Michigan Isle Royale National Park map and highlights

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Michigan Isle Royale National Park map and highlights

Isle Royale National Park in Michigan
Isle Royale National  Park In Lake Superior, near Minnesota. Detailed guide of Isle Royale  National Park In Lake Superior, near Minnesota.    
Isle Royale National Park in Lake Superior, near Minnesota.    
Isle Royale is actually an archipelago of more than 200 islands,  all of which are clustered around one huge chunk of forested  wilderness. Measuring 9 mi by 45 mi, this central island is the largest  in Lake Superior, and it s home to a variety of wildlife. Moose may have  found the island by swimming here in the early 1900s, while wolves  probably arrived here by crossing a rare ice bridge from Canada in the  late 1940s. Although sightings of these animals are special events,  there are many other small mammals and birds commonly found along the  park trails. Ranger stations at Amygdaloid and Malone Bay have  informative staff, and the Edisen Fishery, Rock Harbor Lighthouse, and  McCargoe Cove are also on site. The park was authorized in 1931 and  designated a Biosphere Reserve in 1980.    
WHAT TO SEE & DO    
Backpacking, boat cruising, canoeing (rentals in park), diving  (charters available), hiking, kayaking, powerboating (rentals in park),  sailing. Facilities: 3 visitor centers: Houghton (800 E. Lakeshore Dr.),  Rock Harbor (northeast section of park), and Windigo (southwest section  of park); outdoor interpretive exhibits, guided tours, hiking trails.  Book and map sales, covered picnic tables with fire grills. Programs  & Events: Evening programs at Rock Harbor and Windigo, interpretive  program at Daisy Farm (twice weekly), daily guided walks and dockside  talks at Windigo and Rock Harbor, living-history fishing demonstration  at Edisen Fishery (four times weekly): all available mid-June-Labor Day.  Tips & Hints: Come prepared for variable weather, which tends to be  cool and wet Apr-early June and Sept.-Oct. Go June-Aug. for flowers,  May and Sept. for migrating birds. Bring repellent, netting, long-sleeve  shirts, and long pants to avoid bites from mosquitoes, flies, gnats,  and other insects. Busiest July and Aug., least crowded in May and Oct.    
FOOD & LODGING    
Camping: In the park: 112 sites and 50 shelters scattered  throughout the park (free; pit toilets; closed Nov.-mid-Apr).  Backcountry camping allowed (permit required, see below). Rock Harbor  Marina has electrical hook-ups and boat pump-out. In Grand Portage, MN:  Grand Portage Marina & Campground (Marina Rd., adjacent to Grand  Portage Lodge, tel. 218/475-2476; 10 RV sites, tent campingarea;  $12-$20; flush toilets, showers, hook-ups; closed Nov.-Apr). m Hotels:  In the park: Rock Harbor Lodge (tel. 906/337-4993 or 270/773-2191 in  winter; 52 rooms, 20 cabins; $178-$276; closed early Sept.-late May). In  Copper Harbor: Keweenaw Mountain Lodge (U.S. 41, tel. 906/289-4403; 8  rooms, 34 cottages, $77-$ 103; closed mid-Oct.-mid-May). In Grand  Portage, MN: Grand Portage Lodge & Casino (Off U.S. 61, tel. 218/  475-2401 or 800/543-1384; 100 rooms; $67-$77). In Hancock: Ramada Inn  (99 Navy St., tel. 906/482-8400; 51 rooms; $85). In Houghton: Best  Western Franklin Square Inn (820 Shelden Ave., tel. 906/487-1700; 103  rooms; $99-$ 189). X Restaurants: In the park: Rock Harbor Complex (tel.  906/337-4993 or 270/773-2191; $8-$12; closed early Sept.-late May). In  Copper Harbor: Mariner North (245 Gratiot St., tel. 906/289-4637; $5-$  16; closed weekdays Nov. and Apr.). In Houghton: Suomi Restaurant (54  Huron St., tel. 906/482-3220; $5-$7).    
FEES, HOURS & REGULATIONS    
User fee: $4 adults, free ages 11 and under. Park access summer  only via ferry service, floatplane, or private boat. Personal vessels  can access the island mid-Apr.-late Oct. Public transportation to island  available mid-May-mid-Oct. from Grand Portage, MN (tel. 715/392-2100),  Houghton (tel. 906/482-0984), and Copper Harbor (tel. 906/289-4437).  Seaplane service available from Houghton (tel. 906/482-0984). Camping  permits (free) required for all camping (available from Windigo and Rock  Harbor visitor centers and for boaters from Gun-flint Ranger District  in Grand Marais, MN). Michigan state fishing license ($7 for one day)  required when fishing in Lake Superior. Dive permits (free) required for  all diving. No hunting, pets, bikes, motorized or mechanized equipment  allowed. Wheelchairs allowed in developed areas only. Park open  mid-Apr.-late Oct., daily. Houghton Visitor Center (off-island in  Houghton, MI) open mid-June-late Aug., Mon.-Sat. 8-6; Sept.-mid-June,  weekdays 8-4:30. Rock Harbor Visitor Center open June-Labor Day, daily  8-8; intermittently Apr.-May and Labor Day-Oct. Windigo Visitor Center  open June-Labor Day, daily 8-6; intermittently Apr.-May and Labor  Day-Oct.    
HOW TO GET THERE    
Via ferry: 22 mi east of Grand Portage, MN; 56 mi northwest of  Copper Harbor; and 73 mi north of Houghton. Closest airport:  Houghton-Hancock (10 mi from downtown).
CONTACTS    
Isle Royale National Park (800 E. Lakeshore Dr., Houghton, MI  49931, tel. 906/482-0984, fax 906/487-7170, ). Keweenaw Tourism Council  (56638 Calumet Ave., Calumet, MI 49913, tel. 906/ 337-4579 or  800/338-7982).  
    
