Isle Royale

Isle Royale is a large island in the northwest part of Lake Superior and belongs to the U.S. state of Michigan. Together with 450 smaller islands and the surrounding waters, it forms Isle Royale National Park. The island is 45 miles long and 9 miles wide, covering an area of 206.73 square miles (535.4 km²). This makes it the fifth-largest lake island in the world and the largest natural island in Lake Superior.

It is also the second-largest island in the Great Lakes, after Manitoulin Island, and the largest island in the contiguous United States that has no road connection to the mainland. According to the United States Census Bureau, Isle Royale is part of Keweenaw County, Michigan. As of the 2000 census, there were no permanent residents on the island. After it became a national park, a few people were allowed to stay, and some leases are still active today.

Geography

Isle Royale is an island located in Lake Superior, part of Michigan. It became its own county in 1875 but was later rejoined with Keweenaw County in 1897. The highest point is Mount Desor, standing 1,394 feet tall.

There are no roads on the island, and most vehicles are not allowed. Some carts help move things around, and special tools are used by park workers. The soil is thin, which helps certain types of trees grow well, like balsam fir, white spruce, and black spruce.

Interior lakes

The largest lake is Siskiwit Lake, which has clear, cold water and contains several smaller islands.

• Chicken Bone Lake
• Hatchet Lake
• Lake Desor
• Feldtmann Lake
• Intermediate Lake (Isle Royale)
• Lake Ritchie
• Sargent Lake

Geology

The island has many ridges running from southwest to northeast. The main ridge, Greenstone Ridge, is very tall in places. Special stones called greenstone belts can be found here, along with rounded stones of chlorastrolite.

Ecology

The island has many different habitats, including forests similar to those in nearby Ontario and Minnesota. Some areas have rocky ground with few trees, and there are marshes made by beavers. There are also several lakes with wooded or marshy edges.

Isle Royale is famous for its study of moose and eastern timber wolves. Their populations rise and fall in a pattern: when moose numbers grow, so do wolves. But then wolves may kill too many moose, leading to fewer wolves.

Historically, moose and wolves did not live here. Before it became a national park, the biggest animals were lynx and boreal woodland caribou. These were removed by human activities. In 2018, four wolves were brought from Minnesota to help balance the island's wildlife.

Other animals include red foxes, beavers, red squirrels, ermine, mink, muskrats, and several types of bats. You can also find eastern garter snakes, painted turtles, and northern redbelly snakes, as well as many frogs and salamanders.

History

The island was a common hunting ground for native people from nearby Minnesota and Ontario. To reach the west end of the island from the mainland, a canoe voyage of thirteen miles was necessary.

In ancient times, large amounts of copper were mined on Isle Royale and the nearby Keweenaw Peninsula. The area has old mine pits and trenches up to 70 feet deep. Tests on wood found in copper artifacts show that mining happened at least 6500 years ago.

Isle Royale was given to the United States by a treaty with Great Britain in 1783, but British forces stayed until after the War of 1812. The Ojibwa people thought the island was their land. They gave up the island to the U.S. in the 1842 Treaty of La Pointe.

In the mid-1840s, reports of copper discoveries started a mining boom. The first modern mines opened on the island. Many old mining marks helped find new copper deposits in the 1800s. Because the island was far away and the copper veins were small, most mines closed quickly. By the late 1800s, many trees had been cut down by miners and loggers. When the island became a national park in 1940, logging stopped and the forests began to grow back.

The island once had fisheries for lake trout and whitefish, and a few resorts. Today, there are no permanent residents. In the 1940s, the U.S. National Park Service asked Scandinavian fishing families to leave. Some families still have lifetime leases for their cabins and their descendants continue to fish in the island's waters. The west end of the island has several popular shipwrecks for scuba divers, including the SS America. The National Park Service mapped the most famous wrecks and published a book about the island's maritime history.

Angelique Mott

Main article: Angelique Mott

In 1845, an Ojibwe woman named Angelique and her husband Charlie Mott were left on Isle Royale to look for copper. They were promised supplies and a boat to return, but the boat never came. They were left with very little food and had to survive in the wild. Charlie became very weak from hunger and died. Angelique managed to survive by finding food in nature and was finally rescued in the spring of 1846. She later died in 1874 in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Her story was recorded in a book but later removed, making it a rare surviving account. For thousands of years, Native Americans visited the island in the summer for copper and fish, and Americans did the same in the 1800s. People have not usually lived on the island year-round.

Recreational activities

The island and the 450 surrounding smaller islands and waters make up Isle Royale National Park. It is the least visited national park in the lower 48 states.

People can enjoy many outdoor activities on Isle Royale, such as hiking, backpacking, fishing, boating, canoeing, kayaking, and watching nature. Wheeled vehicles like bicycles are not allowed, but wheelchairs are welcome.

There are many places to camp, most of which can only be reached by boat. Two small settlements on the island are Rock Harbor, which has a resort and basic facilities, and Windigo, a smaller spot on the far west side. Both have places to wash and get supplies.

Campgrounds usually have simple shelters, places to pitch tents, and tables. There are also toilets at each campground. Those near the water have places for boats to dock, and many people come to stay overnight by boat. These spots are also great for canoeists and kayakers. Since there are no wells, visitors need to filter or boil all water to stay safe.

Hiking

The island has about 170 miles of hiking trails for all kinds of walks, from short day trips to long two-week adventures. One of the most popular trails is the 40-mile Greenstone Ridge Trail, which goes along the middle of the island. It leads to Mount Desor, the highest point on the island, and passes through forests, lakes, and beautiful shorelines. Another challenging trail is Minong Ridge, a 13-mile hike with lots of ups and downs and great views of Lake Superior.

Access

The island can be reached by private boat, seaplane, or ferry. There are three private ferry companies and one ferry run by the National Park Service.

Ferry service usually runs from May through September. The Ranger III ferry leaves from Houghton, Michigan and goes to Rock Harbor two days a week. The Isle Royale Queen IV ferry leaves from Copper Harbor, Michigan and goes to Rock Harbor every day.

Settlements and visitor services

• Rock Harbor
• Windigo