Isle Royale National Park, An Unofficial Page Isle Royale National Park, An Unofficial Page


Isle Royale National Park provides recreational activities for roughly 17,000 visitors a year and serves as a natural laboratory for researchers investigating topics ranging from air pollution to wetland ecology. Visitation is limited to the months between April and November, due to heavy snowfall on the main island and dangerous storms on Lake Superior. The Isle Royale Archipelago has been designated as wilderness, and is part of the International Biosphere Reserve System.





Visitor Notes
WEBCOUNTER
moose The Park Superintendent of Isle Royale is considering several changes to concessionaire policies,
follow this link for more details.
lighthouse An unFramed version of this site is available.
wolf Your use of these pages constitutes your agreement to the following conditions and terms of usage.
loon This site was last modified Tuesday, 02-Jun-1998 13:50:14 MDT. Here's a description of what's new since you last visited.



Isle Royale National Park, Contents  





Contents

Books

Recreation

Addresses

Transportation

Flora & Fauna

Site Map

Internet

History

FAQ

Visitor Register

Meteorology

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Isle Royale National Park Addresses

Isle Royale National Park Headquarters
800 E Lakeshore Dr Houghton, MI 49931
906-482-0984
Fax (906) 482-8753
The Royale Line
Box 24 Copper Harbor, MI 49918-0024
906-289-4437
Fax (906) 289-4952
102050.3420@compuserve.com
Isle Royale Natural History Association
800 E Lakeshore Dr Houghton, MI 49931
800-678-6925
irnha@portup.com

Isle Royale National Park Concessions
Mammoth Cave, KY 42259-0027
502-773-2191 (off season: Oct 15 - May 15)
906-337-4993 (In Season: May 15 - Oct 15)
The Mountaineers
300 3rd West, Seattle, WA 98119
800-553-4453
Isle Royale Seaplane Service
PO Box 371, Houghton MI 49931
906-482-8850 (May 15 - Sep 15)
Website Curator
isleroyale@yahoo.com

Grand Portage-Isle Royale Transportation Line, Inc.
1507 N 1st St Superior, WI 54880
715-392-2100
Stuart@Grand-Isle-Royale.com



Isle Royale National Park, Contents  





Contents

Books

Recreation

Addresses

Transportation

Flora & Fauna

Site Map

Internet

History

FAQ

Visitor Register

Meteorology

Feedback

 


 




Isle Royale National Park Books

 

This brief list contains the most broadly informative of the many publications and books concerning Isle Royale.
Contact The Isle Royale Natural History Association for a more complete listing.

 

Isle Royale National Park: Foot Trails and Water Routes, 2nd Edition
Jim DuFresne
The Mountaineers
ISBN 0-89886-283-3
A concise guidebook for hikers, paddlers, and fishermen.

 

Isle Royale: A Photographic History
Thomas P. Gale & Kendra Gale
Isle Royale Natural History Association
ISBN 0-935289-07-0
Photographic documentation of European settlement & resource exploitation.

 

Northwoods Wildlife : A Watcher's Guide to Habitats/Knapsack Edition
Janine M. Benyus
Northword Press, Inc.
ISBN 1-55971-136-1
A well organized, complete, illustrated guide to the communities of plants and animals found on Isle Royale.

 



Isle Royale National Park, Contents  





Contents

Books

Recreation

Addresses

Transportation

Flora & Fauna

Site Map

Internet

History

FAQ

Visitor Register

Meteorology

Feedback

 


 




Isle Royale National Park Flora & Fauna

 

The isolation of the Island has allowed the plants and animals of Isle Royale to develop different communities of species than in nearby Ontario or Minnesota. Although many of the original species of animals, such as the woodland caribou, were eliminated during European copper mining attempts, many interesting and unique relationships between plants and animals still exist today. While the best known study has centered on the relationship between Moose and Wolves, the flora and fauna of the island have served as research tools for topics ranging from ancient climate changes to the long term effects of pesticide use.


Although many of the species present before European settlement are gone forever, you can help conserve the remaining plants and animals by following a few guidelines:

  1. Don't take your pets, even if you plan on leaving them shipboard. Wolves and other wildlife are highly susceptible to diseases carried by domesticated animals.
  2. Secure food from marauding jays, foxes, red squirrels, and herring gulls. Feeding wildlife distracts them from preparing for the long winter.
  3. A camp stove should be used at all times. Burning wood depletes scarce mineral resources needed to build productive soils.

