isle royale: my story

Isle Royale Memoir June 11 – 15, 2024

Isle Royale National Park has been on my bucket list for most of my life. Since I have lived much of my life within a short distance to the mainland headquarters you would think I would’ve visited it by now. (I did visit it for a brief overnight when I was around 14, but just stayed in a tent within the campground so I don’t really count that.)

Isle Royale National Park is an island in the middle of Lake Superior and technically a part of Michigan. The only way to reach it is by ferry boat or seaplane, therefor it is the least visited National Park other than the Gates of the Arctic National Park in Alaska.

Every year, the Summer would go by too quickly and as a self-employed, solo parent for many years the dream of the trip would get pushed to “next year” when I would have time to plan better. So, when my aunt and uncle told me that they would be working and volunteering out on Mott Island which is the hub of operations out there, I knew I had to make the plans to just go.

The Ranger III is a boat that leaves out of Houghton, MI twice a week to Isle Royale so I finalized the plans to depart with my aunt on a Tuesday and return by myself on the Saturday boat. I was finally doing it! My family was initially a bit sad that they weren’t coming along on this trip, but they were also supportive and excited for me. Also, the cost for a family of 4 would have been quite pricey so I promised that this would be a scouting trip for me to get the lay of the land and be able to plan a family trip at a later date.

Tuesday the 11^th

Getting to Isle Royale

I was so excited and a little anxious about having everything I would need while on the island. I knew I would need warm clothes and layers for any sort of weather. The forecast was calling for a range of 50-60 degrees during the day with wind and rain as well. So, I packed everything from a swimsuit and shorts and sandals to my puffy down jacket and wool socks. I was taking my bigger Osprey Aurora backpack and then our small Deuter Climbing backpack to serve as my daypack to have for the boat ride. I kept snacks and some of my more fragile items like my laptop in it as well. I wasn’t sure how much the bags would get tossed around in the hold, so I wanted to be safe.

I kissed my family goodbye and headed out towards Houghton where the Ranger III is docked. As I turned down the street and saw the Ranger III below waiting to be boarded, I got so excited I let out a screech. I have been on the boat once as a young teen for an overnight trip to the Island but don’t remember all that much other than it being long.

I was a bit confused about where I was supposed to park and leave my car. I was meeting up with my aunt and she had mentioned an upper lot but I didn’t see any signage for that, so I drove down towards the Isle Royal Park headquarters sign where there was a gate and a sign pointing to the right directing me to drive down the bike path with cation. There was a whole line of cars ahead of me and soon also behind me as well.

For future reference, I did find out that there is an upper lot which is across from the Citgo gas station and there is a concrete walkway coming down from there to get down to headquarters easier from there. In general, there is not usually any room to park in the lot at headquarters but if you have a lot of gear, you can drive down, drop off your gear and then drive back up to park. However, you will be trying to squeeze back next to all the vehicles waiting in line to get through. So, if you have a larger vehicle, it would be a bit of a pain.

Another note, you will want to make sure that you have your boarding pass or identification with you to show the crew at the gate. I made the mistake of having already packed my wallet in my daypack which was in my trunk which caused me to be that annoying person holding up the line.

After all of that was sorted out and I had found a place to park, I got in line to check my large backpack and got the colored tag which you write your last name on and put in the appropriate cart depending on whether you are going to Mott Island or Rock Harbor. Most people reading this will be going to Rock Harbor. Mott Island is where most of the Island operations crew live. In my case, I was staying with my aunt and uncle on Mott Island.

After a quick look in the gift shop, my aunt noticed that there was a line forming to get ready to board so we went out and waited. We wanted to try to get one of the “comfy” seats in the middle of the boat to help us not to have any seasickness. The forecast was beautiful though with minimal waves expected. I do tend to get motion sickness easily though, so I took two of the Less-Drowsy Dramamine as a precaution as well.

Before you board, you must scrape your feet on the boot brush to help eliminate any invasive species from coming over to the island via your feet. While waiting in line we could see the various boats that guests were taking to the island getting loaded onto the bow of the ship. Passengers are allowed 100 lbs of gear per person for free and then additional gear is $12/100 lbs. Canoes and kayaks start at $35 while boats start at $125 which seems quite reasonable to me. However, watercraft is also available to rent on the island if you do not bring your own.

