The island of Isle Royale is located in Lake Superior, Southeast of Thunder
Bay, Ontario. It is 45 miles long and nine miles wide at it's widest
point. The park encompasses a total area of 850 square miles including,
submerged lands which extend four and a half miles out into Lake Superior.
It is approximately 22 miles from the Canadian shore and 55 miles from
Michigan's Keewanaw peninsula.
Isle Royale National Park was authorized by Congress in 1931 "to conserve a prime example of North Woods Wilderness". The park was designated part of the National Wilderness Preservation System in 1976, under the Wilderness Act, and remains today as an example of primitive America. Ninety-Nine percent of the park's land area is designated as wilderness. In 1981 Isle Royale was designated an International Biosphere Reserve by the United Nations, giving it global scientific and educational significance. Accessible only by boat or float plane, Isle Royale is relatively untouched by direct outside influences and serves as a living laboratory.
The park is open to the public from April 15 though the month of October. Boats and Seaplane service runs from early May through October. There is over 165 miles of hiking trails on the island ranging from easy to difficult. Besides Lake Superior, there are many inland lakes with relatively easy portages if going by Canoe or Kayak. It is the the least visited National Park but, has the most repeat visitors. More people go to Yellowstone National Park in a day than go to Isle Royale in a year. Due to it's location, it is not an easy place to go to and takes quite a bit of planning. Once on the island, there is very little available so, you must bring everything you need with you.
The island has been used and enjoyed, long before the arrival of Europeans. Their are ancient pits used in the digging of copper and Native American copper objects formed from the island's copper have been found throughout North America. With the explorations of Douglas Houghton and others, word was spread of the existance of copper on the island and, during the 1800's, a lot of mining exploration was done and several successful mines operated. With the mines, came the establishment of towns and communities built around the mines. Most were short lived but, there are many remnants of these sites.
Fishing has also always been a part of the island. From the Native
Americans to present day, the island and it's waters has provided both
food and a living to people. Commercial fishing began in the 1800's
and continued until the 1960's when the fishing industry was hurt by the
introduction of the Sea Lamprey and Salmon into the lake. It continues
in a limited way today through the Sivertson, Strom and a few other families
but, nothing like it once was. Though, through the continued presence
of the descendents of families that settled and lived on the island the
knowledge, heritage and a way of life is still preserved.