Wolf-Moose Research:
50 Years on Isle Royale
Tour Map
Daily Itinerary
August 10: Hancock Airport in Houghton, Michigan
Your tour begins with the welcome dinner at a local restaurant featuring tour orientation and overview of Isle Royale National Park—the largest island on Lake Superior. Best Western Franklin Square Inn (D)
August 11: Isle Royale National Park
We leave Houghton for Copper Harbor and our morning departure aboard the Isle Royale Queen III to Isle Royale National Park. We arrive at Rock Harbor for a leisurely lunch and an interpretive walk of the surrounding area. Dinner at the Rock Harbor Lodge is followed by an evening program by a National Park Ranger. Rock Harbor Lodge (B,L,D)
August 12: Isle Royale National Park
Isle Royale has offered biologists an unusual opportunity to study the complex interactions between species in a very special ecosystem. Learn from researchers and naturalists what factors contribute to the island’s ecosystem. Explore the rocky shorelines, the boreal forest, and other habitats in the vicinity of Rock Harbor with an emphasis on learning the basics of wildlife tracking and plant identification. We break up the day with meals and time to relax at the Lodge. After dinner, get a closer look at the island chains and rugged shorelines on a sunset boat tour. Rock Harbor Lodge (B,L,D)
August 13: Isle Royale National Park
Paddle through the tranquil beauty of Tobin Harbor, a protected bay of Lake Superior and home to unique populations of nesting loons and coaster brook trout. Tobin Harbor is also home to several historic cottages and families who were central to the park’s establishment. Hike to Hidden Lake for a chance of spotting moose at a natural mineral lick and to Lookout Louise for one of the more spectacular northern views of the islands and bays, as well as the Canadian shoreline. Rock Harbor Lodge (B,L,D)
August 14: Isle Royale National Park
We leave Rock Harbor for the day via boat down the Rock Harbor Channel. Step back in time as we visit the historic Edisen Fishery and Isle Royale Light, one of the park’s four historic lighthouses. Following a picnic lunch on the beach, we hike a short distance to meet with one of the scientists involved in the wolf-moose research for a discussion of new insights from their world famous research. Rock Harbor Lodge (B,L,D)
August 15: Isle Royale National Park
After a morning of tracking in the vicinity of Rock Harbor and lunch at the Lodge, we spend the afternoon on a boat tour to Passage Island. Located four miles off the northern tip of the park’s main island, Passage Island is strikingly different from what we have seen thus far. It is home to an unusual concentration of rare plants, splash pools rich in aquatic life, and a historic lighthouse. Rock Harbor Lodge (B,L,D)
August 16: Boat Tour to Houghton
Board the Ranger III, the National Park Service ferry, for our Lake Superior crossing to Houghton. The five-hour boat ride includes detailed presentations by park naturalists and researchers. Our mid-afternoon docking allows time to rest at the inn before the farewell dinner. Best Western Franklin Square Inn (B,L,D)
August 17: Hancock Airport
Following breakfast and checkout, the tour concludes with departures throughout the day from Hancock. (B)
Special Tour Notes
The itinerary for the days in the park may vary based on weather conditions and opportunities to meet with park researchers.
Unless otherwise noted, an evening National Park Ranger program follows dinner at the Rock Harbor Lodge.
Most visitors camp in the park’s backcountry; you’ll experience this wilderness in the safety of your ParkScapes group.
