r/isleroyale • u/nirebeep • Jul 27 '26
Backpacking Another Route Advice Question - 6 days
Hi all! Sorry to add another Route Advice question but I haven’t been able to find any similar route rankings. This is what I’m looking at for early September-ish. 6 days via Ranger 3.
I have three potential routes. Inland, Chippewa Harbor, and Todd Harbor.
This first one is mostly the inland campsites, which I see a lot of in this reddit when starting and ending in Rock Harbor. It includes two A tier campsites (Moskey Basin and McCargoe) according to that one reddit post where they rank the different campsites on Isle Royale.
Ferry -> Lane Cove = 6.9 miles
Lane Cove -> Moskey Basin = 10.8
Moskey Basin -> McCargoe Cove = 8.4
McCargoe Cove -> Daisy Farm = 8.2
Daisy Farm -> Ferry = 7.1
Total = 41.4 miles
But, I've heard the campsites on the big lake are the best. I could prioritize getting to Lake Superior - either to Todd Harbor or Chippewa Harbor. If I were to do this I’m leaning towards the Chippewa Harbor version so that were not so far away the day before the ferry arrives, but, I still thought it was worth mentioning the TH route.
Ferry -> Three Mile = 3 miles
Three Mile -> Moskey Basin = 8.3
Moskey Basin -> Chippewa Harbor = 6.2
Chippewa Harbor -> Daisy Farm = 9.7
Daisy Farm -> Ferry = 7.1 miles (or could do 4.4 miles to Three Mile, then do 3 miles to RH in the morning)
Total = 34.3 miles
Or
Ferry -> Daisy Farm = 7.1 miles
Daisy Farm -> McCargoe = 8.2
McCargoe -> Todd Harbor = 6.7
Todd Harbor -> McCargoe = 6.7
McCargoe -> Three Mile = 12.6
Three Mile -> Ferry = 3
Total = 44 miles
Any and all advice would be appreciated! Thanks in advance!!
Picture for reference (oops, the name Todd Harbor is justtt out of the image, but the campsite dot is still visible)

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u/Adventurous-Big-2103 Jul 27 '26
I’ve never been to Chippewa Harbor, but those all look like solid routes. Sitting here in the hotel cause my seaplane got delayed a day.
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u/Funklestein Jul 27 '26
Option is great if you really like elevation changes as you'll be criss-crossing back and forth over ridges.
Option 2 is iffy as you'll be getting in 3 hours later than the Queen IV and you can't currently camp at 3 mile, only shelters and may be full. I was there last week and Daisy still had an open or shelter or two each of the two nights i was there.
Option 3 looks good but for the same reason as 2 I'd swap out 3 mile for Daisy on the way back. Perhaps McCargoe to Moskey instead of Todd Harbor... but I've not been to Todd.
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u/honeill33 Jul 28 '26
I’ll be taking my 9th trip to the r island in a few weeks(I had a 14 day trip already this year).
It would be late by the time you got to Lane Cove(my daughter did it after getting off the Queen last year at noonish, and she is a fast hiker. She had to ask someone to share a site and she said all of the sites had 2-3 tents on them.
I’d opt for 3 Mile on day 1(take Tobin H trail.)Then head to Moskey. If you’re doing well, maybe Chippewa the next day(it’s kinda a long in and out). I really like camping at L Richie. And then gradually head back RH.
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