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Courtesy Guys & Dolls Photography
Rock Harbor Lodge
Warm wooded views at Tobin Harbor cottages are a few of the charms found at Rock Harbor Lodge in Isle Royale National Park. Rustic, no-frills camper cabins are featured at Windigo on the southwestern end of the island.
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Courtesy Guys & Dolls Photography
Rock Harbor Lodge
Warm cozy rooms have Lake Superior just outside the windows.
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Rock Harbor Lodge
Rock Harbor Lodge has been part of the Isle Royale shorescape since the 1920s, and more buildings have been added since then.
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Courtesy Guys & Dolls Photography
Rock Harbor Lodge
Guests to the lodge or visitors to the island arrive by ferry from Minnesota or Michigan, on their own boats or by a seaplane service.
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Courtesy Guys & Dolls Photography
Rock Harbor Lodge
No need to worry about what to do once you’re on the island. You can take long or short hikes on trails right outside the Rock Harbor Lodge, take the water taxi to a different part of Isle Royale, or try a kayak excursion. Sights include the rugged Lake Superior shoreline...
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Rock Harbor Lodge
... the Rock Harbor Lighthouse....
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Rock Harbor Lodge
... and a calypso orchid.
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Courtesy Rock Harbor Lodge
Rock Harbor Lodge
The most recent addition to the lodge offerings are rustic cabins at Windigo.
Accessible only by boat or seaplane, Isle Royale became a national park in 1940, a designated wilderness area in 1976 and an International Biosphere Reserve in 1980. It’s renowned for its pristine waters, rugged shoreline and intriguing wildlife. More than 99 percent of Isle Royale’s land is designated wilderness.
So what if you want to enjoy this northern haven, but don’t like camping or don’t have the first clue about surviving a night outdoors?
No problem. Check in to Michigan’s most remote lodge and the only operating hotel on Isle Royale.
“The Rock Harbor Lodge plays an important role in supporting the spectrum of the public that are no longer able to, or who have never been interested in, a backpack expedition,” says Phyllis Green, superintendent of Isle Royale National Park. “With a warm meal and a bed to come back to, visitors can explore the island via day trips and boat excursions.”
Like the island itself, the lodge is unique. The original guesthouse was constructed in the 1920s, when Isle Royale was home to private residences and commercial operations. Today, the rustic three-story building is still perched on the rocky shoreline and guests enjoy its large deck overlooking the water, as well as its cozy living room with couches, chairs, board games and even a crackling fire in the fireplace during cooler weather.
In the late 1950s, four buildings were added to the lodge, creating 60 guest rooms. The buildings were constructed under the Mission 66 project, a 10-year federal program to improve services and infrastructure at national parks. The Ranger III, a boat owned and operated by the National Park Service that transports visitors to the island, was also built as part of Mission 66. It’s one of four boats that service the island seasonally.
In the 1960s, 20 cottages were added. They sit on the ridge between Rock Harbor and Tobin Harbor. Most of them overlook the still waters of Tobin Harbor, yet all are just a short walk from the main lodge. The cottages are furnished housekeeping units, giving guests the option to cook their own meals. In the main lodge, there is a full service dining room serving three meals daily with the adjacent grill offering dining throughout the day. Guests can arrange to take out box lunches.
The lodge remains faithful to its historic origins and offers guests a true wilderness experience – quiet starry nights, with gently lapping waves and loons calling – but the resort also provides modern comforts.
“All our rooms have recently been renovated with pine paneling, new furnishings and extended decks,” says Kim Alexander, general manager of the Rock Harbor Lodge. “There’s never been a better time to stay at the lodge.”
Through the lodge, visitors can sign up for guided nature walks, day excursions, fishing charters, boat trips along the shoreline and a sunset cruise.
Isle Royale is one of the least visited national parks, yet has the longest average stay and is one of the most revisited parks in the national system – and the Rock Harbor Lodge contributes to those last two statistics.
“I ran into a couple in their 80s last season who were celebrating their anniversary at the lodge,” says Phyllis. “They’d backpacked the island for their honeymoon, years ago, and had been afraid they wouldn’t be able to visit the park due to health issues. But the lodge facility made the park accessible.”
Isle Royale may be a wilderness island, but it still offers something for everyone, at all times of life.
As Kim sums it up, “Today’s backpackers are tomorrow’s lodge guests.”
Lesley DuTemple is an author and loves her Keweenaw Peninsula home area and all the islands nearby.