HIKING AND BACKPACKING INFORMATION
Isle Royale has roughly 165 miles of hiking trails. This includes a few miles of relatively simple trails for short nature hikes. It also includes longer and just slightly more challenging trails for day hikes--located mostly near Rock Harbor and Windigo. It also includes many miles of mild to rugged back country trails for multi-day backpacking trips. (I will say more about those major trails further down on this page)
A GENERAL NOTE: I will address overall "pack weight" and various ways to lighten your pack contents in the "Ultralight Backpacking" section of this website--and also a little bit in the "Backpacks" section. Oftentimes, a heavier total pack weight can add to your discomfort and fatigue on a hiking trip. However, it can also be uncomfortable and dangerous if you cut the weight without really knowing what you are doing--or why you are doing it. In most instances, you probably SHOULD NOT run out and spend lots of money on a bunch of new gear just to shed a couple of pounds of overall gear weight. You need to have knowledge and a plan before you start getting rid of gear and/or before you buy lots of new stuff.
PRACTICE AT HOME BEFORE COMING TO ISLE ROYALE!
I probably WOULD NOT recommend Isle Royale as the place to do your first multi-day backpacking trip. You should probably FIRST do several (smaller) practice backpacking trips closer to home--in places which are not so remote. Being closer to home (and having a motor vehicle nearby to take you back to your home and to "civilization" if something "goes wrong") is a far safer (and far better) place to check out your backpacking and camping abilities and to test your physical conditioning. Closer to home is a good place to practice using all of your gear and clothing items in order to see how well they actually work. Closer to home is a good place to learn whether your footwear fits properly (and doesn't give you sore spot and blisters on multi-mile hikes). Closer to home is the ideal place to practice preparing and eating the actual meals (and other food items) that you will eventually eat on a multi-day backpacking trip in a remote wilderness area.
Isle Royale (which is many miles away from "civilization and from the mainland) IS NOT the place to discover that you are too out of shape for your trip, or that your footwear doesn't fit well when you hike in it for many miles, or that your backpacking stove doesn't light, the food that you brought all tastes like crap, your tent is missing a pole, your backpack straps rub sores on your shoulders, and/or your sleeping bag is too darn cold. There will be very little that you can do on Isle Royale to correct any of those problems.
PRIOR TO COMING TO ISLE ROYALE---please ... Please ... PLEASE ... do a few practice backpacking trips --closer to home (with ALL of the same gear, clothing, and food that you will bring to Isle Royale).
THE ISLE ROYALE GUY'S OPINION REGARDING THE DIFFICULTY OF THE TRAILS
(Note: Please keep reading after the first sentence in the next paragraph--because the first sentence is only a small part of the "story")
In my opinion, the Isle Royale trails are not particularly difficult or tough. HOWEVER. the Isle Royale trails are probably very different than most of the trails that you may have hiked elsewhere. The Isle Royale trails are DECEPTIVELY slow and some people find the trails to be slightly more "energy draining" than they expected. When you look at the maps (and when you look at the trails in person) things sometimes don't seem to be "out-of-the-ordinary". Yet, for many people, their hiking pace will be SLOWER on Isle Royale that at most other places. It is not uncommon for people to hike at a pace of 2 mph--or even far slower than that--when they are on Isle Royale. There are sections of the Minong Ridge Trail (and some brief sections of the Feldtmann Loop) where hiking faster than 1 mph is probably doing pretty well for some people.
The biggest "slowing" issues are probably the fact that Isle Royale trails tend to be narrow. The trails have lots of rocks, roots, muddy patches, water-covered places, overgrown sections, and the occasional fallen tree covering the trail. There are narrow (12-inch wide) wooden boardwalks and bridges. There are open ridges and stone "fields" -- where you cannot see the actual trail--and you must navigate from one small rock cairn to the next. (On Isle Royale, a "cairn" tends to be a stack of 3-5 rocks. This is far different than the huge 3-6 foot tall piles of rocks which are the cairns that you find in some other places in the U.S. and elsewhere in the world). The Isle Royale trails can have lots of slight ups and downs (that might not even show up as anything significant on a topographic map). (See the "Photos" section of "The Isle Royale Guy" website for a entire section of my photos of Isle Royale trails)
None of these slight challenges (that you may encounter on the Isle Royale trails) are particularly difficult to deal with--if you have no major mobility or agility issues. HOWEVER, they DO tend to slow your hiking pace. That means that it takes a longer time to hike from Point A to Point B than a first timer might anticipate. A longer hiking time can mean that you need to bring more water with you in order to avoid dehydration and heat injuries. And, unless you do things like get an earlier start to your hiking day--you may not arrive at your destination until much later in the day than you planned --maybe even after dark. Longer hiking days (and all of the tiny obstacles on the trail) will also probably require you to expend somewhat more energy than you expected. Be prepared for that possibility.
