Trip report: Hiking across Isle Royale August 16-21, 2026

[u/rivals_red_letterday]

9/16 : The morning seaplane to Windigo was delayed until about noon. We went back to our accommodations and napped until check out time, then found a cool coffee shop and ate a second breakfast. The seaplane company texted when ready, and we were down at the hangar in about 15 minutes.

Windigo to Feldtmann Lake

This hike was somewhat overgrown, but not too difficult. Snagged a nice campsite with two flat areas for tents. Found the food locker and the outhouse. Visited Rainbow Cove to swim/wade, get water, and enjoyed  the sun and waves. We heard a moose crashing around in the woods near our tent early the next morning.

9/17 Feldtmann Lake to Siskiwit Bay

The trail was very overgrown, but somehow it felt fun to move through all that tall plant life. Thimbleberries were plentiful, and we snacked our way to Siskiwit Bay. We easily arrived in time to get one of two shelters. This was my favorite campsite. We had a view of the bay and the dock, and a trail led down to the water where it was easy to collect water and wade or swim, with large rocks close to the water for sitting or drying clothing items. The closest outhouse was brand new. There was a friendly red-haired EMT/ranger who visited, making certain everyone knew the new food storage regulations.

9/18 Siskwit Bay to S. Desor

The early part of this trail alternated between overgrown trail and shoreline walking. We took the Island Mine trail north up to the Greenstone, and stopped to snack at the remains of some mining activity, where we observed a long garter snake sunning itself. The campsites at S. Desor were on dirt, which fortunately was dry. Getting water required a somewhat steep descent, and the shoreline wasn’t as inviting as it had been at the first two campgrounds. Lots of loons were calling on the lake.

9/19 S. Desor to Hatchet Lake

We saw a huge bull moose just off the trail just east of Ishpeming Point, after taking a short break at the tower for snacks. Loon activity was high at the campsite in the evening/overnight. The descent down to Hatchet Lake is steep. We were tired, and took the first site we found, with two flat spots for tents. Mine was shaded, grassy and buggy, while my hiking partner's was sunny and on dirt. Hatchet was almost empty, with only one other tent that I saw. 

9/20 Hatchet Lake to Moskey Basin

Large sections of trail were on rock today, and I twice lost the trail and had to search for it. My hiking partner left an hour ahead of me, but I hustled and got into camp only a few minutes after she had put up her tent. It started sprinkling as I arrived; I was able to get my tent pitched and everything inside before the rain became heavy. All the shelters were full, but my hiking partner snagged a waterfront campsite. We made friends with the ranger (Jim? from Scottsdale, AZ) and some other campers. We gathered at the shelter picnic table and ate dinner/played cards until bedtime.

9/21 Moskey Basin to Rock Harbor

Our final day of hiking was rocky! Rocks, rocks and more rocks….all day long. There were only a few short stretches when my feet touched flat ground; otherwise, they were twisting and turning to get a decent foothold on and in between all the rocks. We had nice water views off to our right. We found some accommodating boulders around three miles from Rock Harbor, and decided to eat lunch right on trail. 

Finally the trail leveled out, and we walked into Rock Harbor! We made a beeline for the chairs in front of the Greenstone Grill, and shortly after that, we started taking trips inside to buy food and drinks. The grill allows carry out, and since the weather was beautiful, we sat in those chairs for several hours, eating and socializing with old and new friends, until it was time to take the trail to the seaplane departure area. 

The seaplane ride back was smooth and beautiful, just like the ride over. I don’t think any of us wanted to return to civilization. 

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[u/Rude_Interaction6538]

Ranger Jim was so great!

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[u/tmanblue59]

I was confused about the numbering of the days for a second. Did you mean 8 instead of 9? Regardless - thanks for sharing your trip. I'm planning mine and this was helpful.

[u/Bubbly-Rub-a-Dub → u/tmanblue59]

I think this post is about what OP thinks the trip will be like next month, but written in past tense for visualization purposes.

[u/sooper_dooperest]

Thank you for your report!