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| Junior Ranger | Ranger Led Activities | Special Activities | Visitor Centers |
| Dates | Hours | Phone | Location | Available Facilities |
| All year beg Jun - mid Jun mid Jun - mid Aug mid Aug - mid Sep |
8:00 am - 4:30 pm M-F 8:00 am - 4:30 pm M-S 8:00 am - 6:00 pm M-S 8:00 am - 4:30 pm M-S |
906-482-0984 | 800 East Lakeshore Drive in Houghton, Michigan, on the Keweenaw Peninsula of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan | A small assortment of natural and cultural history exhibits can be seen and boater registration, user fee collection and bookstore is available |
| Hours | Phone | Location | Available Facilities |
| 8:00 am - 8:00 pm mid Jun - beg Sep |
No Phone | Rock Harbor, Isle Royale National Park, in the northeast section of the park | Guided interpretive walks and talks begin at or near the visitor center. Camping permits issued, user fee collection, boater registration, bookstore, exhibits are available and a small assortment of natural and cultural history objects can be seen in the visitor center |
| Hours | Phone | Location | Available Facilities |
| 8:00 am - 6:00 pm mid Jun - beg Sep |
No Phone | Windigo, Isle Royale National Park, in the southwest section of the park | Guided interpretive walks and talks begin at or near the visitor center. Natural and cultural history exhibits, with primary theme related to lighthouses and shipwrecks can be seen and camping permits, boater registration, collect user fees, exhibits, bookstore and rest rooms are available. |
Isle Royale National Park is open from mid-April to 31 Oct. Full transportation services are available from mid-June through Labor Day. The park is closed 01 Nov to 15 Apr. Visitation is highest in late July through the third week of August and lowest in April to May and October.
Wild animals, pristine forests, crystal clear lakes and rugged shoreline are a few of Isle Royale National Park's many fine features. This island archipelago is 45 miles long and nine miles wide at it's widest point. The park encompasses a total area of 850 square miles including submerged lands which extends four and a half miles out into Lake Superior. The archipelago is composed of many parallel ridges. Isle Royale has 165 miles of scenic hiking trails and 36 campgrounds for backpackers and recreational boaters. There is excellent Lake Superior fishing, historic lighthouses and shipwrecks, ancient copper mining sites, and plenty of spots to observe wildlife. Accessible only by boat or float plane, Isle Royale is relatively untouched by direct outside influences and serves as a living laboratory and International Biosphere Reserve.
Take a sightseeing hike to view Lake Superior panorama and abundant wildlife including moose and fox; hike scenic trails or take a sightseeing cruise to beautiful spots on the island including historic lighthouses; explore abandoned copper mines; visit a historic commercial fishery still in operation; catch a native lake trout on a fishing charter while trolling along one of Isle Royale's reefs; enjoy hospitality, food and service at the Rock Harbor Lodge Dining Room.
Children 6 to 12 years of age can participate in the exciting and challenging Junior Ranger Program, which takes a day or two to complete. Children work with their parents and rangers to solve the riddles of life on Isle Royale. The program will highly challenge the minds of all children who become involved. Graduates are awarded a badge and certificate by a ranger.
Educational and enjoyable programs are offered on the Ranger III and on Isle Royale at Rock Harbor, Daisy Farm, and Windigo. In addition, guided excursions explore such areas as Passage Island and Lookout Louise near Rock Harbor. Ranger-guided programs are free, although those involving the tour boat Sandy have a transportation fee. Check at local bulletin boards for further details. For outdoor activities, dress for the possibility of cold or wet weather and wear sturdy footwear.
Interpretive programs and guided walks by Park Rangers, Park Artists-in-Residence, and other affiliates are offered from mid-June through Labor Day at Rock Harbor, Windigo and Daisy Farm. Activities include nature and historical walks, evening slide programs and campfire talks, and scenic boat cruises to different parts of the island, including a historic lighthouse and commercial fishery. These activities focus on the flora and fauna of the island along with events of the island's colorful past.
