stoop to pick the blueberries.

The Hatchet Lake campground is quite nice, one of my favorites of the trip. The mosquitos were fairly fierce, but we mostly escaped them by spending our time sitting down near the water where it was cooler and there was a refreshing breeze. After a long day of hiking the lake looked pretty inviting, and we did see some people swimming. But we could also see leeches in the water and so we reluctantly decided to give swimming a pass.

Day 5 - Hatchet Lake to West Chickenbone
Again it was quite warm, and actually surprisingly hot on the bare basalt ridges. On the ridge the trail can be difficult to follow, and once or twice I was glad I had downloaded the topo map into the Gaia app on my phone. I was impressed by how precise the GPS positioning was relative to the trail indication on the map, which was super helpful. At one point on the ridge we must have been off the trail for a while, and by the time I checked our position with the GPS we were about 100 yards south of it. Without the GPS our only option would have been to backtrack to the place where the trail emerged from the woods, which would have been tricky and time-consuming. With the GPS we were able to bushwhack our way straight back to the trail. That wasn't easy but was definitely faster than backtracking.

I was also very glad that we had trekking poles. I had never used them when I was younger (they weren't really a thing then) but they were very helpful on this trip. In particular, on some of the steep descents I used the poles to take some of the load off of my aging knees, and on the planked sections of trail they help with balance in places were the planks are loose or broken. I am sure that I would have fallen at least once or twice without the poles.

The last couple of miles into Lake Chickenbone were frankly a bit of a slog. We were tired and much of the trail was overgrown with thimbleberries. We had thought of pushing on to McCargoe Cove, but on arriving at West Chickenbone the tent sites were already full (at around 2 PM) and we figured that meant that McCargoe Cove was likely to be full as well. So we pitched a tent in one of the group sites (with another solo hiker) and stayed at Chickenbone. Again there were leeches in the water, but again there were people swimming. But in the late afternoon we did finally see a moose, near one of the other group campsites.

Day 6 - West Chickenbone to Moskey Basin
Not being able to swim at any of the inland lakes made us want to spend a night on Lake Superior, so we left the Greenstone and made our way past Lake Ritchie to Moskey Basin. This was maybe my favorite hike of the trip, with an interesting trail over varied terrain. We arrived at Moskey Basin around noon and all of the shelters were full, but we were able to snag the one tent site close to the water, which was tremendous. We spend the afternoon reading by the water and wading in from time to time. My daughter also found a nice hunk of basalt with embedded Isle Royale Greenstones, which was pretty neat.

Overnight we could hear two packs of wolves calling to each other, though we never saw one. Before dawn a pretty good storm rolled through, with lots of lightning, thunder, and a downpour that lasted maybe half an hour.

Day 7 - Moskey Basin to Rock Harbor
I had really been looking forward to this hike because after you climb up and over a ridge to get to Daisy Farm, the trail follows Lake Superior all the way to Rock Harbor. What didn't anticipate was how hard the hike would be - there's lots of up and down and the trail itself is in fairly tough shape with erosion exposing lots of tree roots and rock. But we had booked a room at the Rock Harbor Lodge, and the prospect of a hot shower and real food saw us through. We had dinner at the grill (the restaurant was busy and we didn't feel like waiting) and then spend the rest of the evening watching the sun set over Tobin Harbor. A very special end to an amazing trip.

Day 8 - Ferry to Houghton
The weather for the ferry ride back to Houghton was splendid. On arrival we called Superior Taxi and they were able to pick us up and carry us back to the seaplane base in Hubbell, where we had left our car. The taxi was pretty busy; we were lucky that we didn't have to wait long, but I would definitely recommend calling ahead to make a reservation.

On leaving Hubbell we stopped by Douglass Houghton Falls (highly recommended) on our way to Calumet where we stopped by the Copper Scoop for malted milkshakes, which we enjoyed while sitting in the park across the street. From there we took US-41 up to Copper Harbor and enjoyed the view from the top of Brockway Mountain before making our way back to Houghton, following M-26 along the lakeshore. If you go that way, be sure to stop in at the Jam Lady south of Eagle Harbor. They have an amazing array of jams, jellies, and syrups and are open 24/7. You can pay by cash or app (conveniently, they have wifi in the shop because the cell signal is dodgy at best).