When it was time, we boarded and were able to get the seats we wanted but were a little disappointed that the concessions area would not be open this year. I had been hoping for a hot coffee once we got out into the Lake. Soon enough, we were casting off and began our trip by crossing underneath the Portage Lake Lift Bridge which connects the cities of Houghton and Hancock. Traffic is stopped and the bridge lifts to allow taller vessels to pass underneath. As we stood along the outside of the boat, I was delighted to see a woman come out and excitedly wave to us as we passed by. I could hear somebody else remark that she comes out and waves to passengers every time the Ranger III goes by.

While we stayed out to watch the houses along the canal passing by, inside the boat a Park Ranger gave a talk and answered questions about camping permits and basic island rules and regulations. As we drew closer to the end of the canal and approached the Lake Superior break wall, the temperature dropped noticeably and soon we went back inside to our comfortable seats. Around us many people visited while others promptly fell asleep. With the early 9am departure, I wondered how many had possibly driven long hours that morning or perhaps slept in their cars the night before.

It was decidedly chilly even inside the boat but as I made my way to the bathrooms, I noticed that it was even colder further inside where there were tables of people playing games and eating their lunches. I wished that I had not packed my down puffy jacket inside my main backpack which was now stowed in the hold of the ship. It was kind of a surreal experience as the Michigan shoreline disappeared behind us and we were literally suspended by freezing cold water in the middle of the Lake. Ironically enough, the Park Ranger decided this was a perfect time to put on a video about Isle Royale including stories of all the shipwrecks that had happened in the past!

Soon enough though, I could see the shoreline of the island on the horizon and hour by hour it slowly crept closer and almost before I realized it, we were approaching Rock Harbor Lighthouse. All the passengers started waking up and chattering in anticipation as the engines started slowing down. I went out onto the back deck but soon started shivering along with many others. I returned inside to don my raincoat which would at least help block the wind. The air already smelled fresher outside and the dinging of the entrance buoy gave a pleasant welcome as we all turned to snap pictures of the beautiful sight of the Rock Harbor Lighthouse as the boat turned into Middle Island passage.

We had made very good time as we docked at Mott Island. As we waited to dock, we could see my uncle waving and the crew waiting to help with the lines. We disembarked, the cart with our gear was being wheeled off and we had arrived!

I was eager to see the island’s landscape, so I got a quick tour around some of the park housing, recreation area and even a cute barrel sauna next to the shore. We decided to take a quick hike on the Mott Island Trail before dinner to stretch our legs. It is a 2.6-mile single track loop which is a nice jaunt for park personnel and the occasional hiker to take but we had the trail completely to ourselves other than a swarm of hungry mosquitoes. The highlight was seeing an abandoned Bald Eagles nest on the top of one of the trees. After seeing so many gorgeous wildflowers along the way, I was anxious to explore some more in the upcoming days ahead.

Wednesday the 12^th

Cemetery Island

The next morning dawned overcast and a bit windy. I have experience on rivers and inland lakes with my cheap plastic kayak but no real experience on Lake Superior. We were going to be using kayaks that were unfamiliar to me, so we decided to play it by ear and see how the weather was as we went through the day. We had been unexpectedly invited to a very special flag-raising event over at Rock Harbor, so we knew we had to be back by 4pm.

We packed our lunches and filled our water containers and headed down to the place where the kayaks were kept. We got everything finally situated, it took me awhile to figure out how to adjust the foot pegs and off we went. It felt great to be on the water and I marveled at how you could clearly see the bottom. I didn’t see any fish, but loons are everywhere out there. We hugged the shoreline, and I was able to see how rocky it was. I was hesitant going into the trip because my right shoulder sometimes gives me trouble and I am always careful not to injure it. A few years ago, while on a Spring camping trip, I had pulled a utility sled full of gear into our campsite and ended up being in severe pain for weeks afterward. That is something that I did not want to happen again, especially being so far from any medical facilities, not to mention how it would limit my trip significantly.

