Looking to get away and reconnect with nature? Glamping near Isle Royale National Park is the perfect choice. The Dyrt can help find the best glamping in and around Isle Royale National Park, MI. Whether you're looking for a quiet location in the woods or a site closer to all the action, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect glamping spot.
Three Mile Campground is located on Rock Harbor Channel off of the Rock Harbor and Mount Franklin Trails. Boats can overnight at dock. Stay Limit: 1 night effective June 1 September 17 annually Shelters: 8 Depth at dock (normal conditions): 9 Access: Foot/canoe/kayak/private boat
Isle Royale's largest campground is located at Daisy Farm, in Rock Harbor Channel, off of the Rock Harbor Trail, Daisy Farm Trail, and Mount Ojibway Trail. Boats can stay overnight at dock. Ranger Station staffed seasonally. Stay Limit: 3 nights from June 1 Labor Day annually. Shelters: 16 Depth at dock (normal conditions): 9 . Access: Foot/canoe/kayak/private boat
McCargoe Cove Campground is located in McCargoe Cove, on the north shore of Isle Royale National Park, off of the Indian Portage and East Chickenbone Trails. Boats can overnight at dock. Canoe/kayak access from Lake Superior or 1.2 mile portage from Chickenbone Lake. Stay Limit: 3 nights effective from June 1 Labor Day annually. Shelters: 6 Depth at dock (normal conditions): 7 . Access: Foot/canoe/kayak/private boat
Rock Harbor Campground is located in Rock Harbor on the northeast end of Isle Royale, off of the Rock Harbor and Tobin Harbor Trails. Additional fees for boats to stay overnight at marina. Stay Limit: 1 night from June 1 ___ September 15 annually. Shelters: 9 Depth at dock (normal conditions): 3___-12___. Access: Foot/canoe/kayak/private boat
Todd Harbor Campground is located in Todd Harbor on the north shore of Isle Royale National Park, off of the Minong Ridge Trail. Boats can overnight at dock. Stay Limit: 3 nights from June 1 Labor Day annually. Shelters: 1 Depth at dock (normal conditions): 2 . Access: Foot/canoe/kayak/private boat
Chippewa Harbor Campground is located in Chippewa Harbor, on the south shore of Isle Royale National Park. Trail access is via the Indian Portage Trail. Boats can stay overnight at dock. Stay Limit: 3 nights from June 1 Labor Day annually. Shelters: 4 Depth at dock (normal conditions): 7 Access: Foot/canoe/kayak/private boat
$25 - $50 / night
Legend
After 50 miles of hiking Port to Port, it was so nice to grab a beer from the small store!!
Campground is right outside of the rock harbor port. There are bathrooms with flush toilets at the port and outhouses in the campground. There is a store with souvenirs and food items and beverages (finally got a much deserved cold beer after our 50 mile, 5 day hike across the island!). most sites had shelters and a picnic table was provided. You have to stay in the shelter unless not everybody can fit in there, and honestly the site we had would’ve been hard to pitch a tent outside. Getting to this campground later in the day, you may find that all the sites are taken and may end up sharing one of the sites without shelters with others. This site only allows 1 consecutive night stays due to it being popular with those just getting to the island and those preparing to leave the next day.
Legend
Some sites with shelters and some sites without. The squirrels here are fearless and will try to steal your food or garbage when you are sitting right there. Campground was a little difficult to navigate due to some flooding on the trails. This was my favorite campsite out of all the ones I stayed at on the island. No fires allowed in this campground. Picnic table provided at most if not all sites.
Had the pleasure of seeing a fox near the dock while filling up a filtering bag.
Scout
This place is way off the beaten path. Long dirt road to get back here. There are tent sites all along the beach front to watch the sunset and pick rocks. Most sites are fairly level. I feel like we got one of the only ones that wasn't but I'm not real picky. @ramblinsmurf
TravelerWe really liked this campground mostly for its location and beautiful beach on Lake Superior. It has a long driveway that is gravel and all of the campground loops are also gravel or sand so it can be a little dusty. The lake shore sites have beautiful, full views of the lake but just know that many sites will be a tight fit for larger rigs. We have a 26' travel trailer and stayed in the newer loop a little ways away from the beach. It didn't bother us as it was easier to park and a very short walk to enjoy the beautiful sunsets this campground is all about.
Legend
This is a lovely campground on Isle Royale - none of them are terrible (let's face it - you are on a gorgeous island that's basically untouched!), but this one is a little larger than some with more shelters than others.