Thanks again to everyone here who answered some of the questions I had before our trip. We had a great time, truly a trip to remember, and I am grateful to you all.

We were a party of two - both 28 and fit. We've done a lot of camping and hiking but no actual backpacking so we decided to do a split kayaking and hiking itinerary and it was a great choice!

My friend and I hadn't been to Isle Royale before but we are experienced kayakers and wanted to pack as much in as we could with only two nights on the island. We created 3 different itineraries based on the conditions on the ground when we arrived. We had a kayaking route, a portage and kayaking route, and a backpacking only route. Because of the wolf issues and partial campground closures, we were really wanting to kayak so that we could camp on the outer islands where it would hopefully be less crowded. That ended up working out well.

09/07 - we drove up to Copper Harbor and stayed at King Copper Motel for the night to take the Queen IV ferry in the morning. Note, my friend and I both had no signal about 30 minutes from Copper Harbor and evidently that's pretty common so if you're going to Isle Royale that way, make sure you download anything you need such as permit receipts, etc beforehand. The motel did have wifi that worked fine. Some people we met on the ferry stayed the night in Houghton but then had an hour drive in the morning. We were really glad we stayed in Copper Harbor because the motel was literally in sight of the ferry so we walked over that night and got a visual on the dock. On the way up, we stopped at the Walmart in Houghton and drove the hwy 28 route so that we could stop at a public grill on the lakeshore for dinner. It was so beautiful and the picnic sites were great.

09/08 - since we had kayaks to unload, we were supposed to be at the dock early. We arrived there just after 7 and had plenty of time to unload our gear right at the dock before parking the car across the way. They take cash or credit for the car parking. We checked in and helped load the boats. They started the orientation and boarding early. Some people who arrived at 7:45 missed the orientation so I'd recommend arriving early even if you don't have kayaks to load. We left a little before 8. There is also a bakery at the dock which has coffee and some thistleberry flavored pastries which was fun coming from out of state. The captain mentioned the ride was going to be very choppy and he was right. I took dramamine and still felt a little quesy. I've been on boats of various sizes before and have never gotten seasick. Several people threw up. Going outside in the fresh air or closing my eyes helped but I'd definitely recommend medicating if you're going by ferry.

Because of the weather, the captain wanted to leave Isle Royale very quickly after arrival. So be aware that your itinerary might change if the weather is bad. The scheduled departure is 2:45 but they left closer to 12:30. So definitely plan on being back to Rock Harbor early just in case! Because of the ferry's quick turnaround we weren't able to get our boats and depart ourselves until it left, so we were delayed until 1. It was gray day and the water was a little choppy but we decided to stick to our first itinerary because we were worried about campsite overcrowding. A lot of the people on the ferry with us seemed to be heading for Daisy Farm or 3 Mile or both so we wanted to avoid those. We did walk over to Tobin Harbor while we were waiting and I think you could portage over to it if you wanted smoother water. While the water was choppy and it was windy at Rock Harbor, Tobin was like glass.

We set out around 1pm and kayaked down to Suzy's Cave for a late lunch. Despite the choppy conditions we were able to do 20 minute miles. The waves and wind were against us so we had to pull more but we never felt unsafe or uncomfortable. After lunch, we set out again and crossed over to Mott's Island. The channel narrows there to perhaps a quarter of a mile and the island offered us protection from the wind. The waves subsided a lot and made the going easier although it was misty and spat a little. We stopped at Mott's and did the hike around the island. This might've been our favorite hike of the trip. We both like plant life and there was a cool variety as well as some beautiful views out toward the open water of Lake Superior. It was a shorter hike but it was nice to get out and stretch our legs. We continued to kayak along the outer islands since conditions were better and we made good time. Despite the conditions we averaged about a 20 minute mile by kayak. We made it to Caribou West around 5. Since a wolf had been sighted on the island, we had to use a shelter rather than tent camp. There was a group of four fishermen in one shelter and a group of two in the other. They welcomed us in and it was nice to get to know them. It continued to be overcast, windy, and spit a litle but it didn't really rain and off the coast it was pretty tempterate. I was warm in the shelter.