 

Plants and Animals of Isle Royale
Amphibians Birds Fishes
Plants Mammals Reptiles


Isle Royale National Park, Contents  





Contents

Books

Recreation

Addresses

Transportation

Flora & Fauna

Site Map

Internet

History

FAQ

Visitor Register

Meteorology

Feedback

 


 




Isle Royale National Park Frequently Asked Questions

 

Many visitors have the same questions after their first visit to this unofficial park web site. This list is intended to help you get answers to common questions without having to sift through the entire site or wait for an answer to a question asked through Feedback.

 

Q: Could you please send me an application for a permit, or send me all the brochures you have on the park?

A: This web site is not affiliated with the National Park Service, but if you'd like to get lots of truly helpful information from the Rangers, write, e-mail, or call the Park Headquarters at the appropriate entry listed in Addresses.

 

Q: Why is this Isle Royale web site listed under Minnesota:National Parks in the Yahoo Directory?

A: Because Yahoo does not fact check site listings, nor do they respond to repeated, polite, requests to alter their listings from web content authors. Consider it an indication of the veracity of any information you might get from their other services.

 

Q: How do I get my car across to the Island, and what roads have the best views?

A: You can't take your car to the Island, because there are no regularly scheduled car ferries across Lake Superior, and the park is a roadless wilderness. If you'd like to see the area from your car, take a circle tour around Lake Superior- the Canadian side of the lake has dozens of parks, all well worth a week's visit by automobile.

 

Q: Can I take my pet to Isle Royale?

A: No. Visitors are forbidden to take pets with them, even if they remain shipboard during the time they are within the park boundaries because of the diseases household pets carry and transmit to wildlife. One explanation of the recent wolf population plunge holds that cubs were killed disease caused by parvoviruses carried by domestic dogs.

 

Q: How much does it cost to enter the Park?

A: As of 1998, entrance fees are: $4 US per day per individual or $50 per individual per season and $150 US per boat per year.



Isle Royale National Park, Contents  





Contents

Books

Recreation

Addresses

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Flora & Fauna

Site Map

Internet

History

FAQ

Visitor Register

Meteorology

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Isle Royale National Park History

One Billion Years Ago

 

Over a billion years ago, a large plume of magma crept into a fissure splitting the middle of what is now known as North America. Titanic lava flows stretched 2000 kilometers from modern day Kansas northward all the way to the area occupied today by Lake Superior. While the lava slowly cooled and hardened, the North American Continental Plate collided with other plates and squeezed the lava flow from its sides. This pressure crinkled the lava flow downward in its middle and pushed it upward on its edges into the shape of a U. As the U was pushed relentlessly from the side, its edges began to fracture into overlapping ridges that are still visible today on Isle Royale on to the north and on the Keweenaw Peninsula to the south.

Subsequent volcanic activity eventually filled the cracks between the ridges with mineral deposits containing metals such as copper, while the tops of the cracks were capped with sediments which eventually turned into rock. As the earth's climate has changed in the more recent past, successive waves of glaciers have moved down from the north, scouring away the soft sedimentary rocks and compressing the remaining hard volcanic rock with the weight of their ice.
Ten Thousand Years Ago

 

The weight of the ice that still remained to the north of what was to become the Upper Great Lakes tilted the land downward, nearly draining the upper Great Lakes. Hardwood forests filled the warm basins for hundreds of years until the ice no longer compressed the Northern Third of the Continent, and lake levels rose anew as their northern outlets were once again blocked.

