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Isle Royale is a national park in Michigan. Visitors can travel to the island by seaplane, ferry, or personal boat. The Ranger III ferry takes visitors from Houghton, MI to Rock Harbor, the island's port, in six hours. Before arriving at the island, all boats must stop at a ranger station in Windigo or Rock Harbor to obtain a permit and pay a park user fee.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Transport options | Seaplane, ferry, or personal boat |
| Ferry journey time | 6 hours each way |
| Ferry journey length | 73 miles |
| Ferry name | The Ranger III |
| Ferry size | 165 feet long, 34 feet wide, 648 tons |
| Ferry crew | 9-person National Park Service crew |
| Ferry destination | Rock Harbor (the island's port) |
| Fee | $7 per person per day |
| Fee collection | Concessionaire for ferry or seaplane; ranger station for personal boat |
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What You'll Learn
- Isle Royale National Park can be reached by seaplane, ferry or personal boat
- The Ranger III ferry from Houghton, MI to Rock Harbour takes six hours each way
- The park was one of the first to charge a user fee, currently $7 per person per day
- Every boat arriving at the island must first stop at a ranger station in Windigo or Rock Harbour to obtain a permit
- Protected harbours are plentiful on the east end of the island, but non-existent on the west end
Isle Royale National Park can be reached by seaplane, ferry or personal boat
There are also ferries that leave from Grand Portage, Minnesota, and Copper Harbor, Michigan. Boat rides from Grand Portage to Windigo are 90 minutes one way, and you can get to Rock Harbor after 7 hours on board. The Isle Royale Ferry Line leaves from Copper Harbor and is a popular way to get to the National Park. Boat rides from Copper Harbour start at $80 one way. Boats from Grand Portage start at $87. Most of these boats do not leave every day, so you need to check the schedule and plan ahead.
If you are travelling to the island by ferry or seaplane, the concessionaire will collect your fee. If you are travelling by private boat, you can pay at the ranger station at Windigo, Rock Harbor, Malone Bay, or Amygdaloid, or at the Houghton Visitors Center prior to your departure. You can also pay in advance online at www.pay.gov.
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The Ranger III ferry from Houghton, MI to Rock Harbour takes six hours each way
Isle Royale is a national park in Michigan. You can travel there by seaplane, ferry or personal boat. If you're taking a ferry, you'll be travelling on The Ranger III, a 165-foot-long, 34-foot-wide, 648-ton vessel run by a nine-person National Park Service crew. The journey from Houghton, MI to Rock Harbour takes six hours each way. This means you'll need to plan for a full day on the boat.
The Ranger III ferry is a 73-mile journey across the world's largest freshwater lake, Lake Superior. As you approach Isle Royale, you'll see the rugged, lichen-covered shoreline and the historic Rock Harbour Lighthouse.
Every boat arriving at Isle Royale must first stop at a ranger station in Windigo or Rock Harbour to obtain a permit and pay the park user fee. The fee is $7 per person per day. If you're travelling by ferry or seaplane, the concessionaire will collect your fee. If you're travelling by private boat, you can pay at the ranger station at Windigo, Rock Harbour, Malone Bay, Amygdaloid or the Houghton Visitors Centre prior to your departure.
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The park was one of the first to charge a user fee, currently $7 per person per day
Isle Royale National Park is accessible by seaplane, ferry, or personal boat. The first boat to the island leaves at 8:30 am or 9 am, depending on the day of the week and the time of year. The National Park Service operates the largest ferry, the 165-foot Ranger III, which has been in service since 1958. It departs from Houghton for the six-hour passage to Rock Harbor twice a week at 9 am on Tuesdays and Fridays from late May to mid-September. The one-way cost is $80 for adults and $40 for ages 1-15, while infants are free.
Isle Royale was one of the first national parks to charge a park user fee, which is currently $7 per person per day. This fee is collected by the concessionaire if you are travelling to the island by ferry or seaplane. If you are travelling by private boat, you can pay at the ranger station at Windigo, Rock Harbor, Malone Bay, or Amygdaloid, or at the Houghton Visitors Center prior to your departure. You can also pay in advance online at www.pay.gov. The National Park Service has long discussed charging admission fees to national parks as a way to compensate for shortfalls in federal funding.
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Every boat arriving at the island must first stop at a ranger station in Windigo or Rock Harbour to obtain a permit
Isle Royale is a national park in Michigan. You can travel there by seaplane, ferry, or personal boat. If you are travelling by personal boat, you must first stop at a ranger station in Windigo or Rock Harbour to obtain a permit and pay the park user fee. The fee is $7 per person per day. You can also pay at the ranger stations in Malone Bay, Amygdaloid, or at the Houghton Visitors Center prior to your departure.
If you are travelling by ferry, you will take The Ranger III, a 165-foot-long, 34-foot-wide, 648-ton vessel run by a nine-person National Park Service crew. The 73-mile journey to Rock Harbour (the island's port) takes six hours each way.
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Protected harbours are plentiful on the east end of the island, but non-existent on the west end
Isle Royale is a national park in Michigan. You can travel there by seaplane, ferry, or personal boat. Protected harbours are plentiful on the east end of the island, but non-existent on the west end. Every boat arriving at the island must first stop at a ranger station in Windigo or Rock Harbour to obtain a permit and pay the park user fee. The fee is $7 per person per day. If you're travelling by ferry, you'll take The Ranger III, a 165-foot-long, 34-foot-wide, 648-ton vessel run by a nine-person National Park Service crew. The 73-mile journey to Rock Harbour (the island's port) takes six hours each way, so plan for a full day on the boat.
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Frequently asked questions
Seaplane, ferry, or personal boat.
The Ranger III.
The 73-mile journey to Rock Harbor takes six hours each way.
There is a park user fee of $7 per person per day.