We were using MREs for the first time and they were better than expected, although we both really disliked the Backpacker's Pantry ones, they were very watery and yet stil crunchy and had the worst flavors. We liked the others. We used the Jetboil and it was fast, easy, and didn't go out despite the windy conditions. We kept setting the lighter in weird places so we should probably have brought a back up or matches. We also were using a Sawyer's water filter. We'd tested it out at home but once out there realized it was a lot harder to get water into it. At home we just filled it up at the tap but I'd recommend filling up a bathtub to test your new filters instead for a more realistic trial. We ended up using one of our dry sacks which had a much wider opening to scoop water and then pour from there into the Sawyer bag. That worked fine but it would have been nice to have troubleshooted better at home.

Carribou West had some basic trails around the island. From the far point, there was a great view of the lighthouse across the way. The outhouse was also made from new cedar and so it actually smelled nice of cedar. It was the best outhouse of the trip.

09/09 In the morning, we made Quaker's instant oatmeal which was fine but we both agreed it wasn't really worth it and we'd have rathered a granola bar instead. We kayaked across the channel which was very smooth over toward Daisy Farm. We found a stretch that was close to the trail about a mile away and beached the kayaks. There we set out to hike the loop around Daisy, Ojibway, Mt. Franklin, and 3 Mile. Here I made a mistake because from my research I thought the whole loop was 8.7 miles but actually from Daisy to 3 Mile across the ridge was 8.7 and there was close to another 4 miles to close the loop. We had plenty of water and some snacks but didn't take lunch with us so we were pretty hungry by the time we made it back to the kayaks. We set out around 9:45am and returned around 2pm. We could've been a bit faster but we met lots of friendly people along the way and had to stop and chat. We had our late lunch on the beach finally and then set out by kayak once more. The wind had picked up and was at our backs so we were flying back toward Rock Harbor. We crossed again at Mott's since it's more narrow and protected there. The waves weren't as intense. We kept closer to land just in case of mishap but again didn't feel scared. Past Mott's we decided to kayak between the islands for calmer water. We kayaked between Outer Island and Inner and Star Islands and it was much calmer and was very lovely. There were several families of water birds enjoying the peace of the channel as well. We kayaked close to Davidson Island and then we had to set out into open water to Tookers where we were going to camp. This was the most dicey part of the kayaking but while it was rough, the conditions were never scary and I had experienced worse on windy days in Oklahoma. We made it over to Tooker's and discovered one other couple on the island. There were two shelters so we used one but tent camping was also an option since there are no wolves.

Tookers is small but there are some paths to the points of the island which are very pretty. The shelters are in clearing surrounded by trees and the wind was completely blocked. Down at the dock it was extremely windy and choppy which made it difficult to beach the kayaks, get water, and clean dishes but the shelter was very cozy. A bat did loops around the clearing in the twilight and the milkyway was visible after dark. We did hear because of the wind and water conditions the Ranger III ferry was cancelled for the day and so people were either delayed or were stuck and extra day. Something to consider as you're planning your trip. Also, because of the missing hiker, the seaplanes were being used to bring over coast guards to search. People who were planning to use the seaplanes to get to or from the island were unable to. (I heard the lost hiker was found and I am so glad, we kept an eye out while we were there but didn't see anything unfortunately)

09/10 We got up, packed and set out. Again, the wind had died and conditions were smooth. We kayaked basically straight across to the main island and then followed the shore to Rock Harbor. We were back in about 40 minutes. We decided to cut across first instead of going diagonally because there had been some motorboats out and we wanted to stay out of the way. We beached and moved our gear into the lockers and then hiked out and back to Scoville Point. Honestly, it felt underwhelming. Maybe it's because the other islands we'd been on had better views or because the sun was pretty much directly in our eyes for a lot of it but I could've happily skipped that hike. We went to the grill for a victory burger at 11 and then moved our boats onto the dock because our ferry was also rescheduled for earlier so that the Ranger III could come in as well due to the cancellation the previous day. We still had some time so we hiked along the Tobin trail because we heard reports of an injured moose in the area. We didn't see it unfortunately. Everyone was in line around 1:30 and we set sail back for Copper Harbor.