The best ways to address these issues are very simple: 1) Allow PLENTY of time to get to your hiking destination each day. (That may mean starting earlier in the day than you are used to ---or plan on covering shorter distances each day than usual). 2) Bring plenty of drinking water with you. (It is often difficult find and filter water on the trail--NO MATTER HOW CLOSE THE WATER MAY APPEAR ON THE MAP!). 3) Take the time to consume sufficient calories and sufficient fluids THROUGHOUT THE DAY--and not just at meal times. Keep your energy and hydration levels up! 4) DON'T BE IN A RUSH! Take your time. Take sufficient breaks during the hiking day. Don't place unnecessary pressure on yourself to reach a certain location by a certain time. People are more prone to have accidents and/or make mental errors when they are rushing around.
YOU CAN DO THIS! For the most part, hiking on Isle Royale is not overly difficult. You just have to plan and prepare accordingly. Have fun!
MY THOUGHTS CONCERNING CERTAIN ISLE ROYALE TRAILS ...
The Minong Ridge Trail (MRT)
The Minong Ridge Trail is "challenging"...but not so challenging that you should necessarily be afraid to hike it. THAT BEING SAID, the Minong Ridge Trail (MRT) is definitely NOT an easy trail--and the Minong Ridge Trail (and its special challenges) should always be respected and be approached with appropriate levels of caution and preparation. Every year, the park rangers and/or the Coast Guard, have to rescue people from the Minong Ridge Trail-- and/or address emergencies on the Minong Ridge Trail (MRT). In many cases, these rescues and emergencies happen because people are prone to overestimate their own abilities, their experience level, and their skills --and they downplay the challenges of the MRT. They also do foolish things, make bad decisions, and/or take unnecessary risks.
THE MINONG RIDGE TRAIL IS NOT A TRAIL WHICH IS APPROPRIATE FOR EVERYONE! I would definitely NOT recommend that beginning backpackers (or backpackers with limited prior experience) attempt to hike the MRT. I would also not recommend the MRT to persons who have health and/or mobility and agility issues. Much of the MRT is definitely more challenging than many other trails on Isle Royale. Many places on the MRT have rocks which are extremely slippery when wet, very jagged if you fall on them, and which can sometimes make your feet and body sore from walking on them too much.
The Minong Ridge Trail IS NOT well-marked. At times, you will likely "lose" the trail. You will have trouble finding the next rock cairn. Sometimes, a moose (or lost humans) will have created what appears to be another "trail". There are only official trail signs located at the campground junctions and at one or two trail junctions. That's it for signs. So, navigation is not always easy on the Minong. (I have a GPS app on my cellphone that functions off of satellites and not cell towers--and I downloaded Isle Royale maps to the app before I left home. It was a great back up navigation option.)
There are beaver dams that you will have to walk over the top of. You will probably get wet and muddy when doing that. Lightening can be a danger on the ridges--and you may lose a few hours (or a full day) of hiking while you wait out the storms in a lower and safer location. The ridges can be hot--and water can be difficult to find on the the Minong Ridge Trail (other than at the official campgrounds). Water sources may appear to be very close to the trail on the map--but actually getting to that water source may be next to impossible--or the potential water source may have dried up or been dammed up by beavers--(or the possible water sources-- like beaver ponds-- can be so putrid that you don't even want to try to filter water from them). So, on the MRT, always carry far more water than usual. Another pointer, the short hike between North Desor Campground and Little Todd Harbor Campground is a very slow and very difficult hike. It takes far longer than expected for most people to hike that section of trail. It is not uncommon for some people to hike that section at a pace of 1 mph -- or slower.
