Isle Royale National Park is located near the border between the United States and Canada. This 45-mile-long island is only 9 miles wide at its largest point. Isle Royale became a national park in 1940 to “conserve a prime example of north woods wilderness.”
It is a special place laden with mystery, a place few people claim to know. But the National Park Service invites us to learn from its lessons, its wilderness, and the peaceful woods that it inhabits.
Below, we share our top five reasons why Isle Royale National Park is special!
1. Isle Royale National Park is Special because of its Location
The location is a multi-layered claim. First, we can discuss its connection to the state of Michigan. In a battle between Ohio and Michigan, the Toledo War, Michigan lost Toledo in lieu of Isle Royale. The mineral wealth it acquired proved to be valuable.
Isle Royale was known for its copper mining and commercial fishing during the 19th century. Its position in Lake Superior offered the state numerous opportunities.
Today, Michigan is proud of its national park and all of the other natural wonders it encompasses such as Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.
Isle Royale welcomes guests with all of the genuine kindness of mainland Michigan. The rangers and the hosts offer warm hospitality to all that visit this remote island park.
After spending so much time in Michigan and among park service units, I attribute this to Isle Royale National Park’s remote location off of the Michigan coast.
When you need more Michigan warmth and charm, be sure to head over to Mackinac Island, our former second national park!
2. Isle Royale National Park is Special because it offers Serenity
Isle Royale is a remote wilderness. The only developments are two visitor centers, a park lodge, and a few cabins. The vast majority of its space is left for trail exploration and wildlife enjoyment.
The park is mostly quiet. The sounds of Lake Superior lapping at the pebbled shores blends with the birdsongs every morning. There is a stillness to the forest and a stillness to the waters. No cellular service distracts guests. Isle Royale is a place to be present.
There is something to be said for the proportion of guests that return to the island. It is as though one visit only peaks further curiosity, as though one visit promises peace for those who make their ways back. Isle Royale welcomes those who are searching for more, and it promises the satisfaction for those who commit.
3. Isle Royale National Park is Special because of its History
The history of Isle Royale National Park dates back to the prehistoric times when the island was first formed by volcanic activity. It was home to both the Ojibwe and the Huron who used the island for fishing and hunting.
Both fur traders and missionaries established trading posts on Isle Royale in the late 18th century. By the 19th century, the island became a hub for commercial fishing and logging.
Its forests were logged for lumber, and the fishing industry was established to support the growing population. The island’s copper deposits were also mined during this time.
The conservation movement began to take hold in the early 20th century, and in 1926, Isle Royale was designated as a national park. The park was officially established in 1940 and was expanded to its current size in 1980.
Between its geological history, its cultural history, and its trading history, Isle Royale National Park shares a special story that offers perspective on our collective past.
4. Isle Royale National Park is Special because of its Wildlife
Isle Royale is a great destination for wildlife lovers! This tiny island boasts moose, bald eagles, loons, and wolves.
The wolves are thought to have come to Isle Royale via an ice bridge that formed in the 1940s. Consequently, the population has been carefully monitored. It has become part of the longest running large mammal predator-prey study on Earth: the Wolf-Moose Project.
As the wolf population dwindled to only two, the moose population increased exponentially and adversely impacted the ecosystem due to overforaging. Thus, thanks to the Wolf-Moose Project, the wolf population is being restored to ensure the health of the park’s natural habitats.
In 1980, Isle Royale National Park became an International Biosphere Reserve due to the lack of mammalian diversity on the island.
It is a special place to study the interaction of species and the delicacy of the biome.
5. Isle Royale National Park is Special because it is rumored to be the Least Visited and the Most Revisited National Park in the lower 48 States
Our family are list-checkers. We identified all of the national parks, and we set out on a mission to visit them. For many parks, until we arrived, we had little appreciation of how special they were. Isle Royale National Park is a prime example.
We visited at the tail end of a lengthy, hot, summer road trip. After almost four weeks of driving my kids, my dog, and my camper across the United States and Canada, I was tired. I was ready to check this park off the list. But it wasn’t easy.
I was ill-prepared, and accessing the park is a feat of its own. Read more about the complicated ferry access here.
But our commitment took us through exhaustion and frustration only to drop us onto the banks of Isle Royale’s stunning coastline.
This least-visited park, this arduous journey, is part of what makes it special. The remote location is the reason for its history as a tradepost and the reason for its status as an international biosphere reserve.
When you make so much effort to find a place, you invest in all it has to offer. And Isle Royale has plenty to offer.
When you visit this park, you are part of the slim “club” of the committed. You cannot skim the surface here. Whether you are backpacking or daytripping, Isle Royale requires a lot from its visitors. But it promises a reciprocity that only it can deliver.
However and whenever you choose to visit this mightly island, it will embrace you and celebrate your arrival. We hope that you discover for yourself exactly why Isle Royale National Park is special.