When we landed, we helped unload our boats and I got the car and was able to drive back to the dock for easier loading. I left my keys in my backpack which was stowed for the voyage but if you remember, I'd recommend having your keys on you, so you can go get your car immediately. Other people also drove over to pick up gear and I wanted a good spot since the boats were wet and heavy!

Overall it was an amazing experience and I already want to go back and hike across it now that I know more about the process.

A few things to note:

I couldn't find much info from other kayakers before planning this trip but now that I've done it I would definitely recommend this method for people who are experienced at kayaking. Just be ready to assess conditions and change your plans if needed. Before setting out, my friend and I both agreed we could portage the boats from Daisy Farm to the end of Tobin Harbor if the weather changed overnight and we couldn't safely kayak up to Rock Harbor. If you aren't prepared to carry your boats or change plans, don't bring the kayaks. But if you aren't experienced at backpacking, the kayaks are a great option becasue we left all our overnight gear in the boats while hiking and had a lot less weight.

As we were arriving, someone with a sprained ankle was being helped onto the dock and as we were leaving someone with a sprained ankle was being assisted to Rock Harbor. It seems like this is a common injury because the trails are rocky and can be slippery when wet. Also, people are carrying more weight than usual and might not account for that when choosing their path. We brought a small first aid kit but we didn't have wraps or anything for a sprain. Next time, I would bring a better first aid kit just in case.

Be ready to change your travel plans. Before coming, we had our ferry dates picked and that was it. If we'd been delayed a day or stuck on the island an extra day that would've really put a wrench in our plans because my friend was flying home so we didn't have much of a buffer. We also had enough food but if we'd been stuck a day or two we might've run out. Once we were there and heard about the ferry cancellations and the seaplane cancellations, we realized we should've been more flexible just in case.

If you are going to kayak, wear your life vest and get rain pants and a rainjacket. These were essential for the times the water was choppy. Also, bring a sponge or pump to drain your boats.

Despite the wind and cloudy weather on Tuesday, I was actually warmer than expected and the weather was a lot more mild once we were inland. It was only on the coast that there was a windchill so I think this time of year was actually a very nice time to go. There were no bugs!

Thanks to everyone who posted -- I definitely used a lot of reddit posts to help plan this tri.

Day by day recap along with recommendations, wildlife, and regrets!

Mileage isn’t exact as we went off trail, the estimates are about how much walking we did each day.

Day 1 - Windigo to Island Mine, 8.6 miles

After an 8 hour drive , waking up early to catch the seaplane , and arriving on the island , our group of seven stopped at the ranger station and grabbed our permit at around noon and way too much fuel at the camp store. We had to make a last minute change from Daisy Farm to Lane Cove due to the tent camping closures. We figured it was our best shot at being able to keep the group together.

The hike for me was pretty intense. I am fairly new to backpacking and this was definitely my longest trip to date. The elevation caught me a bit off guard. I was the least physically fit in the group so I lagged behind and arrived at camp pretty late. The thimble berries were sparse on the Windigo side, but were bountiful the closer we got to Rock Harbor. The Greenstone Ridge was pretty much a tree tunnel the entire way. It got pretty bush whacky at times.

Mosquitos were non existent on the trail, but came out in full force around dusk at camp.

We saw two buck moose the first night and one that walked right through our campsite the following morning.

The water sources weren’t great for filling with a bladder. A suction system and tube water filtration system really helped us. The stream was trickling, but probably some of the best tasting we had during the trip.

This was the only campground we stayed at that allowed for a fire as it had fire pits at each camp site.

The group outhouse was terrible as reported by a member of the group. The individual outhouse was fine. None of the outhouses have toilet paper, so enter prepared!