My favorite set of Minong Ridge Trail videos. The video series was created by Donna WIlson. Her YouTube Channel is called "Some Bold Adventure". Episodes 4 thru 11 of this video series are the episodes which cover Donna backpacking on the Minong Ridge Trail between McCargoe Cove and Windigo. In my opinion, her videos (regarding the Minong Ridge Trail) give the best depiction of what hiking the MRT is really like. I have personally hiked the Minong when trail conditions were BETTER than they were when Donna hiked the trail. I have had times when the Minong Ridge Trail conditions were WORSE than they were when Donna did her hike. So, this video series is a fairly good representation of "typical" hiking conditions on the MRT. Here is the link: Donna Wilson (Some Bold Adventure) Minong Videos
The Greenstone Ridge Trail (GRT)
I have mixed thoughts regarding the Greenstone Ridge Trail (GRT) --particularly if using it to hike from one end of the Island to the other. On one hand, the Greenstone Ridge Trail (GRT) is the shortest, most-direct, and "easiest" way to hike from one end of the Island to the other. However, I also find the GRT to be somewhat boring and lacking in great views (especially between Chickenbone Lake and Windigo. Also, in a 2021 survey, most of the campgrounds along the Greenstone Ridge Trail made the list of ten LEAST favorite campgrounds on Isle Royale. (However, let me be clear "least favorite" doesn't mean that these campgrounds are "bad". It just means that there are other campgrounds that some people like more).
I invite people to use the GRT in creative ways in order to make their backpacking trips more enjoyable. Examples: I encourage people to use the GRT as only a basic framework for their hike--and I encourage them to leave the Greenstone Trail (in certain places) and do things like visit all (or part) of the Feldtmann Loop. Leave the GRT at Hatchet Lake --and hike the connecting trail to the Minong Ridge Trail and then hike the (easiest section of) the Minong Ridge Trail between Todd Harbor and McCargoe Cove. People could also leave the Greenstone Ridge Trail and visit places like Malone Bay, Chippewa Harbor, Moskey Basin--or go down off of the Greenstone Ridge to Lane Cove. I say more about this topic in this BLOG POST. (CLICK HERE)
SOME RANDOM GREENSTONE POINTERS: If you have a choice between staying at EAST Chickenbone Lake Campground and WEST Chickenbone Lake Campground --I highly recommend staying at WEST Chickenbone ...or going to McCargoe Cove Campground. (East Chickenbone was people's least liked campground in the 2021 survey). At SOUTH Lake Desor---there is a "beach" where you can do some swimming. It is located in the general area of GROUP camping site # 1. Island Mine Campground was the second-least favorite campground among the people surveyed. However, Island Mine is one of the few Isle Royale campgrounds where you can have a campfire AND, you can have a campfire at each Island Mine campsite. Island Mine is located in a beautiful hardwood forest--miles away from the nearest lake. The water source for Island Mine is located just down the hill from the campground. (To find it, imagine that you are trying to hike to Siskiwit Bay Campground from Island Mine Campground. A short distance down that trail--downhill from Island Mine-- you will find a very small trickle of a creek. The trail crosses that creek).
The Feldtmann Loop Trail (FLT) and Huginnin Cove Loop
This loop is one of my favorite Isle Royale hikes (especially if combined with the Huginnin Cove Loop). The Feldtmann Loop is slightly over 30 miles in length. The loop typically begins and ends at Windigo and includes Feldtmann Lake Campground, Siskiwit Bay Campground, Island Mine Campground--and back to Windigo. (Windigo has the Washington Creek Campground). If you also hike the Huginnin Cove Loop--that will add another 9-10 miles to the hike.
You can hike the FLT either clockwise or counterclockwise. I personally prefer to hike it counterclockwise --with the first day being a hike from Windigo to Feldtmann Lake Campground. At Feldtmann Lake Campground, you can also do a small "side hike" to Rainbow Cove (roughly 0.9 miles one way). I like to do the Rainbow Cove hike near sunset--so that I can watch the sunset at Rainbow Cove. (I bring a flashlight with me "just in case" I hike back to camp a little late). Between Feldtman Lake and Siskiwit Bay Campground--you will find a fire tower to climb and to checkout the view from a higher elevation. (The hike between Feldtmann Lake and Siskiwit Bay is roughly 10.5 miles--so it is a somewhat long hiking day.). The trail between the fire tower and Siskiwit Bay can sometimes have places that become overgrown with plant life that is taller than your head--especially late in Summer. (If you hike this section early in the morning --in the heavy morning dew--or in the rain--the plants brushing up against your body can literally soak you from head to toe. If I hike it at such times, I definitely try to wear rain gear).
