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| Hiking | 5.51 Miles |
341 AEG |
| | Hiking | 5.51 Miles | 3 Hrs 8 Mns | | 2.03 mph |
| 341 ft AEG | 25 Mns Break | | | |
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| partners | | Isle Royale National Park is the least visited and most revisited national park in the lower 48 states.
This trip has been in the planning stages for a year and a half. In January 2023, we tried to book one of the 60 rooms in Isle Royale's Rock Harbor Lodge, only to find they were already sold out for the year. In August 2023, we were finally able to secure two rooms for August 2024. (Deb, my brother, and his wife are not backpackers.)
Leaving from Copper Harbor, the 55-mile boat trip took 3 hours and 45 minutes in unusually glass-like conditions on Lake Superior, bringing us to Rock Harbor.
Once at the dock, we broke into three groups: backpackers, those staying at the lodge, and day-trippers. This was to provide information on the island, what to do and not do, wolf and moose details, etc. The boat held 97 passengers, and by my best guess, more than two-thirds were backpackers.
I chose this hike to start with because it was the perfect distance for the time we had before we could check into our room.
We stayed on the Lake Superior side of the trail heading to Scoville Point, enjoying numerous great views of the lake, an eagle's nest, sampling thimble berries (yum), and more. The point is rocky, and the water is incredibly clear. We saw four island employees swimming and jumping off the cliffs into the water. I asked them if it was cold, and they said no.
After some lunch, we returned on the counterclockwise portion of the loop, which follows next to Tobin Harbor. This stretch offered smooth water, sailboats, and float planes landing along the way.
This highly recommended loop is a perfect introduction to the island. |
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There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
Dave Barry  |
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