Group size limit on Isle Royale

“Anybody know the group limit for the individual sites? I believe it is 6.”

“you could hear a pin drop”

“I found some info at the Isle Royale web site....

http://www.nps.gov/isro/camping.htm

Shelters and tenting sites are restricted to 5 people and 1-3 tents (like that's always observed!) There are supposed to be group sites that allow 7-10 people, but don't know about them.

There may be more info on the web site.

Will be seeing sister-in-laws who were on Isle Royale in August, see if I can get any useful info out of them.”

“It is 6.”

“A quote from the above site:

"Three types of camping are available at Isle Royale: three-sided shelters (maximum 6 people), tent sites (maximum 6 people) for one to three tents, and group sites (for parties of 7 to 10 people)."”

“le Subtil is right. 6.

we have first hand knowlege from a recent trip there.”

“i was there last year, and we had not enough ppl for a group site, but too many tents for individual sites. we didnt fit in anywhere, but we stayed in the individual sites.”

“2scoops. A tip, watch the ferry schedule. It changes drastically after labor day. If you're looking for moose activity, mid to late Sept is great. Was there for the rut last year.

Have a great trip. I have my eye on it but it's too far in the future to commit even a maybe.”

“the last boat from copper harbor leaves on 29 sept.”

“nice to see you post baldy :-)

stormy...what's the plan? Are we gonna be able to get there on the dates you've got posted?

If not...I'm going with you baldy!!”

“If 2scoops is now Stormbringer and he is now thru hiking the AT, does anyone know if this trip is still valid?”

“it is if you go on it...all a trip needs is 1 person and it comes to life...lol”

“If you build it they will come? They will build it if you come? Or, many are called but few are chosen.”

“When were you planning to go?
I'm going in July.”

“fyi - It's pronounced Isle royaaaaallllllle.”

“How do you know how we are pronouncing it?
We are typing it in and that doesn't tell you much.”

“Well, up until a couple of days ago I was doing nothing in July. Now I'm thru hiking the north shore of Lake Superior to Canada. I have to do it eventually though. I think there's some sort of patriotic responsibility for midwesterners to hike Isle Royale.”

“If you don't hike it you're missing out on a treasure.”

“there's buried treasure on Isle Royale.”

“Any room left on this trip (I believe that Isle Royale has strict limits on group size)? Isle Royale is definitely on my to-do list, and now that I've picked up an extra week of vacation this year, the Mooseapalooza trip is looking like a really cool road trip for me...”

“I'd love to get out on Isle Royale... i just don't think skipping 5 days of school is in the plan. There's always next year.”

“This trip is super attractive to me. But that's easy to say when it's still five months away. Does anyone have a definitive answer yet on the ferry issue? Will it be running in October at all? If it isn't, do we have any other options?”

“Bummer, Simer. But hey, you live nearby (at least compared to me) -- you could probably get out there whenever -- like in the summer when there's no classes”

“no classes = work”

“From the links on the park's official website:

The Ranger III runs from Houghton to Rock Harbor thru 9/11.

The Isle Royale Queen III runs from Copper Harbor to Rock Harbor thru 9/27 on Mondays and Fridays only.

The Voyager II runs from Grand Portage, MN to both Windigo and Rock Harbor on Wed/Thu/Sat/Sun thru 10/24

Personally, I'd prefer one of the trips from UP Michigan -- not only is it a hair closer for me, but the trip across the lake from MI just sounds cooler.”

“"no classes = work"

Yeah, I felt like that back in school a few years ago -- it can be rough. I'm sure you'll find some time to go in the not-too-distant future.”

“so in other words we can only get to Isle Royale by going via Minnesota if we go on these dates?”

“That's what it looks like. Now, I don't know what everyone else's calendar looks like, but I can do late September if it means we can catch the Copper Harbor boat.

Otherwise, Minnesota it is, I guess.”

“Mid september is the moose rut. I highly recommend that time period. Plus the ferrys run. Lake Superior can get pretty rough in October. In fact I went over on a barf boat a couple years ago on 9/19. Course weather can always be bad, the Isle is worth it. Spectacular.