The section of trail between Siskiwit Bay and Island Mine can sometimes be difficult to navigate in places. Beavers have built dams--causing the trail to be flooded and relocated. People sometimes lose the trail and get somewhat disoriented in the section of trail. Hiking along the beach for much (but not all) of this section along the bay is the norm. Just be very careful when you leave and enter the beach area. Make sure that you get back onto the actual trail as you enter the "wooded" areas in this part of the trail. (You will do just fine. I have seen first timers and people in grade school and over age 80 successfully hike this section of trail. If all else fails--just keep getting back to the lake shore and search until you find the actual trail entrances for the sections of trail that go a bit inland).
As you hike the section of trail between Siskiwit Bay--Island Mine --and the Greenstone Ridge Trail Junction ... please note that you will encounter several steep hills as you get closer to Island Mine and the Greenstone Trail Junction. (Also, see my comments about Island Mine Campground in my above thoughts regarding the Greenstone Ridge Trail). I typically tend to skip staying overnight at Island Mine (especially when hiking Feldtmann Loop counterclockwise). I typically go directly to Windigo (Washington Creek Campground) and spend a night of two there. I like Windigo / Washington Creek. If you stay a day or two at Washington Creek Campground--there is a "better than average" chance that you will see moose feeding in the creek.
Out of Windigo, I often like to hike to Huginnin Cove. I sometimes do this as a day from Windigo (and I stay overnight at Windigo /Washington Creek Campground) or I do it as an overnight hike and spend the night at Huginnin Cove Campground. Either way is good. You can either hike to Huginnin Cove using an "out-and-back" route--or as a "loop" hike. I tend to prefer it as a "loop hike". I think Huginnin Cove is a nice primitive campground located right on Lake Superior.
SOME NATIONAL PARK SERVICE LINKS REGARDING BACKPACKING AND CAMPING AT ISLE ROYALE (Click the links)
A GENERAL NOTE: I will address overall "pack weight" and various ways to lighten your pack contents in the "Ultralight Backpacking" section of this website--and also a little bit in the "Backpacks" section. Oftentimes, a heavier total pack weight can add to your discomfort and fatigue on a hiking trip. However, it can also be uncomfortable and dangerous if you cut the weight without really knowing what you are doing--or why you are doing it. In most instances, you probably SHOULD NOT run out and spend lots of money on a bunch of new gear just to shed a couple of pounds of overall gear weight. You need to have knowledge and a plan before you start getting rid of gear and/or before you buy lots of new stuff.
PRACTICE AT HOME BEFORE COMING TO ISLE ROYALE!
I probably WOULD NOT recommend Isle Royale as the place to do your first multi-day backpacking trip. You should probably FIRST do several (smaller) practice backpacking trips closer to home--in places which are not so remote. Being closer to home (and having a motor vehicle nearby to take you back to your home and to "civilization" if something "goes wrong") is a far safer (and far better) place to check out your backpacking and camping abilities and to test your physical conditioning. Closer to home is a good place to practice using all of your gear and clothing items in order to see how well they actually work. Closer to home is a good place to learn whether your footwear fits properly (and doesn't give you sore spot and blisters on multi-mile hikes). Closer to home is the ideal place to practice preparing and eating the actual meals (and other food items) that you will eventually eat on a multi-day backpacking trip in a remote wilderness area.
Isle Royale (which is many miles away from "civilization and from the mainland) IS NOT the place to discover that you are too out of shape for your trip, or that your footwear doesn't fit well when you hike in it for many miles, or that your backpacking stove doesn't light, the food that you brought all tastes like crap, your tent is missing a pole, your backpack straps rub sores on your shoulders, and/or your sleeping bag is too darn cold. There will be very little that you can do on Isle Royale to correct any of those problems.
PRIOR TO COMING TO ISLE ROYALE---please ... Please ... PLEASE ... do a few practice backpacking trips --closer to home (with ALL of the same gear, clothing, and food that you will bring to Isle Royale).
