Isle Royale Honeymoon
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Isle Royale is known
for its wildlife, but the island also features historical
sites such as the Menagerie Island Lighthouse.
(National Park Service photo) |
Wolves, moose, rare
wildlife, lighthouses, historic sites, shipwrecks—you'll find all of
that on Lake Superior's Isle Royale, one of the most pristine wilderness
areas in the contiguous United States. If you're into roughing it, this
could make a cheap yet unique honeymoon. But if you're a self-proclaimed
"wilderness wimp," the good news is that you don't have to camp to enjoy
the isolated beauty of this wilderness jewel.
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Isle Royale is
about as pristine a wilderness as you'll find in the contiguous United
States. Located in Lake Superior 17 miles southeast of Grand Portage,
Minnesota, Isle Royale is relatively untouched by humans in the past
century—so much so that it is part of the United States Biosphere
Reserve. Fewer than 20,000 people visit the island every year (compare
that to your average Caribbean island!).
"Wolves and moose, the wild North Woods forest . . . the
crystal clear waters and rugged shoreline of Lake Superior characterize
Isle Royale National Park," according to the National Park Service's web
site. Forty-five miles long and nine miles wide at its widest point, the
park has 165 miles of scenic hiking trails and 36 campgrounds for
backpackers and recreational boaters. "Excellent fishing," historic
lighthouses and shipwrecks, ancient copper mining sites, and plenty of
spots to observe wildlife are among the island's attractions, according
to the park service. Scott and Nancy, who describe their Isle Royale
honeymoon at the site listed below, saw fox, otters, rare butterflies,
loons, and moose. "We'll be back," Scott says at the conclusion of his
honeymoon story. "I can see now why Isle Royale is the least visited
National Park and the most revisited."
If you're interested in honeymooning at the park
but don't want to go wilderness camping, Rock Harbor Lodge offers
motel-style accommodations as well as cabins. Rental boats and water
taxis are available from Rock Harbor Lodge as well.
Other Islands of the Great Lakes
honeymoon ideas:
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The fee to visit Isle Royale National
Park is $4 per person per day, or $50 for a season pass. If you camp,
you'll need to either borrow or buy good camping equipment. If you
prefer more comfortable accommodations, Rock Harbor Lodge is your only
choice on the island; double occupancy rooms run about $200 during the
peak season. Transportation to the island ranges from about $50 per
person (each way) for a ferry to about $230 per person for a roundtrip
seaplane ticket; check with specific providers for up-to-date pricing.
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Rock Harbor Lodge offers a variety of
interesting activities:
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Cruise to Lake Superior's rugged
Passage Island where you can take a hike to view the rare devil's
club shrub and a picturesque 1881 lighthouse.
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Take a sunset cruise on the M.V.
Sandy. The adventure starts with a walk on the boardwalk that passes
through Raspberry Island's spruce bog. Then cruise around Scoville
and Blake Points to view the Canada shore and the site of the
Monarch shipwreck.
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Hike or
cruise to an abandoned 1870s copper mine.
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Take a
guided tour to a historic commercial fishery site and an 1855
lighthouse—the oldest on Isle Royale.
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Go fishing
on your own or with a charter service.
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Explore the
island; look for wildlife; or simply lay back and the most brilliant
night sky you've ever seen.
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Isle Royale National Park
The National Park Service's official
site for Isle Royale National Park—with lots of practical information
and links to other sites, it's the place to start.
Rock Harbor Lodge
Rock Harbor Lodge is the only
accommodation on the island. Even if you're not planning to stay at the
lodge, visit their site for a list of activities you might be interested
in. From the web site: "Located along the shore of Lake Superior, Rock
Harbor Lodge has rooms with private bath, housekeeping cottages, and
services include dining room, snack bar, gift shop, dockside store,
marina, rental motor boats, kayaks and canoes, guided fishing and
sightseeing tours."
Isle Royale Ferry Service
Provides ferry service from Copper
Harbor, Michigan, to Isle Royale. Visit their helpful FAQ page for
practical information about visiting the island. Note also that other
ferry services are listed at the Isle Royale National Park web site.
(Unofficial) Isle
Royale National Park Page
A hobby page dedicated to Isle Royale
National Park, "dedicated to providing information on Isle Royale
National Park . . . that will be timely and of assistance in planning a
trip, vacation or obtaining data." A very simple but information-rich
site.
Scott and Nancy's Isle
Royale Honeymoon
An account, in pictures and words, of
this couple's October 2000 honeymoon in Isle Royale National Park. Click
on "photos" for an account of the trip.
Brian's
Isle Royale Backpacking and Adventures
Hobby site with extensive practical
information about Isle Royale, including three detailed trip journals
with photographs, and a helpful packing list. We've provided a link to
the latest trip journal; to see other Isle Royale information, click on
"Backpacking" in the floating menu on the left side of the page.
Isle Royale National Park Ring
A ring of web sites about Isle Royale
National Park, many detailing personal trips to the island.
Getting Acquainted with Isle Royale
"I should point out that it's possible
to sample Isle Royale without much discomfort, and that's exactly how I
sampled it," writes Chicago Tribune reporter Robert Cross. "After all,
even wild animals avoid hardships whenever possible." An amusing account
of one self-proclaimed wilderness wimp's stay at Isle Royale.
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Isle Royale National Park: Foot Trails
& Water Routes
A thorough guide to backcountry camping on
Isle Royale, Jim Dufresne's Isle Royale National Park: Foot
Trails & Water Routes consistently receives five- star
reviews from Amazon.com customers. The book is divided into two
parts. Part one describes the island and provides practical
information for planning a trip there. Part two describes, in
detail, various trails and destinations.
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Your honeymoon story
Have you done this trip (whether on
your honeymoon or other travel)? We'd love to hear about your experience
so we can share it with others . . . just
drop us a line.
Last Updated:
March 4, 2004 |