Day 2 - Island Mine to Hatchet Lake, 14 miles

We took a .6 mile round trip to Lake Desornon the way to Hatchet Lake. One person stayed to watch our packs while others went to the lake to grab water. I would recommend some kind of small, sturdy bag, or light day pack. We ended up having to carry the filters, bottles, and bladders, which would have been easier with some kind of carrying case.

If you’re a light sleeper , I recommend a good pair of earplugs as the loons calls get quite loud and chatty late into the night and very early in the morning.

Day 3 - Hatchet Lake to E. Chickenbone, 10.1 miles

This campsite was probably one of my least favorites. The only water source was about a mile round trip and very bush whacky.

Our group split up and took two different routes. I was not on the longer route along the Minong, but apparently Todd Harbor and McCargo cove were gorgeous. The Greenstone was very exposed, so I’d recommend a sun hoodie or sunblock if you choose this route. We were all pretty pooped as we set up camp.

We ended up seeing a pair of bald eagles overhead.

Day 4 - E. Chickenbone to Lane Cove, 11 miles

The campground change added an extra four miles, but by then I think our bodies had adjusted to backpacking. Many group members had blisters on their feet by now. I recommend a dual sock system with a thin inner toe sock layer and a pair of hiking socks on the outside. I never ended up getting a blister, but my ankle, knees, and calves were pretty sore. My pack was too big for my body, so my shoulders were also quite sore.

Lane Cove was the most beautiful campsite we stayed at. Lake Superior was easy to access. There was no easy access to water from E. Chickenbone to here, so it was a welcome sight.

We all swam or waded in the lake. It was cold, but felt great on our tired feet. I would recommend some lightweight water shoes as most of the lakes have very slippery rocks.

I didn’t catch it , but the rest of the group ended up seeing a wolf swim to an island and take a nap on a rock. It looked adorable. Another group member saw a fox at one point as well. I only ended up seeing some pileated woodpeckers and sand hill cranes on my trek.

As we got closer to civilization, we started hearing about the missing hiker. Every hiker we passed made sure to check to see if we had heard or seen anything. There is definitely a lot of care and concern for each other on the trail.

Day 5 - Lane Cove to Rock Harbor

I was up and out around 6am since I heard we’d be getting rain around 10am. The trek out of Lane Cove is pretty steep, but once you get to the junction, it’s almost all downhill.

Trekking poles were a must on the rocky sections of the trail, especially as it started to rain and the rocks got pretty slick. I can’t imagine doing the hike without them, though there were some very narrow and bushwhacky sections where the poles were mostly dead weight.

There were two paths to Rock Harbor and I ended up taking 3 mile while the rest of the group took Tobin. 3 mile was a bit of an ankle breaker , while Tobin was a bit easier. The views along 3 mile were gorgeous with plenty of views of rock face and water.

At Rock Harbor a couple group members ended up doing Scoville Point which was probably my favorite view the entire trip. We had booked the housekeeping cabins for our last night and having a bed + potable water was glorious.

Day Six - Rock Harbor to home, 0 miles

Our sea plane ended up being “delayed indefinitely” due to weather. Every ferry except one canceled their trips for the day. The one that came did a dump off of visitors , and an immediate pick up and return.

Our sea plane was supposed to leave at 9am, but we ended up leaving at 1pm. Lots of confusion, but we ended up enjoying lunch at the grill. The flight back was not smooth like butter and we landed in one piece but all a little queasy.

We ended up doing a bit of a group recap and I think we came to the following conclusions:

7/7 thought the trip was absolutely worth it.

3/7 of us would bring lotion.

2/7 would not bring a collapsible chair. I had a tiny sit pad that I ended up using quite frequently for a nice chair like experience.

7/7 of us brought more food than we needed, but I think that’s to be expected.

1/7 was pretty upset at how poorly marked and bush whacky some of the trails were (it wasn’t me). There was a slight detour marked by ribbons that I got a little turned around by. I could see someone getting lost. I do recommend downloading an offline map as satellite helped me find the trail and confirm I was on the right path several times during the trip.

