It took some planning to get to this national park, which might contribute to the fact that it is the least visited national park in the lower 48 states. It is a two hour boat trip from the Minnesota shore at Grand Portage and the boat leaves early in the morning. It is best to set up your tickets in advance as they sometimes sell out. Go to the NPS website to check for tickets from wherever you are starting the trip (Minnesota or Michigan). Lake Superior water temperature is always quite cold, so bring proper gear. If you sit outside of the boat’s cabin it can also be very wet. Because the trip from the Minnesota side is long and the space in the boat is cramped, plan on getting to know some of your fellow NPS explorers. We met lots of NPS passport holders looking to add this gem of a park to their stamp collections.
We arrived at the island about 10:00 a.m. and the weather was really pretty. We were not staying overnight so we had about four hours to hike, watch for wildlife, and have lunch. We came to the south west part of the island at Windigo, via Washington harbor and hiked the Windigo Nature Trail, as well as part of the Feldmann Lake Trail.
The island is well known for moose, which we hoped to see, but alas all we saw were moose sheds (antlers).
Everything about this park is lovely and if camping is your thing I highly recommend it as a way to really get back to nature.
On the return trip we got to see the Rock of Ages Light which was built on a small rock outcropping just after the turn of the century. A four member crew served the lighthouse until 1977!
After this exciting and educational NPS visit we returned to Grand Marais and spent a few days on holiday reunited with Duncan. Isle Royal was well worth the effort, but it is not a dog friendly park.
Please continue with us as we explore the National Park System elements, as well as Minnesota State Parks.
What is your favorite park and why? Let us know so we can get it on the “Must See” list.