THE ISLE ROYALE GUY'S OPINION REGARDING THE DIFFICULTY OF THE TRAILS
(Note: Please keep reading after the first sentence in the next paragraph--because the first sentence is only a small part of the "story")
In my opinion, the Isle Royale trails are not particularly difficult or tough. HOWEVER. the Isle Royale trails are probably very different than most of the trails that you may have hiked elsewhere. The Isle Royale trails are DECEPTIVELY slow and some people find the trails to be slightly more "energy draining" than they expected. When you look at the maps (and when you look at the trails in person) things sometimes don't seem to be "out-of-the-ordinary". Yet, for many people, their hiking pace will be SLOWER on Isle Royale that at most other places. It is not uncommon for people to hike at a pace of 2 mph--or even far slower than that--when they are on Isle Royale. There are sections of the Minong Ridge Trail (and some brief sections of the Feldtmann Loop) where hiking faster than 1 mph is probably doing pretty well for some people.
The biggest "slowing" issues are probably the fact that Isle Royale trails tend to be narrow. The trails have lots of rocks, roots, muddy patches, water-covered places, overgrown sections, and the occasional fallen tree covering the trail. There are narrow (12-inch wide) wooden boardwalks and bridges. There are open ridges and stone "fields" -- where you cannot see the actual trail--and you must navigate from one small rock cairn to the next. (On Isle Royale, a "cairn" tends to be a stack of 3-5 rocks. This is far different than the huge 3-6 foot tall piles of rocks which are the cairns that you find in some other places in the U.S. and elsewhere in the world). The Isle Royale trails can have lots of slight ups and downs (that might not even show up as anything significant on a topographic map). (See the "Photos" section of "The Isle Royale Guy" website for a entire section of my photos of Isle Royale trails)
None of these slight challenges (that you may encounter on the Isle Royale trails) are particularly difficult to deal with--if you have no major mobility or agility issues. HOWEVER, they DO tend to slow your hiking pace. That means that it takes a longer time to hike from Point A to Point B than a first timer might anticipate. A longer hiking time can mean that you need to bring more water with you in order to avoid dehydration and heat injuries. And, unless you do things like get an earlier start to your hiking day--you may not arrive at your destination until much later in the day than you planned --maybe even after dark. Longer hiking days (and all of the tiny obstacles on the trail) will also probably require you to expend somewhat more energy than you expected. Be prepared for that possibility.
The best ways to address these issues are very simple: 1) Allow PLENTY of time to get to your hiking destination each day. (That may mean starting earlier in the day than you are used to ---or plan on covering shorter distances each day than usual). 2) Bring plenty of drinking water with you. (It is often difficult find and filter water on the trail--NO MATTER HOW CLOSE THE WATER MAY APPEAR ON THE MAP!). 3) Take the time to consume sufficient calories and sufficient fluids THROUGHOUT THE DAY--and not just at meal times. Keep your energy and hydration levels up! 4) DON'T BE IN A RUSH! Take your time. Take sufficient breaks during the hiking day. Don't place unnecessary pressure on yourself to reach a certain location by a certain time. People are more prone to have accidents and/or make mental errors when they are rushing around.
YOU CAN DO THIS! For the most part, hiking on Isle Royale is not overly difficult. You just have to plan and prepare accordingly. Have fun!
MY THOUGHTS CONCERNING CERTAIN ISLE ROYALE TRAILS ...
The Minong Ridge Trail (MRT)
The Minong Ridge Trail is "challenging"...but not so challenging that you should necessarily be afraid to hike it. THAT BEING SAID, the Minong Ridge Trail (MRT) is definitely NOT an easy trail--and the Minong Ridge Trail (and its special challenges) should always be respected and be approached with appropriate levels of caution and preparation. Every year, the park rangers and/or the Coast Guard, have to rescue people from the Minong Ridge Trail-- and/or address emergencies on the Minong Ridge Trail (MRT). In many cases, these rescues and emergencies happen because people are prone to overestimate their own abilities, their experience level, and their skills --and they downplay the challenges of the MRT. They also do foolish things, make bad decisions, and/or take unnecessary risks.
