In the spirit of back-to-school, I wish to report on my trip to Isle Royale National Park.

This was my second trip to that primitive national park, which is located on an island in Lake Superior. It’s primitive because, unlike the other national parks, very little effort has been made to make it accessible.

There are no roads and very few improved paths. Cell phones are useless — for the most part. No cars are allowed on the island. One park ranger told me that no humans live on the island in the winter.

We stayed at the lodge at Rock Harbor, which is located on the northeast tip of the island. At Rock Harbor are a small restaurant, a smaller grill, and an even smaller gift shop. Just a few feet away from the eateries is a park office. Around the harbor, where the ferries dock, is a park ranger office. There are three or four lodge buildings (I can’t remember which). All rooms face toward the harbor and the lake. That means that all night long, the lake lapping against the rocks just a few feet from the lodge will lull you to sleep. Each room has a bathroom with a bath/shower. Each room also has a clock radio, which can pick up stations in Thunder Bay, Canada. One big surprise for me was one room near the park office with a small bandwidth Wi-Fi! Visitors are no longer completely cut off from the rest of the world.

The restaurant is a bit pricey, but I can still taste the Lake Superior trout. The grill is cheaper, but still more expensive than equivalent grills on the mainland. The grill and restaurant are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner so we didn’t starve.

Getting to the park is a large part of Isle Royale’s story. We took the ferry from Copper Harbor, Michigan. There is a slightly larger ferry from Houghton, but that ferry takes longer. Visitors can also fly on a floatplane. Ferries also use a port in Minnesota.

For me, the most interesting part of the Isle Royale story is the battle between the 1,300 moose and the two wolves — yes, there are just two wolves left. One wolf is male and the other is female. They mate every year, but they cannot produce viable pups because they are so closely related. Inbreeding has crippled the wolf population. A scientist on the island told me that the park would break with policy and introduce wolves from Michigan and other places. Otherwise, the moose would overpopulate the island and die of starvation or disease. The alternative would be a hunting season for moose, which would be an even bigger change than altering the natural balance of prey and predator.

Unfortunately, our group did not include hikers or campers so we stayed close to the lodge at Rock Harbor. At most we walked two or three miles from the lodge. Keep in mind, that the trails are very rudimentary. Some low spots are made somewhat drier by planks of wood supported above the water. Otherwise, trails are just dirt, rocks and roots. Watch out for the roots; they can be treacherous! Obviously, Isle Royale is not for people with mobility problems.

If you are looking for a refuge from politics and other news, seek out Isle Royale before the park closes in September or visit next summer. The small Wi-Fi and radios in the rooms, notwithstanding; the park is still very remote and is an island of tranquility.

One final note: remember Dramamine. You’ll thank me if the lake is rough.

 

Michael Waldron is a retired lieutenant colonel, U.S. Army, who was born and raised in Niles. He previously served on the Niles Community School Board of Education. He can be reached at ml.waldron@sbcglobal.net.