Isle Royale Wilderness
The Ojibwe who have visited the island for more than 4,500 years called Isle Royale "Minong", the good place. French trappers gave the 45-mile-long, nine-mile-wide Isle Royale its regal name. Located in the northern, surging waters of Lake Superior, 99% of Isle Royale National Park has been designated Wilderness. The largest island in the largest freshwater lake in North America, it is also by far the state's largest Wilderness area. Created by flowing lava, flattened and smoothed by glaciation and subsequent erosion, the island contains more than 100 lakes and small ponds; in fact, water covers more of the surface than dry land when you include the waters of Lake Superior where the park boundary extends 4.5 miles out.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | National Park Service |
| State | Michigan |
| Size | 132,018 acres |
| Designated | 1976, by Congress |
| Center point | 47.99° N, 88.89° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 9) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground
The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.
Weather by month
Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.
Where to camp
20 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary and 16 more are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Show 4 moreHide
24 more within ten miles are not listed here.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- under 0.1 miIshpeming Fire Tower ↗Houghton, MI
- under 0.1 miNew Feldtmann Fire Tower ↗Houghton, MI
- under 0.1 miOjibway Fire Tower ↗Houghton, MI
- under 0.1 miEdisen Fishery ↗Isle Royale National Park, MI
- 0.1 miRock Harbor Lighthouse ↗Isle Royale National Park, MI
- 0.2 miJohns Hotel ↗Isle Royale National Park, MI
- 0.8 miIsle Royale Light Station ↗Isle Royale, MI
- 2.3 miRock of Ages Light Station ↗Isle Royale, MI
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for Michigan
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- Explorer's Guide 50 Hikes on and Around the North Country Trail - Michigan and WisconsinThomas Funke, 2016Find at Bookshop.org
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Isle Royale Wilderness?
132,018 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Isle Royale Wilderness?
The National Park Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Isle Royale Wilderness in?
Michigan.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Isle Royale Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1976.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Isle Royale Wilderness?
Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities, and the managing agency page has the permit rules. The federal campgrounds within ten miles are listed under Where to camp.
Source: Where to camp
How do I get to Isle Royale Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 47.987° N, 88.888° W. Isle Royale National Park is adjacent. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Which national parks are near Isle Royale Wilderness?
Isle Royale National Park (adjacent) and Grand Portage National Monument (24 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Isle Royale Wilderness?
The National Register has 8 listings within 15 miles, including Ishpeming Fire Tower and New Feldtmann Fire Tower.
Source: Register Atlas
Sources
- Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
- Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
- Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
- Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
- Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.