THE MINONG RIDGE TRAIL IS NOT A TRAIL WHICH IS APPROPRIATE FOR EVERYONE! I would definitely NOT recommend that beginning backpackers (or backpackers with limited prior experience) attempt to hike the MRT. I would also not recommend the MRT to persons who have health and/or mobility and agility issues. Much of the MRT is definitely more challenging than many other trails on Isle Royale. Many places on the MRT have rocks which are extremely slippery when wet, very jagged if you fall on them, and which can sometimes make your feet and body sore from walking on them too much.
The Minong Ridge Trail IS NOT well-marked. At times, you will likely "lose" the trail. You will have trouble finding the next rock cairn. Sometimes, a moose (or lost humans) will have created what appears to be another "trail". There are only official trail signs located at the campground junctions and at one or two trail junctions. That's it for signs. So, navigation is not always easy on the Minong. (I have a GPS app on my cellphone that functions off of satellites and not cell towers--and I downloaded Isle Royale maps to the app before I left home. It was a great back up navigation option.)
There are beaver dams that you will have to walk over the top of. You will probably get wet and muddy when doing that. Lightening can be a danger on the ridges--and you may lose a few hours (or a full day) of hiking while you wait out the storms in a lower and safer location. The ridges can be hot--and water can be difficult to find on the the Minong Ridge Trail (other than at the official campgrounds). Water sources may appear to be very close to the trail on the map--but actually getting to that water source may be next to impossible--or the potential water source may have dried up or been dammed up by beavers--(or the possible water sources-- like beaver ponds-- can be so putrid that you don't even want to try to filter water from them). So, on the MRT, always carry far more water than usual. Another pointer, the short hike between North Desor Campground and Little Todd Harbor Campground is a very slow and very difficult hike. It takes far longer than expected for most people to hike that section of trail. It is not uncommon for some people to hike that section at a pace of 1 mph -- or slower.
My favorite set of Minong Ridge Trail videos. The video series was created by Donna WIlson. Her YouTube Channel is called "Some Bold Adventure". Episodes 4 thru 11 of this video series are the episodes which cover Donna backpacking on the Minong Ridge Trail between McCargoe Cove and Windigo. In my opinion, her videos (regarding the Minong Ridge Trail) give the best depiction of what hiking the MRT is really like. I have personally hiked the Minong when trail conditions were BETTER than they were when Donna hiked the trail. I have had times when the Minong Ridge Trail conditions were WORSE than they were when Donna did her hike. So, this video series is a fairly good representation of "typical" hiking conditions on the MRT. Here is the link: Donna Wilson (Some Bold Adventure) Minong Videos
The Greenstone Ridge Trail (GRT)
I have mixed thoughts regarding the Greenstone Ridge Trail (GRT) --particularly if using it to hike from one end of the Island to the other. On one hand, the Greenstone Ridge Trail (GRT) is the shortest, most-direct, and "easiest" way to hike from one end of the Island to the other. However, I also find the GRT to be somewhat boring and lacking in great views (especially between Chickenbone Lake and Windigo. Also, in a 2021 survey, most of the campgrounds along the Greenstone Ridge Trail made the list of ten LEAST favorite campgrounds on Isle Royale. (However, let me be clear "least favorite" doesn't mean that these campgrounds are "bad". It just means that there are other campgrounds that some people like more).
I invite people to use the GRT in creative ways in order to make their backpacking trips more enjoyable. Examples: I encourage people to use the GRT as only a basic framework for their hike--and I encourage them to leave the Greenstone Trail (in certain places) and do things like visit all (or part) of the Feldtmann Loop. Leave the GRT at Hatchet Lake --and hike the connecting trail to the Minong Ridge Trail and then hike the (easiest section of) the Minong Ridge Trail between Todd Harbor and McCargoe Cove. People could also leave the Greenstone Ridge Trail and visit places like Malone Bay, Chippewa Harbor, Moskey Basin--or go down off of the Greenstone Ridge to Lane Cove. I say more about this topic in this BLOG POST. (CLICK HERE)
SOME RANDOM GREENSTONE POINTERS: If you have a choice between staying at EAST Chickenbone Lake Campground and WEST Chickenbone Lake Campground --I highly recommend staying at WEST Chickenbone ...or going to McCargoe Cove Campground. (East Chickenbone was people's least liked campground in the 2021 survey). At SOUTH Lake Desor---there is a "beach" where you can do some swimming. It is located in the general area of GROUP camping site # 1. Island Mine Campground was the second-least favorite campground among the people surveyed. However, Island Mine is one of the few Isle Royale campgrounds where you can have a campfire AND, you can have a campfire at each Island Mine campsite. Island Mine is located in a beautiful hardwood forest--miles away from the nearest lake. The water source for Island Mine is located just down the hill from the campground. (To find it, imagine that you are trying to hike to Siskiwit Bay Campground from Island Mine Campground. A short distance down that trail--downhill from Island Mine-- you will find a very small trickle of a creek. The trail crosses that creek).