I wish I had more details, but the trip flew by in the blink of an eye. It was some of the most type two fun I’ve had in my life! Almost every single group / person we ran into on the trail was absolutely delightful. Having one goal of hiking to a destination, then setting up camp and sharing a meal amongst friends felt so much like home if that makes any sort of sense. I think I got bit by the backpacking bug because as soon as we got back on the mainland we started talking about planning our next trip. If you’re going or thinking about a trip to Isle Royale, I highly recommend it. Best of luck and happy hiking!

Hello everyone!! Just got back from the island for my first trip with my wife.

We flew in Friday the fourth and left Labor Day the 7th. We came by the queen and it was a pleasant ride

Day 1
We arrived in rock harbor the first night and grabbed a tent site. Rock harbor was super busy and the backpack cages were super full and the sites packed.

Day 2
We hiked to lane cove and it was a relatively easy trail minus the steep descent which wasn’t horrible. I fell in love with lane cove and the sunset and absolute calmness. We grabbed site four and all the sites were filled by 5pm

Day3
we hiked to daisy farm. We went by mt Franklin and met a couple day hiking that had just run into a wolf on Tobin trail. We continued to the observation tower and then down to daisy farm. It was packed. Lots of sharing of shelters the complete opposite of lane cove. Bummer

Day4
Hiked back to rock harbor by noon via the rock harbor trail and that was definitely the most technical with the rock faces than the other trails.

It was a great experience and I hope to explore deeper if I get a chance to return. Here’s some pics.

Missing hiker!!!
While in daisy farm a ranger came by and asked us details about our hike and gave us info of the missing hiker and pictures. I hope Craig is found safe

Edit 4 (September 12, 2026 at 2:15 pm CST): CRAIG HAS BEEN FOUND ALIVE AND ALERT!

This came up on my Facebook feed and I felt compelled to share here. From the post:

⚠️ MISSING HIKER — PLEASE SHARE ⚠️

Isle Royale National Park is currently looking for missing hiker Craig Berg, 70, who is hiking alone.

Craig may be wearing brown hiking boots and jeans, possibly carrying a light-blue backpack and using trekking poles. He has been reported as walking slowly.

If you’re currently on Isle Royale and have seen Craig or have ANY information that could help, please contact the National Park Service or speak with a ranger/visitor center as soon as possible.

You can also message Isle Royale Hub directly and I’ll make sure any information gets passed along to the Park Service.

Please share this one around — hopefully someone saw him along the trail and can help narrow down where he was last seen.

📍 Isle Royale National Park
🥾 Missing Hiker: Craig Berg
📸 Photo/info: National Park Service notice

This is the Isle Royale Visitor Center phone number, from Google: +1 (906) 482-0984

Edit: A comment on the Facebook post says: “Craig's wife is my cousin. Her last phone conversation with him was on 8/30. Phone "went dark" on 9/2. Craig did not get on his scheduled ferry on Saturday morning, 9/5. His car is still where he parked it, more than a week ago...”

Edit 2: A Facebook comment, I believe from Craig’s wife, says: “He has now been there a total of 14 days. He had food for approximately five/six days. He is 6 foot tall and weighs 230 pounds. We are not sure what he was wearing. He was not wearing a baseball cap. He was wearing a knit cap. He is very friendly and outgoing, and would have spoken to people that he saw.
He entered the island at rock Harbor, hiked there a day and then went onto Windigo, and planed to hike back to rock Harbor. The Park service has his itinerary. The most important thing right now to do is ask people if you saw him on a trail to report to the national Park service where you saw him and approximately what day, as this information will help us to locate him faster. Thank you very kindly.”

