NPS · Michigan

Isle Royale Wilderness

The Ojibwe who have visited the island for more than 4,500 years called Isle Royale "Minong", the good place. French trappers gave 45-mile-long, nine-mile-wide Isle Royale its regal name. Located in the...

Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.

Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
Isle Royale Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net
DesignationWilderness
Managed byNational Park Service
StateMichigan
Size132,018 acres (Wilderness Connect)
Designated1976, by Congress
Center point47.9867, -88.8883
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 9)

Boundary map

4 outlines

Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground

The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Isle Royale Wilderness10°20°30°40°50°60°70°January: 1.35 inches of precipitation, 12.2 inches of snowFebruary: 1.03 inches of precipitation, 8.0 inches of snowMarch: 1.33 inches of precipitation, 8.0 inches of snowApril: 2.79 inches of precipitation, 7.7 inches of snowMay: 3.11 inches of precipitation, 0.2 inches of snowJune: 3.58 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 3.42 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 3.04 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 3.13 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 3.40 inches of precipitation, 0.5 inches of snowNovember: 2.65 inches of precipitation, 6.7 inches of snowDecember: 1.74 inches of precipitation, 11.9 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 10.5°F averageFebruary: 13.1°F averageMarch: 23.7°F averageApril: 35.8°F averageMay: 47.4°F averageJune: 56.9°F averageJuly: 63.0°F averageAugust: 62.6°F averageSeptember: 54.4°F averageOctober: 42.4°F averageNovember: 29.6°F averageDecember: 17.5°F average0 in5 in10 in15 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Grand Portage, 37 miles from the center point at 730 feet, station USC00213296 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 31 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 55 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.

Where to camp

Campsite Atlas →

20 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary and 16 more are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

Show 4 more

24 more within ten miles are not listed here.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Register listings within 15 miles · 8 in all · Register Atlas

Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Isle Royale Wilderness?

132,018 acres.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Who manages Isle Royale Wilderness?

The National Park Service.

Source: Wilderness Connect

What state is Isle Royale Wilderness in?

Michigan.

Source: Wilderness Connect

When was Isle Royale Wilderness designated?

Congress designated it in 1976.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Can I camp at Isle Royale Wilderness?

20 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary, including Beaver Island Campground, Chippewa Harbor Campground and Duncan Narrows Campground. 36 in all are within ten miles. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit rules.

Source: Where to camp

How do I get to Isle Royale Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 47.987, -88.888. Isle Royale National Park is adjacent. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Wilderness Connect

How dark is the night sky at Isle Royale Wilderness?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 9 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Which national parks are near Isle Royale Wilderness?

Isle Royale National Park (adjacent) and Grand Portage National Monument (24 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near Isle Royale Wilderness?

8 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Ishpeming Fire Tower and New Feldtmann Fire Tower.

Source: Register Atlas

Sources

  • Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
  • Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
  • Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
  • Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
  • Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.