The Feldtmann Loop Trail (FLT) and Huginnin Cove Loop
This loop is one of my favorite Isle Royale hikes (especially if combined with the Huginnin Cove Loop). The Feldtmann Loop is slightly over 30 miles in length. The loop typically begins and ends at Windigo and includes Feldtmann Lake Campground, Siskiwit Bay Campground, Island Mine Campground--and back to Windigo. (Windigo has the Washington Creek Campground). If you also hike the Huginnin Cove Loop--that will add another 9-10 miles to the hike.
You can hike the FLT either clockwise or counterclockwise. I personally prefer to hike it counterclockwise --with the first day being a hike from Windigo to Feldtmann Lake Campground. At Feldtmann Lake Campground, you can also do a small "side hike" to Rainbow Cove (roughly 0.9 miles one way). I like to do the Rainbow Cove hike near sunset--so that I can watch the sunset at Rainbow Cove. (I bring a flashlight with me "just in case" I hike back to camp a little late). Between Feldtman Lake and Siskiwit Bay Campground--you will find a fire tower to climb and to checkout the view from a higher elevation. (The hike between Feldtmann Lake and Siskiwit Bay is roughly 10.5 miles--so it is a somewhat long hiking day.). The trail between the fire tower and Siskiwit Bay can sometimes have places that become overgrown with plant life that is taller than your head--especially late in Summer. (If you hike this section early in the morning --in the heavy morning dew--or in the rain--the plants brushing up against your body can literally soak you from head to toe. If I hike it at such times, I definitely try to wear rain gear).
The section of trail between Siskiwit Bay and Island Mine can sometimes be difficult to navigate in places. Beavers have built dams--causing the trail to be flooded and relocated. People sometimes lose the trail and get somewhat disoriented in the section of trail. Hiking along the beach for much (but not all) of this section along the bay is the norm. Just be very careful when you leave and enter the beach area. Make sure that you get back onto the actual trail as you enter the "wooded" areas in this part of the trail. (You will do just fine. I have seen first timers and people in grade school and over age 80 successfully hike this section of trail. If all else fails--just keep getting back to the lake shore and search until you find the actual trail entrances for the sections of trail that go a bit inland).
As you hike the section of trail between Siskiwit Bay--Island Mine --and the Greenstone Ridge Trail Junction ... please note that you will encounter several steep hills as you get closer to Island Mine and the Greenstone Trail Junction. (Also, see my comments about Island Mine Campground in my above thoughts regarding the Greenstone Ridge Trail). I typically tend to skip staying overnight at Island Mine (especially when hiking Feldtmann Loop counterclockwise). I typically go directly to Windigo (Washington Creek Campground) and spend a night of two there. I like Windigo / Washington Creek. If you stay a day or two at Washington Creek Campground--there is a "better than average" chance that you will see moose feeding in the creek.
Out of Windigo, I often like to hike to Huginnin Cove. I sometimes do this as a day from Windigo (and I stay overnight at Windigo /Washington Creek Campground) or I do it as an overnight hike and spend the night at Huginnin Cove Campground. Either way is good. You can either hike to Huginnin Cove using an "out-and-back" route--or as a "loop" hike. I tend to prefer it as a "loop hike". I think Huginnin Cove is a nice primitive campground located right on Lake Superior.
SOME NATIONAL PARK SERVICE LINKS REGARDING BACKPACKING AND CAMPING AT ISLE ROYALE (Click the links)
- Backpacking and Camping Link # 1
- Backpacking and Camping Link # 2
- Backpacking and Camping Link # 3 (Some info about specific trails)