I was very happy that my shoulder was doing ok, in fact it was my left shoulder that seemed to be hurting a bit this time around. I found that if I sat leaning slightly forward, it eliminated the pain, and I was able to paddle more normally. The water levels are down significantly compared to past years, so were not even close to being able to use the dock when we got to Cemetery Island, so we just beached our kayaks on shore and bushwacked until we found a narrow trail up to the old cemetery. The existing fence and headstones are now replicas of the original markers, but it still brought a sense of sadness as I thought about the people’s whose lives were lost and then were laid to rest on this tiny island. It was especially sad as I read that one of the original bodies buried there was an infant daughter, and I could see that a couple others were just in their twenties when they passed away. I also thought about what a lovely spot it was to be laid to rest although now I since have read about the graves being vandalized possibly in the nineties.

After some time of silence and reflection we found a small trail that led us down to a small cove on the other side where a pair of mergansers appeared to be nesting. We moved away down the shoreline and came out across from Caribou Island where there were a number of boats docked and I could see one of the tent shelters that is available first-come first-serve throughout the park.

We made our way back to our kayaks, dodging several large piles of moose droppings throughout the very thick trees. I marveled at how the large animals could possibly move their huge bodies through the trees, but I suppose they swim across to be safe from the wolven predators on the other side. We paddled slowly back toward the way we had come trying to find a place called “Gilbert’s Hole” that I was told was a very deep swimming hole next to the rock cliffs that supposedly young people would jump daringly into. We did find it, but with the Lake Superior water levels being so low there was not even enough water to get through with my kayak to investigate the hole and it was too rocky to beach the kayak. I will have to save that for another time perhaps!

Along the way back we found an area protected from the currents and ate our lunch right in our kayaks and listened to the numerous birds calling back and forth amongst the trees. Checking the time, we realized that we should probably be getting back and as we paddled back into the main channel discovered that the wind had picked up quite a bit and we had to paddle quite hard in one spot to avoid being pushed into the shallow shoreline. Once we got out a bit more though, the wind did a great job of pushing us quickly along in the direction we needed to go, and we simply had to steer. It was quite fun!

The Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Flag Raising Ceremony

We got back just in time as it started to sprinkle. And then fully rain.  I changed into my rain pants and jacket, and it was time to catch a ride in one of the park’s boats over to Rock Harbor for the flag raising ceremony. It was a wet ride, but I was excited that I happened to be on the island for the ceremony. It was originally supposed to be outdoors but the weather forced us inside as we listened to John Morrin, Grand Portage Band of Chippewa’s Councilman speak and the Stonebridge Singers perform a welcome song and drum circle ceremony. We also heard from Denice Swanke, the Isle Royale Park superintendent and Bert Frost, the National Park Service’s Midwest Regional director. Finally, some remarks from author Tim Cochrane regarding some of the history of the people on the island over the years, at which time the weather had cleared and we all filed outside to watch the Grand Portage Nation’s flag be raised up along with the United States Flag. Flying the flag in the park honors the Grand Portage Band’s historic and lasting relationship with the island, known to the regional Anishinaabe as “Minong,” The Good Place. The Stonebridge Singers closed us out with the Traveling song and the beauty of it brought tears to my eyes as I could feel all their emotions. I was so glad to have been there to witness the Historic moment.

Edison Fishery and Rock Harbor Lighthouse

After our return to Mott Island and a quick dinner, the skies had cleared significantly and the sun was finally peaking out so we decided to go for an evening boat ride over to see Edison Fishery. This place was once a small, family-operated commercial fishery that was in operation from 1910-1975. These days you can tour around and inside some of the buildings and get an idea of what it may have looked like. Behind the main building there is a trail that you can take where there is an outhouse and then to the other side where you will find the stunning Rock Harbor Lighthouse. We also found quite a horde of hungry mosquitoes along the way, so I was quite glad that we were able to go inside of the lighthouse to escape them. Inside is a small museum like display showing some of the surrounding history along with Maritime maps and such. Although you used to be able to climb the stairs to the top of the tower, it is currently closed off due to an unsafe stairway. Hopefully, new stairs will be built again at some point as I’m told the view from the top is wonderful. There is a path off to the side that you can climb up to the top of the large rock though for a great view and picture opportunity of the lighthouse.