If I recall correctly, the group size limit is 6 or 7.

Have a great trip!”

“It's 6. They don't fool around with it either, our group had to split up because we had seven. And you definately don't want to limit yourselves to group sites only.”

“If you email them they will send you a Greenstone and it has all the ifo about sites, group size, etc.
To camp in single sites the limit is 6, if you use a group site the limit is 10.
Not all spots have group sites.”

“Forgot to mention....if you very much after Labor Day the stores are closed so make sure you have everything you need.”

“I'm getting excited about this trip. And my brother Jason from Minnesota might join us. He's a bit of a different kind of camper, more along the lines of Jeremiah Johnson, complete with his buckskin outfit that he made himself from the tanned hides of the deer he shot with his black powder rifle (that he made himself).”

“Just wondering, are bears an issue here?”

“no bears on the island. big animals consist of moose and wolf”

“Sounds like a trip planned with no research done before hand.”

“The problem is the trip planner is on the AT. Hope he doesn't mind if the group takes over.”

“watch those camp foxes, they're not shy at all and will steal anything from you!”

“Emailed Stormbringer (aka 2scoops). He would be happy for someone else to step up and plan the trip as he is on the AT right now. He also has no problem at all with changing the dates. So to those who are seriously thinking about going on this one, what are your thoughts on dates? I was thinking mid-September.


One of my brothers from Minnesota, a real Jeremiah Johnson type, will likely join us. He is an old-school camper, makes his own clothing from deer hides that he tans. He can't believe that my pack is under 30 pounds. And I'm no lightweight bper.”

“Ruby, The last week of September would be most optimal for me -- say, Sat 18 Sep thru Fri 24 Sep or sometime around then, keeping in mind that the last boat to Michigan is on 24 Sep.

I'd love to come out for this trip, but as for taking it over, I'm not sure I'm the best person, as I live 1000 miles away and am not too familiar with anything out there that cannot be picked up off of the NPS website for Isle Royale.

Anyway, just my $0.02...”

“I'd love to go on this trip but I have a Canadian vacaion starting October 1 and may not be able to swing that much time off.”

“There are now 7 confirmed attendees. We'll need to start another group.”

“You can have 10 I think, but for individual sites you can't have more than 6.”

“Our itenerary has has group sites each night, so we should be able to accomodate up to 10 as 'a single group'.

I'm sure we'll be able to figure this thing out as we get closer and find out who's actually going and who isn't.

If we do have more than 6 show, I would hope that someone else would be ready to obtain a second permit...”

“I see no problem having two groups. If the crowds are what we expect, it sounds like two separate groups could stay together anyway.”

“Don't count on it! Last August the trip I, and 6 other TTers went on did that, (got two permits and attempted to stay at the same campgrounds and hike the same trails) and were followed by the rangers, split up and sent opposite directions on the island,(they checked up on us too). Either limit your group to 6 only or stay at group sites with a group (10) permit. It sucks to have your trip plans rearranged by the rangers, trust me. They pay attention on Isle Royale.”

“'Course, maybe we were just unlucky. It really threw a wrench in the trip though.”

“I was there in July and the ranger said they check on groups because they try to cheat.”

“Sassafrass and Traillady are right. I have yet to see one TT trip where all those who were confirmed actually show. If that happens, you pow wow on the boat, and either go as a group between 6 to 10, or have two groups with at least one seperate itinerary destination. The rangers are on the watch for more than 6 persons together, so if the groups comingle, neither group can exceed six. I know a good lawyer who knows all the legal loopholes.”

“questions sassafras....
my 2 cents worth...

was the park pristine?
were the trails hikable?
backcountry heads acceptable?
campsites and shelters clean?

if so, it's because the National Park Service and their rangers do a lot with little money and few thanks...
to raz on the "rangers" for doing there job is a little disingenuous: if they had not protected the island before you arrived, what shape would it have been in when you were there?
the concept of conservation is not "protect it while I'm not there, but change the rules when I arrive..."
even though I make it out only once a year, I try to stop occasionally and remember that they are out there today, doing thier job, so I can enjoy it later this summer...

no insult intended, just wanted to share...

L”