1 Isle Royale National Park 
wildlife viewing
| directions and facility information
A moose mother and her calf ford the waters of Isle
Royale.
Cows give birth in May and June. Moose can give birth
to twins and, occasionally, triplets. Photo: David Kenyon, MI DNR
Isle Royale is a pristine island wilderness area. Its rocky
cliffs and jagged coastline stand in stark contrast to the flat blue
surface of Lake Superior. The island is
45 miles long and 9 miles wide. It is an archipelago, with the main
island surrounded by over 400 smaller islands. The vegetation is
primarily forested and its forests are in transition. The aspen and white
birch that followed forest fires caused by early settlers are rapidly
declining due to lack of fire. Northern boreal forests of balsam fir,
white spruce, and white birch occur near Lake
Superior and along some interior lakes and streams where it
is moist and cool. On warmer and higher interior ridges, sugar maple and
yellow birch predominate. This diversity is further enhanced by dozens of
inland lakes, ponds, streams, and wetlands. Nearly all of the island is
officially designated as wilderness and is probably one of the most
intact ecosystems in Michigan
due to its isolation and lack of human influence.
Rock Harbor Lodge is open from early
June to early
September. The spacious windows afford good
viewing of the harbor and the wildlife that
use it. Photo: © Dave Case
Wheeled vehicles are not permitted on the
island, and low impact, leave-no-trace camping is required, making this
site a backpacker’s dream. It contains more than 160 miles of hiking
trails and nearly 40 primitive campgrounds. Numerous private ferry and
seaplane services are available to transport you and your gear to the
island. A modern resort, the Rock Harbor Lodge, is open the first week in
June into the first week in September. Isle Royale
is not the kind of site where you can just "drop in." You have
to make a serious commitment of time and resources to visit the island.
Getting there requires a six-hour ferry ride from Houghton. Call ahead
for details and reservations, and make your plans thoughtfully.
Established by Congress in 1931, this national park was designated part
of the National Wilderness Preservation System by Congress in 1976, and
as a Biosphere Reserve by the United Nations in 1981.
 Wildlife
Viewing
The term moose comes from the
Algonquin Indian word meaning
"eater of twigs." These formidable
animals must be given distance
and respect when observed
in the wild.
Photo: David Kenyon, MI DNR
A visit to this site is a special experience
that will remain with you forever. The beauty of this pristine
wilderness—trees, wildflowers, water, and wildlife—and the mystique of
experiencing this wildness on a remote island, is difficult to describe. Isle Royale offers visitors a chance to completely
immerse themselves in a unique island ecosystem.
Whether you tour Isle Royale on foot or
by boat, wildlife viewing opportunities are abundant. For most visitors,
moose and wolves are at the top of their wildlife viewing wish list.
Moose are seen fairly commonly, and often experienced at close range.
Hike slowly and quietly almost anywhere on the island for an opportunity
to see one of these largest members of the deer family. Moose came to Isle Royale in the early 1900s, probably swimming
from the Canadian mainland. Because they had no natural predators on the
island at that time, the moose population grew rapidly until there was
not enough food to go around. With nothing left to eat, the moose population
crashed due to starvation. Over time, the plants that had sustained the
moose slowly began to grow back. As the few remaining moose found more
and more food, they again began to reproduce rapidly, and the cycle
started all over again.
Two moose make the most of a hard Michigan
winter. In spite of their large size,
moose often go unnoticed as they spend
a great deal of time in heavy, dark cover
in willow bottoms and forests.
Photo: David Kenyon, MI DNR
In the winter of 1948-49 a pack of eastern timber wolves crossed the ice
of Lake Superior to Isle Royale. Wolves
are natural predators of moose, but the relationship between these two species
is very complex. The interactions among wolves, moose, and the island’s
vegetation have been the subject of pioneering wildlife research for over
45 years; research that continues today. In the late winter of 2002,
researchers estimated the moose population to be 1,100 animals. The
wolves, in three packs, totaled seventeen animals. The stealthy and
secretive wolves are rarely seen, but a few lucky wildlife watchers catch
glimpses of them occasionally.
In addition to moose, opportunities for viewing common loons, beaver, and
red foxes are excellent. Beaver activity may be seen anytime along the
hiking trails and streams. The beavers themselves are mostly nocturnal,
but they may be seen during the early and the last light of day.
Isle Royale has 165 miles of scenic hiking
trails and
36 campgrounds for backpackers and
recreational boaters. There is no better way to see
wildlife than to take a hike! Photo: © Dave Case
Before making the trip to Isle
Royale, visitors should do some advance reading on the
wildlife and other natural resources of this special place. It will make
the trip much more interesting and fulfilling, and much safer.
Isle Royale offers a peaceful, picturesque,
wilderness experience. Visitation is limited to keep it that way. Yellowstone National
Park has more visitors some days than Isle
Royale has all year. About 20,000 visitors come to the
island annually. Most of the people you encounter here—whether on the
ferry, on the trail, or in the only restaurant at Rock Harbor—are
seeking that same wilderness experience.
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