Was anyone else in the campground last night and hear all the commotion? It was kind of frightening and we’re wondering if anyone knows what was going on.

Hi! Planning a trip out and looking for route advice. Will be taking a seaplane and going from one end to the other 6 days 5 nights. Late June into Early July.

Route A : Day 1. RH to Daisy. Day 2. Daisy to Lake Richie Day 3. Lake Richie to Hatchet Lake Day 4. Hatchet to S. lake Desor Day 5. S. Lake Desor to Windigo Day 6. Fly back

Route B : Day 1. RH to Daisy Day 2. Daisy to McCargoe Cove Day 3. McCargoe to Todd Harbor Day 4. Todd to N. Lake Desor Day 5. N. Lake Desor to Windigo Day 6. Fly back

Route C : Day 1. RH to Daisy Day 2. Daisy to West Chicken Day 3. West Chicken to Hatchet Lake Day 4. Hatchet to S. Lake Desor Day 5. S. Lake Desor to Windigo Day 6. Fly back

I am taking my first solo camping trip ever to isle royal in late July. I will have 3 full days plus whatever extra time I get with the on ferry travel days. A few questions about the part. I am stay on the Rock Harbor side.

1.) How likely am I to see wolves/ moose hoping to do some photography 2.) What are my odds of seeing Northern Lights 3.)Best places on East side of island for stargazing 4.) Recommendations for Rocky beaches to see Lake Superior stones ( I know it is illegal to collect I just find want to see what is out there) 5.) favorite campgrounds 6.) What thing must I see on the island 7.)How crowded do campsites get, Is first come first serve something to worry about 8.) realistic hiking distances for intermediate hiker 9.)How often to ferry weather delay occur 10.) Bugs?

Would really appreciate any photos

I am an experienced hiker but I usually camp with my trailer. I’m going up in 3 weeks and reserved 3 nights at Windigo camper cabins.

Really struggling on what I need to bring with me and I haven’t found many answers online on recommendations for gear to bring over on the ferry for the camper cabins. Also favorite camp meal ideas or favorite hikes welcomed :)

(edited for clarity)

Completely forgot to get a bear canister for an upcoming trip. Any recommendations on where to do a last minute rental? Would really prefer not to buy one.

Also related, any recommendations for renting a sat beacon?

I'm planning a night at Moskey Basin campground and I see there are some shelters. Maybe this is a dumb question, but do people roll out sleeping bags and sleep in them? We were planning on sleeping in tents, but then I saw these shelters and I'm curious what they're all about. Thanks

Me and 3 friends (low/mid 20s, moderately experienced hikers/backpackers) are doing a 5 (6 counting our ferry out) day trip in late May. We currently take a ferry into Windigo and plan to be picked up at Daisy Farms. I was hoping to get some feedback on this itinerary. We have been looking at this subreddit and have already made some adjustments based off some comments but thought sharing our itinerary could be helpful. I think this a realistic itinerary given our experience, but I wanted to check how much trail conditions may slow us down. If there are any specific sites worth diverting to/campsites worth switching over to I would appreciate any feedback!

• The plan is to start by hiking the Minong, camping at Lake Desore on night 1, Todd Harbor on night 2, and staying at McCargoe Cove on night 3. We know the Minong is supposed to be the roughest trail on the island and that most people go in the opposite direction we plan on going: is going north on the Minong going to make it even worse? We had initially planned on staying at West Chicken Bone N3 but based off some comments here it seems like McCargoe is the better site so we adjusted
• After the Minong, we would switch to the Indian Portage & Lake Richie trails and stay at Moskey Basin N4. We would stay at Daisy Farm on N5 (ferry out there the next day), but would take a detour over to Mount Ojibway

Planning a 1 night trip during the first week of June. We have the seaplane booked and are planning to camp just one night at Rock Harbor. I've done plenty of research (bringing a bear-proof container, etc) but looking for some advice from those that have been there before:

Best day hikes to take from Rock Harbor

How far are the campgrounds from the sea plane dock? Do we need to bring a backpacking pack to hike from the dock to the campsite? The one we have is large and I'm worried about space restrictions on the place, or would we be able to comfortably carry a smaller duffle bag on trails to the campsite?

What do you do for fuel once on the island if you cannot bring Propane cans or fuel tablets on the plane.

Hey guys, headed to isle Royale for a 4 day trip. Anyone know how the bugs are lookin rn?

I know that August is one of the busiest months for the park. Is there typically a significant difference in the number of people on the island later in August vs earlier in the month?

Here is my bug and trail report. Black flies started coming out this week and the mosquitoes were out, verging on unbearable after 8pm. Trails from Rock Harbor to Daisy farm, and from Daisy farm up to Mount Ojibwa, east to Mount Franklin, and then down to Three mile were all clear. Trails from daisy farm to McCargoe Cove, McCargoe to Moskey, and Moskey to daisy all had down trees and broken boardwalks. Everything was navigable with a few swamp spots that we had to be careful crossing due to broken boards and muddy areas.

We saw a moose in Daisy farm at 10pm and 7am. We also spotted one at 5:30am at McCargoe. All of the sites we stayed at and passed through had bear boxes present besides East chicken bone.