Thursday the 13^th

Kayak to Three-mile Point

We had a very ambitious day planned for this day and I was very happy when the day dawned calm and pleasant. After packing up sandwiches and snacks, I filled my camelback and grabbed with my trusty trekking pole. My aunt and I headed for the kayaks. We were also each going to be carrying one oar for the canoe which was stashed over in Tobin Harbor. My shoulders were stiff but after a bout of easy paddling, my muscles warmed up enough that I was able to paddle at a better pace. We spied a hiker who was hiking on his way to Daisy Farm, a few miles away. He let us know that the trails were kind of wet and more slippery than he had anticipated, and expressed concern that he was hiking alone if he were to fall.

We wished him luck and kept on paddling to Three-mile harbor where again the dock was very high and we ended up beaching our kayaks along the shore. We made sure to pull them way up on shore and tipped them over so there would be no chance of them washing away without us while we were gone.

Hike to Tobin Harbor

With backpacks on and a trekking pole and a canoe paddle in each of our hands, we headed up the trail towards Rock Harbor. The trail didn’t seem especially wet to me, but I was glad to have my trekking pole to help climb up and down all the boulders strewn along the pathway. My left knee is my weaker link so having my pole on that side helps. The views along the trail were beautiful, but knowing we had a long day ahead of us as well as constantly having to watch my footing, I did not take many photos or videos along the way. The highlight of this trek was when we had paused for a moment and suddenly a dark fox came trotting as quickly as could be right along the shore past us. He or she did not look right or left even when we whistled to try to get it to stop for a picture. He was on some sort of mission to get somewhere, and we heard later that day that he had run right through Rock Harbor past the people there as well.

As we hiked along, it got hotter and hotter, and I slowly started taking off my layers as I went and stuffing them into my pack. We stopped in at the gift shop and I got a patch which I collect and some Isle Royale stickers as well, then we headed across to Tobin Harbor where the canoe was waiting. I was happy to have a bit of a break and sat on the dock eating lunch while off in the distance some very ominous dark cloud banks rolled in and then soon some thunder off in the distance. Unfortunately, it was coming right from the direction that we were about to travel.

Canoe and Hike to Monument Rock and Lookout Louise

Tobin Harbor is where the seaplanes arrive and take off and there was a group of people waiting for one to arrive. We had to carry the canoe past them, and they kindly offered to help push us off once we got in. We had a successful launch and paddled off across to the other side as the wind picked up and then a few miles down to the Hidden Lake dock where again there was nowhere to pull up the canoe, so we had to beach it along the shoreline. This one a bit trickier as there were scrubby trees much closer to the water, but we made it out without getting our feet wet and got the canoe pulled up as far as we were able and flipped over once again.  After using the nearby outhouse, we got our bug nets ready to be put on. The thunder was much closer now and we were heading up to Look out Louise. The trail goes through some wet areas here but luckily there are long boardwalks built over these areas. However, this meant that the mosquitoes got really bad. I could see how you could almost be driven mad just by the sound of them constantly in your ears and them flying into your eyes and mouth. I was so glad to have the mosquito net to put on even though it made it a little harder to see and surprisingly they are kind of warm as they trap your breath inside a bit.

I had heard about the fire that had happened there in 2021 caused by a lightning strike but it was quite surprising when you see the devastation. There were dead trees everywhere, some were still standing but many were fallen, and jumbles of boulders and charred bits of wood were everywhere with the trail winding up and around it all. There were pops of color from wildflowers dotted all over and I was reminded of the tenacity of life continuing after a disaster. Standing tall in the midst of it all, there was a large slab of rock rising up high above. This was Monument Rock, an inland sea stack which had been carved out thousands of years ago when lake levels were once significantly higher. We admired it as it started to rain and kept climbing up the trail towards Lookout Louise above us.

Right as I reached the top a big clap of thunder sounded off in the other direction, the thunderstorm part had moved past us while we were climbing. The view at the top appears to have grown in a bit compared to other pictures I have seen or else there may have been a better viewing place previously that is now inaccessible due to the fire-damaged trees all over the place. It was still a breath-taking view. Funny enough, I finally had cell service for the first time up there as well and all my text messages came through. I was surprised to see that it had taken us longer to get there to our halfway point than we had anticipated so I took the opportunity to message my uncle our location and time so he hopefully wouldn’t worry about us. It started to rain harder on our way back down and we had to be extra cautious not to slip. The only good part was that it did cut down on the mosquitoes.

