Isle Royale
Isle Royale exists as an island in many ways. It is an island of
wilderness and home to wolves in a modern world. It is an island in
time, a natural space in which you operate on natural time and experience
the rhythms of light and dark. Days are measured by footsteps, possibly
under a backpack. Walking the island you are struck by its striated
layout, its elongated forested-rock and lake patterns that parallel
its backbone, the Greenstone Ridge. The island, it seems, must have
been forcibly combed from northeast to southwest. The surface scene
you see from the island's heights is the product of 10,000 years of
natural sculpting, soil-building, and plant- pioneering and succession.
Back then - actually not long ago by nature's time scale - the island
appeared beneath glacial ice, rising as the lake level dropped. The
island developed soil and was colonized by plants and animals. Its
many inland lakes first formed in basins gouged out by glaciers and
then began to shrink, as lakes and ponds inevitably do.
Beneath the ponds, the forests, and the light soil covering, however,
is a story which must be told not in the increments of centuries,
but in millions and billions of years. The ridge-and-trough pattern
of the rocks is the work of millions of years, predating even the
formation of Lake Superior and its islands.
The story begins some 1.2 billion years ago with a great rift in the
earth's crust which may have extended from here southward all the
way to the Gulf of Mexico. As this series of cracks poured forth molten
lava covering thousands of square miles, the land along the rift zone
sank to form the Superior Basin, which has shaped all of the subsequent
geological events in the region. The rock record of this cataclysmic
happening - the volcanics, sandstones, and conglomerates - forms Isle
Royale's bedrock today. Clues to the island's past abound. Smoothed,
rounded, and even grooved rock belies the crushing power of the last
major glaciation, known as the Wisconsin. It ended here only a thousand
years ago. On the southwestern part of the island, where this glacier
paused in its retreat, are small linear hills made of its deposits.
On the Stroll Trail out toward Scoville Point, you pass three small
pits in the rocks. These form another clue, a clue to the prehistoric
peoples who mined copper on the island. They came to the island only
in mild seasons, taking what resources they could, and leaving before
winter. As early as 4,000 years ago, these people mined here, continuing
for more than 1,000 years. Isle Royale and Lake Superior area copper
made its way by trade as far as New York, Illinois, and Indiana. These
early miners were probably most active here from 800 to 1600. By the
1840's, the only American Indian encampments white miners encountered
were a maple sugaring camp on Sugar Mountain and a seasonal fishing
camp on Grace Island.
Aquatic environments abound both on and around the island. In fact,
some 80 percent of the national park is under water, as shallow, warm-water
ponds, streams, and rivers, and the deep, cold, foreboding Lake Superior
waters. Commercial fishing has been one of the mainstay economic activities
on the island throughout historic times. It began before 1800, to
feed the fur trade. Since about 1840, it has been a largely individual
enterprise. The major economic species were lake trout, whitefish,
and herring lurking in the range of water depths and bottoms along
miles of Isle Royale shoreline. Most of the commercial fishing enterprises
had closed by the mid-20th century; that world is now preserved by
the historic Edisen Fishery and programs conducted by the National
Park Service.
Sport fishing has now replaced commercial fishing. Species sought
are lake, brook, and rainbow trout; northern pike; walleye; and the
yellow perch. Spring and fall produce the biggest catches, but fishing
is considered good throughout the season.
Isle Royale's animal life also expresses its island nature. In the
recent past, both wolf and moose have come in search of better hunting
and browsing grounds. Other animals you might expect here are missing,
however although it is but 15 miles to the Canadian shores where they
are found. But even those that are missing, like the black bear and
the whitetail deer, somehow underscore Isle Royale's wild solitude.
Isle Royale is indeed an island of superlatives for wilderness and
beauty. And here is yet another superlative: Siskiwit Lake's Ryan
Island is the largest island in the largest lake on the largest island
in the broadest freshwater lake in the world! You will find your own
superlatives here as you meet the island on its own terms: fishing,
boating, hiking, backpacking, taking a guided interpretive walk or
hike, or just relaxing, which are what vacations are for.
Isle Royale National Park is located in the northwest corner of Lake
Superior. This Wilderness Island contains a road-less backcountry
which prohibits the use of all wheeled vehicles and devices (accept
wheelchairs). Visitors traveling to this Island paradise must arrive
by boat or seaplane. The transportation services depart from Houghton,
Michigan, and Copper Harbor, Michigan.
There are four ferries and one seaplane that provide service to and
from Isle Royale National Park. All have different fares and schedules
and reservations are strongly recommended. Services do fill up, especially
in the peak season, late-July through mid-August. Make your reservation
as soon as your travel dates are firm. For a more peaceful experience
during our slow time, you may want to visit Isle Royale in late May,
early June or September
The M.V. Ranger III
The Motor Vessel Ranger III is the largest piece of moving equipment
owned and operated by the National Park Service and the largest passenger
ferry providing service to Isle Royale National Park. The Ranger III
is 165 feet long, 34 feet wide, 650 ton vessel that carries 128 passengers.
The ship with its crew of nine, offers interpretive and educational
programs, a luncheon grill, three staterooms, four comfortable lounges,
two decks and indoor and outdoor seating for passenger comfort. Unlike
other service providers, the Ranger III offers transportation for
private boats up to 20’00” or less and offers its patrons
free parking at a secure lot. The ship operates out of Houghton, in
Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
The Ranger III offers passenger services from June 2 through September
13. The ship travels from Houghton to Rock Harbor on Tuesdays and
Fridays, departing Houghton at 9:00 a.m. EDT, and returns from Rock
Harbor to Houghton on Wednesdays and Saturdays, departing Rock Harbor
at 9:00 a.m. EDT. The leisurely ride to Isle Royale takes 6 hours.
The Isle Royale Queen IV
Operates between Copper Harbor, Michigan, and Rock Harbor
on Isle Royale National Park. The Queen IV is a US Coast Guard certified
and inspected, 100-foot, steel, Triple diesel passenger boat. She
is fully equipped with navigation aids and complete safety equipment.
During our cruise to the island, light snacks are available as well
as hot coffee and other beverages.
• Reservation can be made by Phone :(906)289-4437
• Although the Queen's cabins are warm and cozy, we recommend
a light jacket or sweater as it is usually cool on the Lake.
• Coffee, sodas, juices, and snacks are available.
• The Queen is equipped with lavatories.
For more information and to plan your trip to Isle Royale please consult
the website at:
Isle Royale
National Park
