I’d wager that unless you are a National Park Chaser, you have never heard of Isle Royale National Park. It is frequently the last national park people visit in the lower 48. It’s not easy to get to and requires advanced planning. I have twice attempted to plan a trip to this island on the northern edge of Lake Superior and failed because of timing. It’s on an island and there are only two ways to get there; by boat or by plane. It’s only open from April 15th to October 31st and on top of that, the ferries and seaplanes have more limited operating schedules. I had initially wanted to stay on the island but finding a room and then transportation was tricky. One of the ferries takes 6 hours to get there. I ended up contacting Isle Royale Seaplanes and, 6 months in advance, was able to grab a round-trip flight for a day trip. This solved the issue of finding an accommodation. 

I traveled to Isle Royale’s Rock Harbor on about the most beautiful day on Lake Superior. There wasn’t any smoke, the sky was blue and there was barely a breeze.  Perfect seaplane flying weather. It’s impossible to know that 6 months in advance so I was very fortunate. 

The plane flies out of Houghton, Michigan which is on the upper peninsula. I was surprised that the planes take off from a smaller inland lake, Portage Lake but it makes sense since the waves on Lake Superior are notorious for being more like an ocean. I was on the plane with 6 women who were backpacking the island for several days. There was another plane that had a few day trippers like me. The island is 45 miles long and there are many campsites, so if backpacking is your jam, this is a beautiful spot. 

We flew for 45 minutes up to Rock Harbor, Isle Royale and landed at a special dock for seaplanes. It was then a short walk to the visitor’s center in Snug Harbor. This is the main area for ferries to arrive, the largest of which is Isle Royale Queen which departs form Copper Harbor Michigan and carries 85 passengers for the 3 1/2 hour one way trip. The Queen had not arrived yet, so I had plenty of time to grab a leisurely lunch at the snack bar. With only 3 employees in the snack bar, I was glad I arrived before the crush of newly deposited day trippers. 

Later, I took the Stoll Trail along the lakefront towards Scoville Point. I thought it was going to be an “easy” trail but found the extensive boardwalks intimidating. These are not the boardwalks of Atlantic City but very narrow 10-inch-wide boards. With my size 12 feet, trail runners were quite cramped. When I found about 30 feet of steps made from these same narrow boards, I froze for a moment, scared to take a step forward. There was brush and overgrown vegetation and I had no idea what would happen if I slipped off.  I found this to be a test of my balance as going up a very narrow step without a handrail is intimidating. I was really glad I brought my hiking poles because there were several areas of rock scrambling. I was surprised that more of the trail was heavily wooded with dense trees but once you came out next to the rocky coastline, it was truly desolate and serene. I passed two sets of hikers on the whole trail. It is truly isolated and pristine.

I also went to the American dock which has a nice view of Snug Harbor opposite where the ferries arrive. There is a defunct dock that once was the place where vacationers arrived in the 1920’s.  The steamship America wrecked in 1928. It was there that I heard the call of a loon which transported me back to the backwoods of Maine. 

There aren’t any cars on the island.  All supplies come in by ferries and are transported with carts and a few tractors. This all makes for a peaceful, nature first reprieve. I would say that the highlight of the trip was waiting for the return flight to Houghton. There were five of us day trippers waiting for the plane and we were all park chasers. Two of the passengers were visiting the last park in the lower 48. So, then we compared notes on our highlights and lowlights of other parks.  There, next to a dock in the wilds of Lake Superior, I found my people. Most agreed that Bryce Canyon and Yellowstone were worth a second trip. My most disappointing park was Pinnacles since couldn’t drive my RV to the caving trails.  I was able to get advice on the Virgin Islands and Alaska as they are next on my list of parks to visit. 

I found the people friendly, the wilderness serene and the experience uplifting.