| Program | Time | Dates/Days | Description |
| Evening Program at Rock Harbor | 8:30 pm - 9:30 pm 8:00 pm - 9:00 pm |
mid Jun - Labor Day | Learn about Isle Royale's natural and cultural history. Check at visitor center for meeting place |
| Nature Walk at Rock Harbor | 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm | Take a leisurely stroll with a ranger at Rock Harbor to learn special secrets about Isle Royale's natural or cultural history. May be offered on days when the Isle Royale Queen III comes to Rock Harbor; check local bulletin boards. Meet at Rock Harbor Visitor Center | |
| Hidden Lake / Lookout Louise Greenstone Shuttle |
9:00 am - 12:30 pm | Tue and Thu | A park ranger guides this two mile round trip walk past Hidden Lake up 320 feet to Lookout Louise, following a 4 mile boat tour on the MV Sandy to the trailhead. View Ontario and the north shore of Isle Royale. Return with the group or bring a lunch and water and hike 10.2 miles back to Rock Harbor. If stormy weather cancels the trip, a guided walk will be led to Suzy's Cave (3.8 miles round trip). Obtain tickets and information at the Lodge Registration Office. There is a fee |
| Passage Island | 1:30 pm - 6:00 pm | Mon and Fri | A park ranger guides this 2-mile round trip walk from the Passage Island dock to the 1881 Passage Island Lighthouse, following the 8-mile boat tour on the MV Sandy to the island across one of Lake Superior's popular shipping lanes. You'll see the rare devil's club, due to the lack of moose on this island. The trail includes some steep inclines. If stormy weather cancels the trip, a guided walk will be led to Scoville Point (4.2 miles round trip). There is a fee |
| Raspberry Island Shuttle | Daily | Your Time | Explore on your own and at your own pace a one-mile self-guiding trail through a spruce bog on one of Isle Royale's most diverse, scenic, and rugged outer islands. Bring your lunch and beverage and enjoy them in the splendor of wave-washed cliffs. (Via shuttle boat) Available by reservation daily. There is a fee |
| Captain's Cruise | 2:00 pm - 5:30 pm | Tue | Explore with the Captain of the Sandy scenic out-of-the-way destinations, such as Middle Island Passage, Lorelei Lane, Rock Harbor Lighthouse, Davidson Island, and Starvation Point. There is a fee |
| Edisen Fishery / Rock Harbor Lighthouse | 2:00 pm - 6:00 pm 9:00 am - 1:30 pm |
Thu Sat |
Visit a historic commercial fishery with the resident fishery demonstrator and take a quarter-mile-guided walk to the oldest lighthouse (1855) on Isle Royale. There is a fee |
| Raspberry Island Sunset Cruise | 8:00 pm to Sunset 7:30 pm - Sunset |
Jun and Jul Aug and Sep |
Stroll a self-guided tail along boardwalks lined by insect-eating plants through a spruce bog. Cruise on the Sandy around Scoville and Blake Points to view the Canada shoreline, site of the Monarch Shipwreck, and a Lake Superior sunset. (After August 15, cruise only). There is a fee |
| North Side Cruise / Minong Mine | 9:00 am - 5:30 pm | Wed | Cruise two hours each way along the many harbors and bays of Isle Royale's north shore. Pass Blake Point and Amygdaloid Island, with a possible stop at Belle Isle. Hikers can trek back to Rock Harbor via a 15-mile trail. Bring lunch and beverage.There is a fee |
| Daisy Farm Evening Program | 7:30 pm - 8:30 pm | Wed and Sat, mid Jun - mid Aug | Learn about Isle Royale's natural and cultural history. Meet at the campfire circle. |
| Windigo Evening Program | 8:00 pm - 9:00 pm | Daily | Learn about Isle Royale's natural and cultural history. Check at the Windigo Visitor Center for the meeting place. |
| Nature Walk | 2:30 pm - 4:00 pm | Daily | Join a ranger for a one-mile stroll through swamp and forest past a moose exclosure. Meet at Windigo Visitor Center. |
| Windigo Whispers | 1:30 pm - 2:00 pm | Daily | Join a ranger to explore special topics relating to Windigo's natural or cultural history. Meet at Windigo Visitor Center. |
| Wilderness Portal | 9:00 am - 3:30 pm | Tue - Wed Fri - Sat beg Jun - mid Sep |
Ranger-conducted programs about Isle Royale are presented on trips to and from the island wilderness aboard the Ranger III, as permitted by weather conditions. A park ranger will help plan trips on the island and issue backcountry camping permits. Children under 12 are half rate. |
| Houghton Evening Program | 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm | Wed & Thur mid Jun - end Aug |
Learn about Isle Royale's natural and cultural history. Check at Houghton Visitor Center for time and place. |
| Keweenaw Cruise | Thur mid Jun - mid Sep |
Enjoy an evening cruise and interpretive programs along the scenic Keweenaw Waterway aboard the Ranger III. Phone: 906-482-0984 for reservations. There is a fee. |
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