Isle Royale National Park: Foot Trails & Water Routes

by Jim DuFresne

Overview

• Bestselling guidebook for over 40 years!
• Most comprehensive guide to one of the Midwest’s most beloved national parks
• Emphasizes hiking and paddling, but also includes camping, fishing, and natural and cultural history

Longtime Michigan trail evangelist Jim DuFresne explores the park’s 200 square miles of wilderness and 400 islands by detailing 165 miles of trails, chains of inland lakes to paddle and portage, and miles of rugged coastline to explore by kayak. This guidebook is the recognized "backcountry bible" to the park, providing everything you need to know for an island adventure including details on the park’s history, flora, and fauna; fishing opportunities; complete descriptions of trails and waterways including mileage, difficulty, and amenities; overview of all campgrounds; detailed full-color maps; and full-color photos throughout. However you choose to explore Isle Royale, this guide's for you!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781680518115
Publisher:	Mountaineers Books, The
Publication date:	04/01/2025
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	192
File size:	61 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Jim DuFresne was formerly the award-winning outdoors and sports editor for the Juneau Empire in Juneau, Alaska, before returning to Michigan, home of his alma mater. There he began his guidebook career, publishing more than 20 titles including Backpacking in Michigan, 50 Hikes in Michigan, and 12 Classic Trout Streams in Michigan, as well as contributing to MichiganTrailMaps.com. He lives in Clarkston, MI.

Table of Contents

	Foreword	8
Part 1.	About the National Park
	The Island and The Lady	10
	History of a Wilderness	12
	Wildflowers to Wildlife	17
	The Flora	19
	The Fauna	22
	Wilderness Fishing	27
	Getting To and Around the Island	32
	Getting There	33
	Getting Around	35
	Enjoying the Backcountry	37
	Seeing the Backcountry	38
	Permits and Fees	43
	Backcountry Needs	44
	Weather and When to Visit	45
	Backcountry Water	46
	Group Camping	47
	What's Available on the Island?	48
	How to Use this Book	48
	Low-Impact Camping	49
Part 2.	Isle Royale on Foot
Chapter 1.	The Long Trails	53
	The Greenstone Ridge Trail	54
	Minong Ridge Trail	66
	Feldtmann Ridge and Island Mine Trails	77
	Rock Harbor and Lake Richie Trails	84
Chapter 2.	The Short Trails, West	93
	Huginnin Cove Loop Trail	95
	Windigo Nature Walk	99
Chapter 3.	The Short Trails, Central	101
	Indian Portage and Lake Mason Trails	103
	Ishpeming Trail	108
	East Chickenbone Trail	110
	Hatchet Lake Trail	111
Chapter 4.	The Short Trails, East	113
	Tobin Harbor Trail	115
	Mount Franklin Trail	116
	Lane Cove Trail	117
	Daisy Farm and Mount Ojibway Trails	118
	Stoll Trail	121
	Lookout Louise Trail	121
	Mott Island Circuit Trail	123
	Raspberry Island Trail/Lighthouse Trail Loop	124
Part 3.	Isle Royale by Paddle
Chapter 5.	The Inland Lakes, North	127
	Rock Harbor	129
	Lake Richie	131
	Lake LeSage	132
	Lake Livermore	133
	Chickenbone Lake	133
	McCargoe Cove	134
Chapter 6.	The Five Fingers	137
	Herring Bay, Pickerel Cove, and Robinson Bay	139
	Amygdaloid Channel, Crystal Cove, and Belle Harbor	141
	Stockly Bay, Five Finger Bay, and Duncan Bay	143
	Merritt Lane and Tobin Harbor	146
Chapter 7.	The Inland Lakes, South	149
	Chippewa Harbor	151
	Lake Whittlesey	153
	Wood Lake	155
	Siskiwit Lake	156
	Intermediate Lake	158
Chapter 8.	The South Shore	161
	The South Shore	163
	Siskiwit Bay	164
	The West End	167
	Rainbow Cove	168
	Grace Harbor	169
	Washington Harbor	169
	Afterword	171
Appendix	Suggested Reading	172
	Bibliography	173
	Index	174