The Great Lakes basin filled with cool water, and the warm hardwood forests now associated with the Ohio River Valley gave way to the boreal forests seen today, forcing the people, plants, and animals that had colonized the tundra to adapt again. As woodland peoples converted from hunting and gathering to fishing and farming, they began to rely on water transportation and began to make visits to Isle Royale to collect copper for use in tools, decoration, and for trade with cultures living to the south. The fortunes of the First Nations living near Lake Superior have been hard to reconstruct, but their way of life has thought to have remained unchanged until European contact came from French explorers from the south and French traders from the east.
Three Hundred Years Ago

 

With the advent of European fur traders, power balances between the First Nations rapidly shifted. The Ojibway consolidated their westward expansion, displacing other nations living around Lake Superior, such as the Cree, the Lakota, the Huron, and the Ottawa. The short lived hegemony of the French and Ojibway passed quickly to the British with The Royal Proclamation of 1763 made at the end of The Seven Years War. The British government's surrogates, The Hudson's Bay Company, were in turn quickly displaced by The American Fur Company with the passage of The Northwest Ordinance following the resolution of the British North American Colonial wars with colonists. A snapshot of the European fur trade is on display for ferry passengers departing from Grand Portage, Minnesota, at Grand Portage National Monument.

As the world fur market collapsed in the early 1800's, John Jacob Astor and his American Fur Company began to try other ways of making money from their holdings in the area. Several geological surveys were dispatched to catalog the mineral wealth of Isle Royale, along with a few ill-fated fishing operations. After the subjugation of the Ojibway/Chippewa/Anishinabeg, and the survey of Douglass Houghton, a mining boom enveloped the entire Upper Peninsula of Michigan which eventually found its way to Isle Royale. Three periods of mining operations spanned the 1800's, with none of the 18 separate ventures taking significant quantities of ore, outside of the Siskowit Mining Company which took 95 tons of refined copper ore in a six year period starting in 1849.

Although Isle Royale is often touted as an "Island Wilderness" by concerns promoting tourism and nostalgia, it was actually nearly completely cleared and settled by European Immigrants, resulting in the elimination of over half of the island's original plant and animal species (such as Woodland Caribou). The parts of the Island not settled by miners were inhabited by a growing number of people attracted to the thick banks of fish inhabiting the coves and bays surrounding the island. For the next century, several families made a seasonal living by Commercial Fishing until the last of the fishing families were forced out of business by Federal and State Governments at the end of the 1980's.
One Hundred Years Ago

 

As the arc of European resource exploitation passed from furs to mining to fishing, Isle Royale began to be noticed for its cool summers, clean air, and scenic beauty. With the construction of lighthouses at Isle Royale, Passage Island, Rock of Ages, and Rock Harbor, navigation became slightly less dangerous, and ship service began to travel from places such as Port Arthur (Thunder Bay) and Duluth to Rock Harbor, Washington Harbor, and Tobin's (sic) Harbor. Fish, consumer goods, and tourists were regularly transported through the fog banks and storms of Lake Superior. The many mishaps eventually took their toll on commercial aspirations, and contributed to the increasing isolation of the island, along with the decline of fish stocks due to overfishing and introduced species. While fishing, tourism, and shipping still prospered in the 1920's, a Detroit News editor, Albert Stoll, Jr., and others, began a movement calling for the creation of Isle Royale National Park. Roughly half of the main island's area was quickly pledged to the Park Service, but fishing families and logging and mining interests had yet to be convinced of the value of creating a National Park.

Herbert Hoover signed legislation calling for the creation of a National Park at the start of the Great Depression, and FDR created the Civilian Conservation Corps, with camps established at what is now called Daisy Farm, Windigo, and Siskiwit Bay. The projects had varying degrees of success, ranging from failed moose transplantation, to fire fighting (thought to have been started by CCC workers), to construction of Park Headquarters on Mott Island. Dedication ceremonies were postponed repeatedly due to delays in land purchases, disputed fishing rights, and World War II. The park was finally formally dedicated 15 years after the original legislation calling for its creation on August 27, 1946.




Isle Royale National Park, Contents  





Contents

Books

Recreation

Addresses

Transportation

Flora & Fauna

Site Map

Internet

History

FAQ

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Isle Royale National Park Internet Resources
World Wide Web Sites

 

This list of WWW sites is limited to non-commercial pages regarding Isle Royale. If you're looking for a more detailed list, try using the Internet Search feature. If you'd like your site added to the list, try Feedback.
NBS Cooperative Studies in Isle Royale National Park
 
Hiking Isle Royale's BackCountry
 
Isle Royale 1997
 
Canoeing Isle Royale
 
The Isle Royale Photo Collection
 
A Trip to Isle Royale
 
Backpacking in Michigan
 
The National Park Service: Isle Royale
 

 

Usenet Newsgroups

 

This list of newsgroups is limited to those newsgroups most likely to provide answers to your questions without having to wade through irrelevant discussions.

