Isle Royale National Park

Despite being one of the least visited National Parks, Isle Royale is one of the most revisited National Parks. Because it is an island in the middle of Lake Superior, Isle Royale is harder to get to and therefore requires more planning than most of the National Parks. We tried to get a seaplane but they were all booked up for the season. The ferries were also all booked up. I emailed the ferry company to see about a wait list and they emailed back saying that they had just had a couple cancellations and to go online and book quickly. I did just that and we were able to get our passes. One of the reasons that it is so difficult is becuase it is recommended that you visit the island as an overnight or several days trip. This means that to book a ferry ride, you have to book one way on a certain day and find an available day to get the ferry back. We wanted a day trip and so we had to find 2 seats available on the same day. Booking in advance is highly recommended.

Our ferry ride was from Copper Harbor, MI and took approximately 3 hours. It only gave us about 3.5 hours total in the park. Most day trippers choose to hike one of the trails, and if you're lucky you might see one of the Moose that have made Isle Royale their home.

We decided to rent a john boat and see the island from the water. We really enjoyed our trip up and down the coastline. With it being a picture-perfectly beautiful day, we giggled at the boat proprieter when he gave us advice on foggy conditions. However, on our way back in at about 1:45 pm, the fog started rolling in making it almost impossible to see. We made it back safely with a new appreciation for the fickle weather conditions of Lake Superior.

We enjoyed our first taste of Isle Royale and would love to come back and stay at the lodge on our next trip.