Isle Royale, Michigan   
Established: 1931   Acreage: 571,790   
In Lake Superior's northwest corner sits a wilderness  archipelago, a roadless land of unspoiled forests, refreshing lakes,  rugged scenic shores and wild creatures—accessible only by boat or  floatplane. Isle Royale has magnificent forests of aspen, white and  yellow birch, balsam fir, northern white cedar, and white and black  spruce. Many wildflowers are found on the island, including over 32  species of orchids. Foot trails cover 166 miles (267 km) on Isle Royale,  and the island contains numerous inland lakes.   
The island supports wolves and moose, both of which probably  crossed the ice from Canada in the early part of this century. Part of  the island's uniqueness lies in its complex, yet simple, system of  natural processes, a system in which moose are dependent on both wolves  and beaver—wolves to control the population and beaver to build dams  that foster the growth of vegetation upon which the moose feed. For a  time the policy was to control the wolf population. This was overdone to  such an extent that the deer and moose multiplied to a dangerous  number, and they overbrowsed their natural range to a point of mass  starvation. Other wild animals on Isle Royale are deer, fox, beaver,  mink and snowshoe rabbits.   
Long before Europeans saw Isle Royale, Indians mined copper here.  On the Store Trail out toward Scoville Point one passes three small  pits in the rock which indicate mining activity. Using rounded beach  stones as hammers to pound the copper out of the hard bedrock, they  formed the copper into beads, fishhooks, knives and other objects. By  the 1840s, the only evidence of Indian activity were the remains of a  maple sugaring camp on Sugar Mountain and a seasonal fishing camp on  Grace Island. Commercial fishing began on Isle Royale in 1837 with the  American Fur Company's fishing posts. The major economic species were  lake trout, whitefish and herring. Today there are three active  fisheries on the island using handlifted gill nets. Sport fishing has  replaced commercial fishing, with lake, brook and rainbow trout;  northern pike; walleye; and northern pike the most sought after species.  Fishing is good throughout the season, but spring and fall produce the  largest catches.
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