  • alt.great-lakes
    Discussions of the Great Lakes and adjacent places.
  • rec.boats.paddle
    Talk about any boats with oars, paddles, etc.
  • rec.outdoors.national-parks
    Activities and politics in national parks.
  • rec.outdoors.fishing.fly
    Fly fishing in general.
  • rec.photo.help
    Beginners questions about photography (and answers).
  • rec.scuba.locations
    Places to enjoy SCUBA diving.
  •  

    Mailing Lists

     

    The Outdoor Mailing List
          Place the words SUBSCRIBE OUTDOR-L in the subject to subscribe.

     



    Isle Royale National Park, Contents  





    Contents

    Books

    Recreation

    Addresses

    Transportation

    Flora & Fauna

    Site Map

    Internet

    History

    FAQ

    Visitor Register

    Meteorology

    Feedback

     


     




    Isle Royale National Park Meteorology

     

    The abundance of water vapor over Lake Superior promotes heavy snow in the winter, rain squalls in summer, and dense fog in spring and fall. The immense thermal capacity of the lake moderates temperatures, cooling warm air masses in the summer and warming cold air masses in the winter before ice covers the lake. The relatively deep waters outside of the Isle Royale Archipelago rarely warm past 45 degrees F at the surface during the summer, with the surface of relatively shallow bays, coves, and harbors rarely exceeding 50 degrees F. Subsurface temperatures remain below 40 degrees F year-round.


    The effect on visitors is:

    1. Paddlers should prepare for very cold trips in any waters directly connected to Lake Superior.
    2. Divers are advised to use a drysuit.
    3. All visitors should prepare for fog and frequent squalls.
    4. The dense foliage surrounding many trails and portages will be covered in heavy dew in the morning.

    The rugged terrain of Isle Royale controls its microclimates, as the steep northern sides of the ridges block prevailing cool northwesterly winds, with the more gently sloped southern sides of the ridges retaining more heat from the sun, making them warmer and drier.


    The effect on visitors is:

    1. Winds are stronger on the north side of the island, reducing the number of biting insects at campgrounds such as Todd Harbor, while creating rougher seas for boaters and paddlers.
    2. Trails on southward facing slopes such as the trail from Rock Harbor to Mount Franklin will be much hotter in the summer than ones on exposed ridges on northward slopes, such as the trail on the Minong Ridge.

     

    Historic Weather Conditions
    Climate Summary West 24 Hour Precipitation Estimates Climate Summary East
    Forecasts & Current Conditions
    4 Day Weather Forecast Regional Radar Image Satellite Image
    Marine Forecasts & Current Conditions
    Rock of Ages Weather Station Passage Island Weather Station
    Offshore Marine Forecast Nearshore Marine Forecast





    Isle Royale National Park, Contents  





    Contents

    Books

    Recreation

    Addresses

    Transportation

    Flora & Fauna

    Site Map

    Internet

    History

    FAQ

    Visitor Register

    Meteorology

    Feedback

     


     




    Isle Royale National Park Recreational Activities

     

    Since Isle Royale National Park is an isolated wilderness, minor problems can quickly degenerate into medical emergencies, but most problems can be avoided by taking a few simple precautions.


    Park visitors can take responsibility for their own safety by:

    • Knowing how to pack and use a First Aid Kit, and by carrying the other ten outdoor essentials.
       
    • Registering their activities at Mott Island, Windigo, or Rock Harbor as soon as they arrive.
       
    • Avoiding conflicts with the year round residents. Moose need large buffer spaces. Bulls can be aggressive as fall approaches, while cows are always protective of calves.
       
    • Filtering all surface water with a 0.4 micron or smaller water filter, or heating it to a rolling boil at least 2 minutes to kill protozoa, bacteria, and tapeworms . Tapeworm eggs are unaffected by Iodine and Bleach treatment, and complications caused by tapeworm infection can be life threatening.
       
    • Packing insect repellent and an inexpensive headnet. Loose, brightly colored clothing such as Polartec® fleece makes an effective cover-up on cool nights. While no poisonous insects or reptiles inhabit the island, biting insects are numerous, especially May through July.
       
