Hesitant About Backpacking? Start at Isle Royale

A view from Lookout Louise, Isle Royale National Park. Photo by Joe Ross on Flickr.

In 2020, I wanted to be bold. Wanted to be adventurous. So, being entirely new to backpacking, I spent a week solo backpacking in Isle Royale. In hindsight, it was the ideal place to go on a first backpacking trip. If you live in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, or don’t mind making a trip to an island in Lake Superior, Isle Royale is the adventure for you.

Here’s why:

1. There are pit toilets at every campground. You won’t have to suffer the indignity of digging catholes or worry about any wildlife pouncing on you at a vulnerable time.
2. You are not going to get mauled by a mountain lion or bear. You won’t find any in Isle Royale. Such are the benefits an island can provide. But there are other wildlife, such as moose and wolves, that you should be respectful of. For guidelines on how to do that, I can only refer you to two places much more professional than here: NPS webpages for wolves and moose.
3. The terrain is not terribly mountainous. There are no dramatic rises or drops in elevation like there are in Yosemite. It’s hilly, sure, but you won’t have to worry about altitude sickness.
4. You can start and finish your trip with clean potable water from both ends of the island. Windigo on the west side and Rock Harbor on the east side are two places where you can get this.
5. There is no need to worry if you will find a place where you can filter and then drink some more water. You’re on an island with plenty of lakes within the island itself. (Obligatory sidenote: I do recommend checking Isle Royale National Park’s webpage on nps.gov for any alerts on algal blooms in Isle Royale. Some of the cyanobacteria in these algal blooms are toxic and can cause headaches, nausea, vomiting, and worse if ingested. Algal blooms are something to be mindful of for any backpacker who plans on filtering or treating the water wherever he or she hikes.)
6. If you stay on the island for a few days, you are likely to see a couple of moose. It’s easier to see moose in the morning when other backpackers haven’t scared them away yet. Even though they’re big and adorable, make sure that when you see a moose you can cover its figure with your thumb held about an arm’s length away from your eyes. If you can’t cover it entirely, you are standing too close to a moose. Give them a wide berth.
7. Need to get away from everybody? Here, you can find the solitude you’re craving. Isle Royale is one of the least visited national parks. Hearing the crack of twigs and the wind through the trees can make your mind very clear for a while.
8. You can fly in a seaplane to get to the island. As you’re flying across Lake Superior, you can, if you’re sitting next to a window, look down and become mesmerized by the churning blue waves. Or, if you don’t like flying, you can take a ferry to the island and see the waves much closer.
9. Backpacking across rocky ridges is a fun physical challenge. On these ridges, like the Minong Ridge, the trail can disappear almost entirely when there’s little vegetation around. Squint far ahead to see where the trail reappears. It’s fun. There are times where it’s best to use your arms (or hiking poles) to keep yourself vertical on these rocky ridges.