Michigan's Isle Royale is Not for Wimps

Right.
Isle Royale is not for wimps.
It is not for the pampered.
It is not for the spoiled.
Or cream puffs.

Isle Royale is a Michigan National Park that has mostly been left alone by modernization and “progress”. Sure, there are ‘welcome centers’ - Windigo and Rock Harbor – for the tourists who don’t know what they’re getting into. The centers are safe havens for those who are not prepared to camp and hike through the island.

Another thing that puts off some potential visitors: there are no roads. Vehicles are to be left on the mainland before heading across Lake Superior by ferry – or plane - to the island. You can’t take any bicycles, motorcycles, off-road vehicles..... basically, any mode of travel with wheels is forbidden.

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So what’s there to do?
Camp, hike, and soak up the scenery. Sound boring? IT’S NOT. While you’re deep within the woods, there is the chance of meeting up with a wild animal. You say you’re not afraid of raccoons, squirrels, and rabbits? How about bears, wolves, cougars, snakes, swamp leeches, and moose? The chances of running into one or more are high. And yes, moose will attack.

Even the trails get a little tricky. There are numerous plank bridges that span swamps and hard-to-walk pieces of land. These are not your usual bridges that have handrails to hang onto. Many of these bridges are nothing more than adjoined planks, some of them only 18 inches wide. In fact, the plank ‘bridge’ you’re about to see in the gallery below has been made from single planks, only giving you (maybe) a bridge that’s about a foot wide.... meaning you can get vertigo easily and step off into the swampy ground.

Don’t let all that information scare you off; although Isle Royale is one of the least-visited national parks, people who visit become regulars. With 170 miles of trails, there are other activities you can look forward to, like kayaking, scuba diving, and excellent fishing. If you’re a greenhorn and can’t handle the wilderness, you need to know this: with the possibility of getting injured while deep in the backcountry, it will take a while for a helicopter to reach you...you could possibly be waiting for hours.

Isle Royale is not for wimps.