     
    Activities
    Hiking Boating Camping
    Paddling
    Fishing Diving


    Isle Royale National Park, Contents  





    Contents

    Books

    Recreation

    Addresses

    Transportation

    Flora & Fauna

    Site Map

    Internet

    History

    FAQ

    Visitor Register

    Meteorology

    Feedback

     


     




    Isle Royale National Park Transportation

    Ferry & Water Taxi Service

     

    Consult the National Park Service brochure, "Isle Royale, an Island Wilderness: Getting There, 1998". Travel times are for an average trip in calm seas, from the departure point to Rock Harbor, except for The Wenonah, which travels to Windigo only. Fees quoted are for adults during the most expensive part of the season. Additional fees are charged for transportation of SCUBA gear, excess baggage, and watercraft. Travelers departing from Grand Portage, MN, will need to make arrangements for nearby cash on the barrel parking.

    Additional water transportation is available from the concessionaire at Rock Harbor. Although expensive, (Rock Harbor to Moskey Basin: $80, Rock Harbor to McCargoe Cove: $150), it does allow much greater flexibility. Alternatively, you could wait for a ranger led tour on one of the days the MV Sandy is scheduled for an outing and hope that enough people sign up for the trip the day before. If the trip is not cancelled, Rock Harbor to Moskey Basin or McCargoe Cove is only $10. The Voyageur II makes a counterclockwise circle around the main island, stopping at Windigo, McCargoe Cove, Belle Isle, and Rock Harbor Mon-Wed-Sat, completing the trip the next day, stopping at Daisy Farm, Chippewa Harbor, Malone Bay, and Windigo Tue-Thu-Sun. Pickups and drop-offs must be scheduled in advance. Each ferry service has its virtues- consider your own schedule, budget, and susceptibility to motion sickness when making your choice. For opinions on which service matches your needs, consider posting messages on the Usenet newsgroups alt.great-lakes or rec.outdoors.national-parks.
    Transportation Service (One Way)
    Vessel Length Operator Departure Point Departure Time Transit Time Cost
    Ranger III 165 ft. National Park Service Houghton, MI 9 AM EDT 6.5 hr. 47.00
    Isle Royale Queen III 81 ft. Isle Royale Line Copper Harbor, MI 8 AM EDT 4.5 hr. 40.00
    Seaplane Service   Isle Royale Seaplane Service Houghton, MI Variable Variable 149.00
    MV Sandy   National Park Concessions, Inc. Rock Harbor, IRNP Varies Daily Varies Daily Varies Daily
    Voyageur II 63 ft. GPIR, Inc. Grand Portage, MN 930 AM CDT 6.25 hr. 44.00
    Wenonah 65 ft. GPIR, Inc. Grand Portage, MN 930 AM CDT 3 hr. 31.00

     

    Private Watercraft

     

    Lake Superior's unpredictable weather and unusually cold water temperature create persistent dense fog, and violent squalls, while large weather systems moving across the lake can generate heavy swells and choppy reflection waves. As a result, persons travelling in their own ships need to be prepared for emergencies even on seemingly calm days.


    Before travelling to Isle Royale on their own, boaters are advised to:

    1. Not attempt crossings in boats shorter than 7 meters.
    2. Carry a working FM Band Radio, set to channel 16, with a working range of at least 20 nautical miles.
    3. Familiarize themselves with Lake Survey Chart 14976, "Isle Royale" and any relevant Navigational Aids.
    4. Check ahead for mooring depths at individual docks.

    Notes
    As of 1998, visitor entrance fees are: $4 US per individual per day, $50 US per individual per season, $150 US per boat
    Consult individual services for fuel transport policies while making reservations



    Isle Royale National Park, Contents  





    Contents

    Books

    Recreation

    Addresses

    Transportation

    Flora & Fauna

    Site Map

    Internet

    History

    FAQ

    Visitor Register

    Meteorology

    Feedback

     


     




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    Isle Royale National Park, Contents  





    Contents

    Books

    Recreation

    Addresses

    Transportation

    Flora & Fauna

    Site Map

    Internet

    History

    FAQ

    Visitor Register

    Meteorology

    Feedback