Isle Royale is the least visited park in the lower 48 states, but according to the park ranger, it is the most re-visited by those who have gone there. The park is open to visitors only between April 15 and October 31 and can be reached by ferry or private boat from Minnesota or Michigan or by seaplane. Isle Royale is in Lake Superior, 18 miles offshore from Minnesota and 56 miles from Michigan, which prompted us to take the shorter ferry ride from Grand Portage, MN, to Windigo on the southwest end of Isle Royale. We stayed overnight in Grand Marais, about 45 minutes from Isle Royale Charters, and it was an easy drive in the morning to catch the ferry. We opted for a day-trip to the park, but for those interested in staying overnight, there are campgrounds across the island, plus a hotel at Rock Harbor toward the northern end of the island. The main island is about 45 miles long and 9 miles wide (at its widest point) and there are no roads, just trails. It is possible to traverse the entire island from end to end through the trail system over a number of days.
From the Windigo visitor center, we did two hikes: the 3.5-mile out-and-back Grace Creek Overlook and the one-mile Nature Trail Loop. Both trails were easily completed within the time we had on island. Although we arrived on the island with a ferry full of people, we rarely encountered anyone on the trail. We used bug spray prior to hiking and that was sufficient to keep the mosquitos at bay. The Grace Creek Overlook Trail had some nice views of the bay and the island, although we mostly watched the trail to avoid tripping on roots. Unfortunately, we didn't see any notable wildlife on this trip.
As for brew pubs, we went to two on this part of the trip: Castle Danger Brewery in Two Harbors and Voyageur Brewing Company in Grand Marais. At Castle Danger, Mike had the West Coast IPA and I did a flight that included the Orange Cream Ale, Sea Salt & Lime Lager, Blackberry Beret Gose, and the George Hunter Stout. All of these were very good, but I have to say that the George Hunter Stout was THE best stout I think I've ever had...smooth, creamy, pleasant notes of chocolate and coffee, and no bitterness. Delicious!! At Voyageur Brewing Company, we tried the Devils Kettle IPA and the Ogish Stout Nitro. Voyageur also has a decent food menu, and Mike really like their buffalo wings! Both breweries are worth a stop.
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