Isle Royale Forums

1 experience backpacker, 1 semi-experienced backpacker, mid 20's in very good shape. We would like to make the most out of a 3/4 night stay on the island. We are coming from Milwaukee WI and its looks like the Ranger III out of Houghton MI would be are best bet. I've noticed most people seem to not use this way to get to the island.

So from what I've gathered, the Ranger III arrives are Rock Harbor but you can stay on and depart on other parts of the island? Is this true, if so where should we depart.

Also for arrival back do we have to eventually get back to Rock Harbor or can you leave from many spots on the island.

I can't find a schedule for ferry times, is this not available for 2013 yet?

So once I figure out where we are going to arrival and depart I can start planning which campsites to visit. We are still in the early stages of planning but we are both very serious and have decided this is our destination for our trip which were aiming for mid June. We have a truck and both have kayaks, still debating if we wanna bring them though? Looks like there is more than enough to do on inland.

Ranger III info found at nps.gov/isro
2013 schedule will be same as 2012, with a $3 hike in one-way rates ($2 hike on canoe/kayak).
Sail from houghton on tuesday or friday 9AM EDT. Sail back, departing from RockHarbor 9AM wednes or saturday.
If u have a canoe/kayak u can get off at and depart from Mott Island(park administrative headquarters).

Queen IV schedule - isleroyale.com
Beginning june 10, the queen does a roundtrip every day but W and sunday.
If u r doing a relatively short trip, folks prefer the Queen because it gets u there 11:20am instead of 3 pm; and on the day of departure, instead of boarding the Ranger at 9 am, the Queen will sail at 2:45 pm.

Also, beginning in june, the voyageur (MN boat) adds a 3rd (per week) clockwise circumnavigation of the island, staying overnite at Rock Harbor on Monday (in addition to wednes and saturday overnites at RH). So if u arrive on the Queen on monday, u can jump on the Voyageur Tuesday morning at 8 am (CDT), and get dropped off at Chippewa Harbor or even Malone Bay; then backpack back to Rock Harbor.

If u would rather not stick around RH for your 1st night, u can hike 7.5 mi to Daisy Farm outpost, and jump on the Voyageur there. But note that the Voyageur will only stop at the daisy farm dock ( 8:30 AM) if u have reservations to board at daisy farm!

The two Michigan ferries run on EDT. The Voyageur runs on CDT, as it hails from Grand Portage, MN - 5 miles from the Canadian border.

zeppy wrote: We are coming from Milwaukee WI.

Hey Zeppy,
Welcome to the forums!
Now...
When is the beer capital of the world going to come up with dehydrated beer?

Might I suggest the following:
1. Daisy Farm
Take Voyageur to Chippewa Harbor.
2. Lake Richie or West Chickenbone
3. W CBone (2nd nite) - plenty of day hikes from there.
4. Three Mile outpost (take the ridge trail all the way to mt. Franklin & then descend to 3Mile camp.
On day 5 u hike to RH to board the queen

For a more aggressive route:
1. Daisy
Take Voyageur to Malone Bay (disembark 10AM@Malone)
2. Hatchet Lake
3. Mccargoe Cove (via Todd Harbor)
4. 3Mile (or maybe Daisy again, as this will allow u to take the time to hike both sides of the "chickenbone"[lake]).