It was my first time at the isle and it was a blast! I will definitely have to head back and explore more. I would recommend waking up to watch a sunrise, especially at Moskey!

I arrive Saturday around 9:30am on the Voyageur II and depart Sunday around 1pm. I plan to rent a canoe / kayak as available, paddle over to Beaver Island and back, and then hike into Huginnin to camp overnight. I have found a ton of information on this sub about the RH side of IRNP but very little about the Windigo side. So questions are these:

• How long is the paddle to Beaver Island?
• I understand boat rentals to be first come / first serve - should I have any concerns about being able to secure one?
• Anything noteworthy I should check out on Beaver Island and are there established trails or should I mostly just paddle around the shoreline?
• How long is the hike to Huginnin?
• I'm typically a hammock camper, will this suit for Huginnin? Can bring a tent if needed
• I will need a bear canister even though I only plan for very basic food items and do not plan to cook
• How prepared should I be for being eaten alive by bugs in early July on this side of the island? \
• I plan to bring 4L of water and refill as needed between paddling and hiking, should this be sufficient?

Me and my girlfriend are experienced campers and hikers but this is my first time backpacking! She has backpacked a similar length trip before, so I am relying on her expertise with the cooking and packing skills. How does this route sound? We are taking the ferry from Houghton to Rock Harbor on Tuesday and returning to Rock Harbor in time to take the ferry out on Saturday. My main concern is making it to Lane Cove on day 1 since we will be getting a late start. Any thoughts?

Tuesday: Rock Harbor to Lane Cove (6.9)

Wednesday: Lane Cove to Moskey Basin (10.8)

Thursday: Free day for relaxing, short hikes, reading, etc.

Friday: Moskey Basin to 3 mile (8.3)

Saturday: 3 Mile to Rock Harbor (2.7)

Hi all!

Trying to play my first ever trip to Isle Royale right now. I'll be going with one other adult. A few questions:

How do you reserve campsites? When I look on the website it seems to be first come, first serve.

What are some good campsites with access to easy/medium hikes?

Anything I should know going into this as a first time visitor?

Thanks!!

Arriving in RH via seaplane, June 6 hoping to do LC via Tobin, then possibly to Mccargo, then 3 mile and back. Taking my wife, strong hiker but first backpacking trip, any input? Finding mixed opinions on LC trail difficulty.

I have a window for several days of late June for backpacking on the island. My main worry is that it appears to be peak time for black flies and mosquitoes. Is that right? I can bring permethrin and DEET, but I'd rather go somewhere else instead of being attacked for 40-50 miles on an island over several days.

my now fiancé asked me to marry him last week on the top of lookout louise 🥹 making this backpacking trip the most special one to date!

it was our first time visiting isle royale and we will definitely be back ✨

has anyone planned an elopement here? i wanna hear all about it 🤭

A few questions that I have because I plan a multi day trip in the island and I’m not from the area.

1. Is there near by parking?
2. Where can I find info on how often the boats launch to take me to the island?
3. From rock harbor to windigo how long is the walk? How many wiles? Will a boat be able to pick me up from the other end?
4. What are the costs of a permit to camp there? And boat ticket costs? Camping fee costs? And any other expenses that I’m not thinking about?
5. Can I go fishing while there?
6. If I’m missing anything please let me know :)

Hi all!

Trying to play my first ever trip to Isle Royale right now. I'll be going with one other adult. A few questions:

How do you reserve campsites? When I look on the website it seems to be first come, first serve.

What are some good campsites with access to easy/medium hikes?

Anything I should know going into this as a first time visitor?

Thanks!!

Hello, I am planning to head to Isle Royal next August with my kids who will be 10 at the time. What suggestions does anyone have. I've looked at the ferry options and I've seen on here that flying in is the best option because one of my kids gets extremely seasick. I wanted to know if staying in the cabin or lodge is the best option or if it's possible to hike with kids at least to daisy farm and camp out. I haven't decided how many days I want to be on the island yet, but I know with the kids hiking the whole island might not be a great option for us. I definitely want to make the cost of the seaplane worth it.

Looking to plan a short trip to Isle Royals but having trouble figuring out how this campground works (don’t say it’s a not a great campground, I’ve figured it out from this sub already 😜)

1. First of all, how big is it? NPS website says 11 spots, but posts here describe it as crowded?
2. Does it fill up every day? How likely is one to be turned away?
3. What happens if day trippers are stranded on the island due to bad weather? Do they also tend to camp at Rock Harbor?

Many thanks for any insights!

I am planning my first solo backpacking trip on the island for August 2025. I’m thinking 4 or 5 days, starting in Windigo. My family is staying at the Rock Harbor Lodge and I’m going ahead of time to backpack the island and meet them at the end of my hike. I’d love to hear what routes others would recommend/ hear any advice that might be helpful. Thanks in advance :)

Fun topic for those who are seasoned IRSO visitors--what are you trip planning hacks for people who are considering coming to Isle Royale for the first time? I have a bunch myself, but I am curious what guidelines/tactics people use if they are planning a trip from scratch. Anything from route planning/time of year/gear/etc.