Some links on this site are affiliate links. If you purchase something using an affiliate link, I may earn a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, and helps offset the costs of keeping this site online. Thank you for your support!

Isle Royale end-to-end loop hike part 1: Planning, Training & Prep

How will I get there? What route will I take? How much training do I need to do? What will I eat? There’s a lot of training and preparation that goes into backpacking Isle Royale.

Watch the video:

https://youtu.be/-Gxry7a71LQ

Like the videos?
You can subscribe to my YouTube channel and see a playlist with all my Isle Royale videos.

Next episode: Part 2 Rock Harbor to Daisy Farm.

Choosing a hiking route for Isle Royale

After I decided I wanted to do a solo hike at Isle Royale National Park, I had to choose a route. There are two main trails that travel the length of the island: the Minong and the Greenstone. Which one to take?

I used two resources to help make that decision:

1. The National Geographic Trails Map of Isle Royale
2. The Isle Royale National Park: Foot Trails and Water Routes book by Jim Dufresne

The map and book are essential to hiking on the island. In looking at the map and the trail information, I realized that I could do both trails as a loop, and so the idea was born. The island is about 50 miles long, so that would be 100 miles total. Using the map and the book, I planned a route, taking about two weeks to do the trip. This was my route:

1. Rock Harbor to Daisy Farm
2. Daisy Farm to McCargoe Cove
3. McCargoe Cove to Todd Harbor
4. Todd Harbor to Little Todd Harbor
5. Little Todd Harbor to N. Lake Desor
6. N. Lake Desor to Windigo/Washington Creek
7. Rest day in Washington Creek
8. Windigo/Washington Creek to S. Lake Desor
9. S. Lake Desor to Hatchet Lake
10. Hatchet Lake to Moskey Basin
11. Moskey Basin to 3 Mile
12. 3 Mile to Rock Harbor
13. Took the ferry home

Choosing transportation to get to Isle Royale

From Michigan, where I live, there are 3 ways to get to Isle Royale:

1. The Ranger III ferry from Houghton, MI
2. The Queen ferry out of Copper Harbor, MI
3. Isle Royale seaplanes

I ended up choosing the Ranger out of Houghton for a few reasons:

1. It’s the most affordable option
2. It’s a shorter drive for me than the Queen. Since I was traveling alone, the shorter drive was a good idea.
3. I love the Ranger!

The Ranger III ferry in Houghton, MI

I had taken the Ranger on a previous trip to the island, and I love it! Built in 1958, it still has its 1958 charm. It takes 6 hours from Houghton to Isle Royale. It is owned by the National Park Service, and you meet with a park ranger on board to get your camping permit.

The Queen from Copper Harbor is a shorter boat ride, but a longer drive (at least for me). I have never taken the Queen, but many people like getting to the island earlier in the day. Be sure to check ferry schedules to make sure your trip fits at the dates/times they run!

Planning your own trip to Isle Royale?

Get answer to questions about Isle Royale: Isle Royale National Park FAQ

Backpack Training for Isle Royale National Park

I needed to do a lot of training for this trip to be able to carry a heavy pack for 100 miles. I live near Hoffmaster State Park, and did  a lot of training hikes there carrying my loaded pack. Eventually I got to where I could carry a 45 lb pack for 10-12 miles. This was about what it ended up at when I left for Isle Royale, but the terrain on the island is MUCH more difficult than what I faced at Hoffmaster.

I also did a couple of backpacking trips for training, going to the Manistee River Trail in Michigan. It’s a beautiful hike that I’ve done several times. This was a great opportunity to test out my backpacking gear and make sure I had everything set up the way I wanted.

Food for Isle Royale

The other big thing I needed to take care of in advance of the trip was food. I dehydrate my own food with a Nesco dehydrator – which I LOVE –  so I needed plenty of time to get two weeks worth of meals. I used my practice backpacking trips to try out new meals and recipes, deciding what I wanted to eat on the island. My new favorite was tacos – made with ground venison, dehydrated salsa, guacamole, and refried beans, with Doritos and dehydrated sour cream. They were delicious, but also my heaviest meal. I made a point to eat the heaviest meals first, so I didn’t have to carry them quite so far.

I have a few recipes that I love that came from Chef Glenn, who has a book with recipes for backpacking.

That was my training and preparation for my Isle Royale solo hike. The next post will cover getting to the island, and the first days hike from Rock Harbor to Daisy Farm.

Next: Isle Royale Part 2: Rock Harbor to Daisy Farm