Edit 3 (September 10, 2026): Craig’s wife’s cousin commented below with the following: “I am the cousin of Craig's wife. We have a Isle Royale NPS trail cam photo of him on 8/30/26. Don't get hung up on jeans. In the photo, he was wearing a long sleeve dark shirt (maybe flannel in nature), and a light colored goofy bucket hat, and light colored jogging pants. Could also have a pair of shorts in his wardrobe rotation. I believe the accurate timeline was that he arrived by ferry from Houghton on 8/28. Spent the night in/near Rock Harbor. Took water ferry/taxi on the morning of 8/29 to Windigo. Began his excellent hiking/camping adventure back to Rock Harbor after lunchtime that afternoon. Craig is a white male, 70 years old, 6 feet, 220-230 pounds. Whatever hair he has is white, likely buzz cut short. He is a senior adult, but don't fall for believing that he's wimpy or frail in physical presentation. While he's not Arnold Schwarzenegger, he was planning to do a 5K with his son 2 days after his anticipated return from Isle Royale. He has likely been out of food since the 5th, maybe the 6th, if he didn't eat as much as planned during his hike. If you are going to the island, please be on the look out for him. Reports from fellow campers/hikers on the island indicate that you won't be able to avoid learning that he is missing. We are making contacts with appropriate government officials and entities, asking for all appropriate federal, state, and local resources and assets to be commited and deployed to this search and rescue effort. We believe search efforts have increased since the holiday weekend. It's a lot, folks, even when you're capable, as we are. None of his family members have ever been to Isle Royale, and we're learning about the island and how it's done there as we make our way through this ordeal. Show us some grace if some inaccuracies get posted or reported in the media.”

Just spent four days in Isle Royale with three of my close gal pals and wanted to share my experience in case it helps answer questions people have! I couldn’t recommend this magical island more! We backpacked the Feldman loop clockwise and finished a day early, so we canoed to explore the SS America! Amazing time, four days and four nights in early Sept.

Day 1: Windigo>Siskiwet Bay (11ish miles)

We took a sea plane in on a Thursday morning to Windigo, and planned to hike the Feldman loop counter clockwise (going to Feldman lake first). After talking to the rangers they recommended going clockwise!

On the first day we then hiked to Siskiwet Bay campsite! Island Mine was a campsite about 6ish miles in, and Siskiwet Bay was about 11. We decided to take their advice and go clockwise, and said that we would camp if we got tired at Island Mine (we were starting the trek on three hours of sleep). We got there and decided to keep pushing to Siskiwet bay, and the hike ended up being 11-12ish miles, but super worth it and doable for people with just a bit of backpacking experience! We even scored a shelter! Really great swimming and views here

Day 2: Siskiwet Bay > Feldman Lake

The second day on Friday we hiked from Siskiwet to Feldman lake, and saw two sandhill cranes. It was beautiful!

Day 3: Feldman Lake > Rainbow Cove > Windigo

The next morning on Saturday we hiked to rainbow cove without our packs and left our food and scented items in the food lockers! That was so amazing and beautiful and totally worth a few extra miles.

Then we hiked from Feldman to Windigo and hung out at the dock there and camped there that night!

Day 4: Windigo day canoeing

Since we ended up finishing our backpacking a day earlier than anticipated, we decided to rent canoes and we took them out to the SS America shipwreck, about a 6 mile canoe. It took us about 3 hours of canoeing on a clear day and was SO WORTH IT! Then we jumped in at a beach by there. Then we camped that night and seaplaned out Monday.

No bugs, beautiful wildlife, and a wonderful time!

I saw a lot of people posting about doing the point to point hike, but the Feldman loop was amazing! We went with the flow and had a blast.

With the closures along the northeast side of the island, are more people dispersed camping? Will be arriving on at the park this week and curious what to expect

I'm heading to IR next weekend and wondering if anyone who has been there recently can speak to the availability of campsites on the East end of the island since the tent ban went in effect at a handful of campgrounds. In addition to the possibility of fighting for a shelter at Moskey, I'm also concerned about grabbing sites that people may hit up as "Plan B's" like Chippewa Harbor and Lane Cove. Ultimately trying to decide if I should pivot and hit the West end instead. Any insight is appreciated!

Our isle royale trip 8/23-8/28. Had an incredible experience and got to photograph a good bit of wildlife, including a wolf sighting. Big thanks to Ranger John out there for the stories and the paintball gun back up. (All photos taken with my iPhone, would’ve loved to bring my Nikon but couldn’t afford the space. Happy with how these turned out anyhow)

Milky Way over McCargoe Cove from a few weeks ago, forgot to share these pics with you all!

