Isle Royale National Park Kayaking & Hiking

This trip begins in Houghton, MI. We meet our travel companions in the afternoon at our host hotel in Houghton near Houghton County Memorial Airport (CMX) and transfer to our hotel in Copper Harbor. Later today we receive a full trip orientation, pack our gear in dry bags, and get fitted for wetsuits and PFDs. We will also undergo a mini-water safety course where we paddle into Lake Superior and practice rescue maneuvers. Dinner tonight in town at a local restaurant. Lunch and dinner included.

Paddling: 1 mile (2.5 to 3 hours); Transfer:1 hour

An early morning ferry ride on the Isle Royale Queen IV delivers us to Isle Royale. We check into the park and partake in a safety briefing upon arrival into Rock Harbor. We fuel up with lunch before boarding our kayaks. Our paddle today takes us to Caribou Island and, with cooperating weather, we can paddle out to the barrier islands enroute. We arrive at our campsite late this afternoon, unload our gear, and have free time to explore the remnants of past settlements, pebbly beaches, and prolific berry patches. Enjoy a guide-prepared dinner together followed by a briefing for the next day before we settle into our sleeping bags for a peaceful night's sleep. All meals included.

Kayaking: 6 miles (3 hours); Ferry Transfer: 3.5 hours.

Wake up to a hot breakfast and breathe the fresh island air. Today we circumnavigate the East and West Caribou Islands exploring the ancient basalt channels and coves that define these unique barrier islands. We reach Conglomerate Bay in our kayaks and enjoy lunch on the cliffs overlooking the bay. There is an option to do a short hike or some cliff jumping and swimming. We return to our kayaks and paddle back to camp passing the Rock Harbor Lighthouse enroute. Later we have time to swim or relax at camp before another scrumptious meal. All meals included.

Kayaking: 1 miles total(3 hours); Hiking: 1 mile total (1 hour)

We depart camp in our kayaks and paddle to Daisy Farm Campground where we begin our loop hike on the Greenstone Ridge. We hike over sun-kissed basalt balds and pass through a variety of ecosystems including boreal forests of balsam fir, white spruce, paper birch and aspen trees. Our hike takes us across boardwalks through marsh habitats teeming with beavers, frogs and salamanders. We arrive at Ojibway Fire Tower for lunch and a spectacular panoramic view. Continuing on our adventure in our kayaks we arrive at Rock Harbor Lighthouse where we can learn about the maritime history of the region in its small museum. Next, we hike to a historic fish camp and travel back to a time when fishing was a mainstay of the island's summer residents. Our highlight today is a visit to the Wolf-Moose Project led by Rolf Peterson, a world authority on wolves and moose. The research project is the longest continuous study of any predator-prey system in the world. A short paddle returns us to camp and some down time before dinner. View the dark night skies when the sun goes down and listen for the wolves. All meals included.

Kayaking: 5 miles total (3 hours); Hiking: 5 miles (3 hours)

After breakfast we pack up camp and load our kayaks. Paddle to Suzie's Cave and back to Rock Harbor where we bid farewell to Isle Royale National Park and board the ferry for our return to Copper Harbor. We check into our hotel and have time for a shower before meeting up for dinner and to celebrate our amazing adventure. All meals included.

Kayaking: 6 miles (3.5 hours); Ferry Transfer: 3.5 hours.

This morning we transfer back to our host hotel in Houghton with an airport stop (CMX) for those departing later today. No meals included.

Transfer: 1 hour