We got back to our canoe and paddled quickly back as the storm continued to recede into the distance and a seaplane also flew overhead, landed and then quickly took off again. I wondered if it was just now picking up the group we had seen earlier due to the storm that had come and gone. As we approached the Tobin Harbor dock, we could see several people already waiting for the next plane to arrive, it’s a busy place! Once again, a friendly person offered to help us with the canoe, and we got it back on the canoe rack and quickly headed up the trail once again.

Suzy’s Cave

This time we took the trail along Tobin Harbor, and it was a little nicer of a trail with nice views of the harbor. It was still lightly raining with the sun peeking through the clouds. We turned up the trail at the intersection for Suzy’s Cave as the temperature climbed once again. By the time we arrived at the cave, it was nice to shed layers and go into the dark interior for a snack break. Suzy’s Cave is an inland sea cave that was carved out when Lake Superior’s levels were much higher. How did it get its name, well it seems that years ago a young girl named Suzy took shelter there. So, there you have it! The mosquitoes were once again on the attack, so we did not linger. We opted to just continue back along the lower trail again and by this point my feet were starting to get really tired and my left knee was complaining about all of the rocks to climb up and down. My pace slowed as I reminded myself that this was the time to be more cautious. Injuries happen more when we are tired, and I was not going to be THAT person getting airlifted out.

Most injuries at the park are trauma-related, and in the past, the U.S. Coast Guard and park rangers have rescued injured people using distress signals and personal locator beacons. I was actually surprised to see Isle Royale listed as the 3^rd most unsafe national park on Kuhl’s National Park Safety Index but I suspect this rating is due to lack of nearby medical facilities rather than actual injuries.

We finally reached our overturned kayaks, and I was so relieved to paddle out into the lake and get away from the mosquitoes. There was no wind pushing us this day, but the paddle back was fairly easy, and thoughts of a spaghetti dinner had my stomach growling. As we pulled into our home bay, my uncle was waiting for us, and he expressed that he had been a bit worried that we were gone so long. I was surprised that it was already after 7pm. We had been gone for over 8 hours; I didn’t feel like we had dawdled too much so it goes to show you that time does pass differently when you are on the island ha-ha!

Sidenote: I discovered that night that at some point when we were up on Lookout Louise, my phone had switched time zones on me without me knowing. SO, when I had sent the text with our time and location, it was actually an hour off. I am told that this happens at different spots on the island, but in fact the whole island is in Eastern time.

Friday the 14^th

Kayak to Rock Harbor Lighthouse

This was my last full day on Isle Royale, and it turned out to be perfect weather with lovely blue skies, mild temps and a gentle breeze. My feet and knee were a bit sore, so we planned a much easier day starting with a picnic lunch back over by the Rock Harbor lighthouse. We paddled the kayaks over and took our time just floating and chatting while taking pictures of the lighthouse from the water side. Beaching the kayaks on the shore here was a bit trickier with larger rocks and a steeper slope up from the shoreline. Sitting in the sun at the top of “Moby Dick” an outcropping of rock next to the lighthouse, I felt my heart overflowing with gratitude for this whole experience of life. I was sitting on a rock in the middle of Lake Superior with a bald eagle perched in the tree across from me. My happiness came down to pleasantly sore muscles, the excitement of a cheese stick for a snack and another trail waiting to be explored.

Hike to Moose Graveyard

Taking the trail back down the rock and behind the lighthouse, we headed back towards Edison’s Fishery but turned instead onto the trail for the “Moose Graveyard” where Dr Rolf Peterson and his wife Candy have been doing a wolf-moose study since the early 1970s.

 As I walked the trail, I heard the Ranger III making its way through the channel behind me, so I found an opening in the thick trees lining the shore and hung over the edge to try to capture video of the boat. A moment later I heard hikers coming down the trail and then sharp exclamations of surprise as they spotted me, a strange creature stumbling around in the bushes. I turned around and they looked ready to run in the other direction until I pulled up my bug net and offered them a sheepish smile to show that I was a just a normal crazy lady trying to get a good photo.

