Day 7

Day 7

Today we are leaving beautiful Isle Royale and making our way to the Porcupine Mountains for more hiking and exploring.

Lessons learned on Isle Royale, the island is huge and there are about 164 miles in trails so you need allow yourself enough time on the island.  There is more to do than just hike if your spouse or partner is not into hiking.  Every day they offer different tours that go to a number of places around the island.  There are lectures given 3 times a day and the island is the perfect atmosphere for enjoying a good book on your deck, in the guest lounge, or your favorite bench or rock overlooking Lake Superior.  There is also fishing, kayaking, and canoeing.

There are three different accommodations available on the Island, the lodge, cabins, or campsites.  If you book in the lodge request a room with outdoor space.  The bottom level has this but not the second floor.  The cabins are bigger and have kitchens, however the are not on the lake. The campsites have some shelters for back-packers, however they are first come first served.  We noticed a lot of backpackers get to the campsites early in the day and tag their shelter.  You must stay in a campsite if you are back-packing and campfires can only be at some of the sites.


There are two restaurants on island, both serve breakfast, lunch and dinner.  There is also a small store and gift shoppe.

If you want to start hiking further from the lodge and work your way back you can take a water taxi or sign up for a tour and get off the boat when it reaches your preferred area to start hiking, this choice is half the price. If you wanted to hike from Windigo at the western end of the island to Rock Harbor in the east (a 53 mile hike) it’s possible to take the Voyager II ferry from Rock Harbor to Windigo. This ferry also continues to Grand Portage MN.

Bring lots of water on the hikes especially when it’s hot out, the Ridge trail is super exposed to the sun and you get thirsty. 2 liters per person was not enough water for our 10 and 11 mile hikes!

There are different options for getting to Isle Royale; ferry boat out of Houghton takes 6 ½ hours, ferry boat out of Copper Harbor 3 ½ hours, or Seaplane 45 mins  at more than twice the price.  Don't forget your Dramamine for the ferry.

Best map to get Trails Illustrated Map #240 Isle Royale.

From Copper Harbor we took the western coastal route which took us through Eagle Harbor and Eagle River.  We stopped to see the lighthouse at Eagle Harbor and then enjoyed dinner at the Eagle Harbor Inn. Just before dusk we passed Jacob's Falls and then had to keep our eyes peeled for deer on the road to Houghton.