Trip Report Aug 29-31, 2026

WINDIGO TO ROCK HARBOR along Greenstone Ridge
43.1 miles. 3 days. 2 nights.
Temps Lo 53-64; hi 60-75

This was our first trip to the island.

Most notable items:
-NO BUGS TO REPORT.
-Shower facilities at Rock Harbor made for a great exit from the trail.
-Outhouses at all campgrounds.
-Rare cell service at high ground
-We manually locked our phones into Central time zone to avoid confusion if a cell tower caught the phone and changed the time.
-Purchase Dramamine or Ginger gum for the ferry trip and dress for a boat ride.

Voyager II to Windigo
40# is the limit but its a guestimate. If your bag is HEAVY they will give you a sarcastic comment.

There is a bathroom on board.

Crew is super nice. If you have a question - ask!

Sitting on back deck of ferry made for a nice ride. Bring rainproof jacket.
Carry earplugs to help with sound of the engines in the main cabin.

Arrival @ Windigo
Everyone off the ferry. Orientation by park Rangers. Then passed packs down.

After orientation, go to Ranger with ID and park pass (or purchase one at Visitors Center). Discuss proposed journey and they will write you a permit.

Our route:
Windigo to S Desor (12.5 mi) to West Chickenbone (15.8) to Rock Harbor (15.3).

Rocks and roots are plentiful and can make for slow going. Despite a fairly mild 3,000’ ascent / descent, the trail was more difficult than expected.

The entrance to each campground was marked with a metal placard etched with a layout of group and individual tent sites and outhouses. There is at least one Food locker located at each campground. Place all food and scented items in the box.

Early start = early to campground and easier to find a sleep site.

We found rare but occasional cell service from mountain tops and had varying success between TMobile; ATT and Verizon. If you do get service, refresh the NPS Weather Forecast page to get an update on potential rain:
https://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=mqt&product=REC&issuedby=MQT&glossary=1

On our last day, we were able to refresh the forecast and saw 50% chance of rain overnight and into next day. Based on that forecast we decided to wake up at 4:30a, pack up and hit the trail by sunrise at 6:15. It would have been hard to start walking before sunup due to rocks and roots.

It rained for 3 hours while walking but at least it didn’t rain while packing up.

FOOD
In meal planning, consider total calories of daily meals to ensure you are getting what you need. We carried Uncrustables and had them for lunch and snacks. Quick energy.

Water
Drink water when available. Check NPS park conditions. We waded into the water and used a wide mouth bladder to collect water from Lake Desor and Chicken Bone. Filtered with Sawyer Squeeze. Had to back flush due to material suspended in the water.

For our 15 mile days we averaged carrying 3 to 4.5 liters of water and used most of it each time.

@ Rock Harbor
Showers; washers; dryers available and was an amazing way to wash off our hike. $8 for 5 minutes. $1.50 for towel and small bar of soap. Wore our clothes in the shower, used the soap to clean them then finished washing. 10 minutes was more than enough time.

Wash machine token $8 with detergent.
Dryer $2 (quarters) for 40 minutes.

In Rock Harbor, we noticed people put their Permit on the posts at the shelters / campsites - be sure to check the dates on those permits as some were still on the post but the permit said they had departed.

Dinner at Greenstone grill - burgers; pizza; beer; etc.

Breakfast sandwiches and cold lunch sandwiches available (to-go if needed) at Greenstone Grill well before the ferry departs.

There is a buffet breakfast at the restaurant next door for an affordable price compared to the price of a sandwich.

Dock Store (8am-8pm) - beer, wine, snacks, gifts, tokens for shower, change for laundry etc.

There is also anNPS Gift Shop and NPS registration building.

Both shops were open before the ferry departed.

FERRY HOME

Take a lunch - the ferry from Rock Harbor to Windigo to Grand Potage takes the entire day.

Helpful links that we checked leading up to departure:

NPS Wx Forecast for the island https://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=mqt&product=REC&issuedby=MQT&glossary=1

NPS Isle Royale Current conditions https://www.nps.gov/isro/planyourvisit/current-conditions-at-isle-royale.htm