Upon reaching the historic Bangsund cabin that the park allows the Petersons to call home for the summer, I was surprised at how cute it was. This cabin is famous for being home to the boneyard, which has a large collection of moose bones that helps them study moose deaths on the island. The Petersons were just getting ready to go meet up with the Ranger that was coming in earlier than expected, but they took a moment to greet us and tell us to please look around on our own. All around there were tables and shelves of bones and skulls, many with antlers still attached. Each one had a small card attached with research notes stating how the moose died. As I walked to the back there were even older and larger skulls including the largest ever found and one very unusual rack with gnarls and bumps all over it. From what I could tell, it looks like their current study is about the link of periodontal disease and osteoarthritis in the moose population. I would be interested in going back again and learning more from the couple. I was struck by how passionate these people are about their work spending over fifty years battling the elements of Isle Royale in all seasons including part of the Winter out there as well raising their family there.

Raspberry Island

That evening, we boarded my uncle’s boat and headed to Raspberry Island which I was also very excited to see. This little island is special because it is a mix of boreal forest, a fragile bog, and scenic rocky shores. Paths and planked bridges lead past many unusual plants; including the insect-eating sundew and pitcher plants that thrive in the acidic bog environment as well as hanging sheets of moss. The trail is short, but I spent so much time taking numerous pictures of the plants and flowers and even the algae growing in beautiful swirls and colors.

Rock Harbor

Afterwards, we boated across to Rock Harbor so that I could see more of Rock Harbor’s lodging for guests and workers, look at the restaurant and get an idea of what it’s like on that part of Isle Royale. The Rock Harbor Lodge has around 60 rooms and I’m told books up very fast and there are also some cabins that are part of the lodge as well. Dining options are the Greenstone Grille for breakfast lunch and dinner and The Lighthouse Restaurant which has just breakfast and dinner hours. There was a “guest house” where public is welcome and a quick walk-through showed some comfortable chairs next to a fireplace as well as various books and games that could be taken out on the back deck. Around the side there is a large firepit where guests can lounge and even some poker sticks for roasting marshmallows. There is also a park headquarters and a gift shop with some limited groceries and camping supplies. Pay per use showers are also available behind the gift shop area. Behind the scenes there are dorms for the Rock Harbor employees, and I even saw a sign for a recreation hall.

Overall, Rock Harbor seems like a fun place to stay if you are not up for roughing it in a tent and have more of a budget. For reference, the rooms start at around $250/night plus taxes and fees for two people.

Triple Rainbow over Lake Superior

Returning to Mott Island and just sitting down for dinner at around 9 pm, my aunt suddenly yelled and jumped up, almost causing me to spit out my drink. I realized she was yelling because there was the most stunning surprise outside, a triple rainbow right over Lake Superior! I abandoned my dinner and spent the next half an hour delighting in the fact that I happened to be in just the right place and time to witness such a miracle. It was a fitting end to my final day visiting Isle Royale.

Saturday the 15^th

Returning Home

The next morning, I was packed and ready for the boat to pick me back up. The boat which I had witnessed the day before coming in, had docked and stayed the night over in Rock Harbor. They picked up those returning to the mainland from there and then came by Mott Island to pick up any workers that were also returning to the mainland for a break.

The morning was again mild with little wind, my return trip would be easy. I took the opportunity to take my cup of coffee down to the rocky shoreline and sit. I thought about how blessed I am to live in such a beautiful area like Upper Michigan, with so many wild and wonderful wilderness places like these to explore. I’ve always lived relatively near to Lake Superior or Lady Superior as I call her. Lake Superior courses through my veins like lifeblood, its vastness echoing the rhythm of my heart and I can never be too far away.

The Ranger III was just pulling up to the dock when I walked down around 9:15 AM, so it was perfect timing. I stowed my backpack into the luggage cart and said my final farewells. Everyone I had met during this experience had been so friendly and welcoming. I could see how special this place is to every one who has shared this place.

As we pulled away from the dock and headed out into deeper waters, I realized that I carried with me not just photographs and souvenirs, but a sense of connection to this remote, untouched wilderness. “I will be back!” I whispered.

If you enjoyed this memoir and would like to see more of us and our adventures. Follow us over on our other social media platforms! I will be putting together a video diary of my trip to Isle Royale National Park and sharing it on our Youtube channel. We also have tons of other adventures already there as well as on Facebook and Tiktok. Come say hello! Also dont forget to comment below if you have been to Isle Royale yourself, we love to hear everyone’s tales of the trail. Or if you have any questions, leave a comment below and I can try to answer them or point you in the right direction.

Happy Trails!