I don’t know how true it is, but there is an expression about Isle Royale National Park: “Least visited, but most revisited.” After spending three nights on this remote island in Lake Superior, I can certainly understand why visitors return.
For us, however, this is probably a “one and done” adventure. At our age, we don’t take the prospect of two seven-hour ferry rides lightly, hauling luggage and food, and paying a premium price for what can only be described as very basic lodging. Yet Isle Royale has been on my National Park bucket list for years, and we were determined to experience this unique wilderness for ourselves.
It was interesting to learn that Isle Royale is an archipelago, not just an island. Isle Royale, the largest island, is about 45–50 miles long and up to 9 miles wide. But it also includes @450 surrounding smaller islands and rocky islets in Lake Superior. It really is one of the most isolated places in the Lower 48.
Getting to Isle Royale is part of the adventure. Unlike most national parks, this one has no roads leading to a visitor center. Reaching the island requires a long boat ride or seaplane flight across the often-choppy waters of Lake Superior.
As the mainland faded into the distance and the island slowly emerged on the horizon, it became clear that this would be a very different national park experience. There were two stops before we got to our destination, Rocky Harbor. At the first stop, we were all asked to disembark and listen to the park ranger speak about the island’s rules. The most important was the Leave No Trace principle. Everything brought to the island should leave with you, as special care is taken to protect the fragile ecosystem.
Our seven-hour ride also took us through a time zone change (from Minnesota to Michigan), so we lost one hour. By the time we checked into our lodge, unpacked, and explored a bit, all we had time for was a stop at the grill for a bite to eat before bed. We were disappointed that the rooms had no tables for playing games 😂😂
Each morning, we set out on a different hiking trail, exploring forests, rocky shorelines, and inland lakes. The scenery was beautiful in a quiet, understated way. The mosquitoes, however, were neither.
There are no dramatic geysers, towering waterfalls, or famous overlooks here. Instead, Isle Royale rewards visitors with solitude, pristine wilderness, and the feeling of being far removed from the modern world.
One of Isle Royale’s birds, however, nearly got the better of me! Hearing a bird call, I was scanning the treetops, hoping to spot the singer, when I forgot the first rule of hiking at my age: watch your feet!!!! The rocky and root-bound trail quickly reminded me of that lesson, and I took a spectacular tumble.
Given my osteoporosis, it was not my finest moment! Thankfully, after checking that all the important parts still worked and resting for five minutes, I was able to stand up and continue on my way with no broken bones. The bird, probably a loon, remained unidentified, but it certainly left a bruising impression!
Daily ranger programs were offered. Topics included the park’s famous wolves and moose, the challenges of preserving such an isolated ecosystem, and island history.
Where did they come from?
Isle Royale National Park is a fascinating place because it is an island wilderness — about 45 miles long, surrounded by the cold waters of Lake Superior.
The animals there had to arrive somehow and then adapt to a very isolated life. The moose (@524) likely reached Isle Royale in the early 1900s by swimming across Lake Superior from the mainland (possibly when the lake was ice-covered). The wolves (37 wolves in 3 packs) probably arrived when a winter ice bridge formed between the island and the mainland. Because Isle Royale is isolated, the wolf population has become very small and genetically related over time.
Many smaller mammals (foxes, squirrels, beavers, otters, etc.) likely arrived over thousands of years through a combination of ice bridges during cold periods, swimming, or floating on debris/logs. The island is actually a pretty good habitat for these animals because there are no predators like bears or mountain lions — wolves are the main large predator. There are also huge forests to provide shelter and food, and wetlands and lakes provide fish, plants, and insects.
A famous relationship here is the
Moose–Wolf Cycle:
- Moose eat the island’s vegetation.
- Wolves hunt moose.
- When moose numbers rise, wolves have more food.
- When wolves increase, moose decline.
- Their populations rise and fall together.
There are presently an estimated 524 moose on Isle Royale. The moose population has plummeted by roughly 75% since peaking at over 2,000 in 2019. This dramatic decline is primarily driven by a recovering and thriving wolf population (now at 37 wolves—the highest number seen on the island since the late 1970s) along with previous years of over-browsed vegetation and starvation. The other harsh part is that winter is brutal: Moose must dig through snow to find twigs, bark, and aquatic plants, and wolves may travel miles over frozen lakes and snow to find prey. A bad winter can affect both species.
Because the island is so isolated, it has become a natural experiment. Scientists have been studying the wolves and moose here for decades to understand predator-prey relationships, on an island where nature has fewer outside influences. For the first time in the 68-year history of the Michigan Technological University winter study, researchers counted zero moose calves, signaling a highly precarious time for the island’s moose.
Our second ranger talk was on the history of Isle Royale, which is fascinating because it has been shaped by its isolation, the water, and the people who ventured here.
- Long before Europeans arrived, Indigenous peoples traveled to Isle Royale. The island was especially important for copper. Ancient mining pits on the island date back thousands of years. People mined native copper from rock veins and used it for tools, ornaments, and trade.
- In the 1600s–1700s, French explorers and fur traders entered the Lake Superior region. The island became known through maps and accounts as a remote place in the great inland sea.
- By the 1800s, Isle Royale became home to seasonal fishing communities. Scandinavian families built fishing cabins, docks, and small settlements along the shoreline. Commercial fishing (especially for lake trout and whitefish) was a major livelihood. Some of those old cabins and fishery sites still remain.
- The island’s copper attracted miners, but mining never became as successful there as it did on the nearby Keweenaw Peninsula. The rugged terrain, isolation, and difficulty transporting materials made large-scale mining impractical.
- The island’s remoteness eventually became its greatest treasure. In 1940, Isle Royale was designated a national park to protect its wilderness character. Later, it was designated an International Biosphere Reserve because of its unique ecosystem.
Because dining options are limited, we packed some of our own food. Fortunately, the island’s two small restaurants provided a welcome break from our trail snacks. Sitting down to a hot meal, burger or pizza, after a day of fresh air felt like a luxury, even if the food was “underwhelming”!
One of the things that surprised me most was how quickly life on an island slows down. Without cars, traffic, shopping centers, or even reliable cell service, there were few distractions. Walks felt more leisurely. Even watching boats and seaplanes come and go from the harbor became entertainment!
So, was it worth the effort and expense? Absolutely. Isle Royale may not be the easiest national park to visit, but that is part of what makes it special. The remoteness filters out casual tourists, leaving behind those who truly want to experience the island.
Now, when we hear people talk about the “least visited, most revisited” national park, we’ll understand exactly what they mean!
We may never return, but we are grateful that we made the journey. Of the 63 national parks, Isle Royale may be one of the hardest to reach (but probably easier than the 5 in the Arctic or the one in the South Pacific!)—but that challenge is exactly what preserves the wilderness experience that makes it so memorable.
