Isle Royale National Park

🚤

Boat/plane only

No roads, no cars

💵

$7/day

Per person entrance fee

🐺

65+ years

Wolf-moose study

📅

Apr 16 – Oct 31

Operating season

🏕

Backcountry only

No car camping

📶

Unreliable

Cell service

⚠️Remoteness & Water SafetySelf-reliance required▾

🌊 Isle Royale is one of the most remote parks in the system — emergency response and evacuation take time, and NPS is direct that visitors must "rely on your own skills and equipment." Cell phone service is unreliable island-wide; don't depend on it. Lake Superior's waters are unpredictable and can turn dangerous quickly for boaters and paddlers — check conditions before any water crossing. Come prepared for any weather, and treat all lake water before drinking (swimmer's itch is also a concern in some bays). NPS safety info ↗

🚤Ferry & Seaplane AccessMultiple operators▾

From Houghton, MINPS ferry

Ranger III

The park's own ferry, roughly a 6-hour crossing to Rock Harbor. Schedule released each late winter/early spring.

From Grand Portage, MNConcessioner

Voyageur II & Sea Hunter III

Faster crossings to Windigo or Rock Harbor; camper one-way fares run roughly $100–$120/adult in 2026 (varies by route and trip type).

✈️ Isle Royale Seaplanes also offers direct flights from Houghton — the fastest option, roughly 35 minutes each way, weather permitting. Full ferry/seaplane details ↗

Fees

Daily entrance$7/person

Season pass (covers 4)$60

Age 15 & underFree

Cashless park — cards only

🐺Wolf-Moose StudyLongest-running in the world▾

🫎 Isle Royale's isolated wolf and moose populations have been tracked continuously since 1958 — the longest-running study of a predator-prey relationship anywhere in the world. Moose sightings are common across the island; give them wide berth, especially cows with calves. NPS wolf-moose study ↗

🏕CampingBackcountry permit▾

🎒 No vehicles are permitted on Isle Royale at all, so there's no drive-up camping — every site is backcountry, reached on foot or by boat, with three-sided shelters and tent pads scattered along the island's trail network. A free backcountry permit (filled out at the dock on arrival) is required for every overnight stay. Full camping details on NPS.gov ↗

Park Contact Information

📞 Phone: (906) 482-0984 · Mailing Address: 800 East Lakeshore Drive, Houghton, MI 49931 · Official NPS contact page ↗