Shelters - they are first come first served. If the campground is uber full, the policy and expectation is that you consider sharing with others, especially if you are a party of one or two. Not a bad policy and courteous, for sure. But this didn't happen when we were here. Each shelter is four sided with the front side "screened in" for bugs. This is lovely in buggy weather! There are also boards all over the inside (parallel to the floor around the walls) that are great for hanging and airing out wet items. Each one had a picnic table and trees and was a very short walk to water and a toilet.
Tent pads - there are separate tent areas that are away from shelters, for the most part. Nothing is "close" here so there is quite a bit of room.
Group - there are three group areas. If using group areas on a normal basis, you must have a group reservation and groups of more than 6 require this in advance. Three group areas all near to each other but with nice green buffers in between and a toilet to share between them.
Toilets - not fancy but offer privacy. Small wooden shelters with a metal toilet and a pit. **NOTE: they do not provide TP - you must take your own** They don't smell like roses (what pit toilet does?) but they allow privacy and no need to dig a cat hole. Bonus win win.
This is one of only a handful of camps on the island that has a fire pit! It's a shared fire (not one for each site) with picnic tables nearby and a lovely view of the water. Only collect downed wood (no bigger than your wrist) to burn.
As others have mentioned - there is a very nice dock here since a boat comes a few times a week with passengers. This is a "stop" for drop offs from the mainland (you must book this boat in advance to get here). So it's a great place to chill in the breeze, do a bit of yoga stretching, dry your socks, enjoy an evening coffee or fall over after hiking - lol.
***Be aware - there are leeches in the lake. We attempted to splash off a bit and noticed them.***
Oh yes - the camp fox. He/she is a regular here. We saw the fox many times. Not afraid of people, will steal your stuff (including shoes) so be careful, tie your drying shoes to the picnic table, and do not feed the wildlife. But it it a beautiful specimen of an animal!
Ranger
We ended up staying 5 days at Three Mile and day hiking from there. Shelter 10 was available on the 2nd day and it was just as amazing as it was when I was here last. This time we even had a camp fox!
TravelerMcCargoe is one of the most beautiful campgrounds on the island. I have heard that it can get busy due to the dock, but when I stayed there it was quite peaceful and solitary. A loon was swimming in the cove and we came across a cow moose just south on the trail.
TravelerNot my favorite campground on Isle Royale due to its size and popularity. There's a good chance you won't get your first-choice site, you can end up quite far from a water source, and some open meadow can make you feel closer to other groups. Still beautiful, has fire rings, has a shelter/pavilion, just not as secluded as others.
TravelerThree Mile may be one of the closest campgrounds to Rock Harbor, but it's actually more secluded as Daisy Farm seems to be the more popular destination for the first night. Try to get a spot next to the lake, but if you don't, the shelters in the woods are also great. Either way, spend some time sitting on the rocks and soaking your feet in the cold Lake Superior water.
LegendGiven that there is a relatively large dock here and a concessionaire ferry comes through here several times a week, there can be a lot of traffic. That being said, there are nice tent sites and some really cool tent/cabin structures. It wasn't super buggy while we were here so being in a tent was just fine. There are some nice open, rocky, sunny spots that are nice for sitting and enjoying the view. Be advised, there are quite a number of waterfowl that frequent the area so treat your water well, in fact the Park Service recommends treating your drinking water in two ways (ie. filter AND boil, chemically treat AND filter, some combination of two). The water is refreshing but there are leaches in addition to abundant bird poop. All part of the experience I suppose!
Legend
We visited in August so the bugs weren't bad, almost non-existent really. These spots were well spaced and while impacted, had a nice pine duff layer on the ground which was nice for sleeping. The view of Todd Harbor was beautiful and we enjoyed sitting on the rocky beach in the evening. The area is well shaded and there was a large group fire pit in the middle of the campground area. Super quiet spot with several tent sites and a cabin type tent, but it was occupied when we arrived. Sites are first come, first serve but permits are issued to insure that there are sites available. I would definitely recommend this spot.
RangerIt’s a very popular and crowded site. Decent vault toilets but the dock and walkouts to the rocky beach make for easy access to the water. After hiking in from West Chickenbone, we were in need of cool swim as the interior of the island can be much warmer than the coast, not to mention the arid conditions throughout making it difficult to find water.
Having a shelter was a nice enough comfort. The place fills up quickly. It beat staying at Chickenbone but I’d prefer Moskey Basin or Three Mile.
RangerDropped in at Moskey Basin, hiked to Lake Richie then moved on to West Chickenbone Lake where we camped for our 1st night. 2nd day we made for Daisy Farm. The interior of the island can be quite a bit warmer than the shoreline for obvious reasons, so bare that in mind along the Greenstone Ridge Trail. For the 3rd night, we took it easy and found shelter 10 at Three Mile.
Incredible views of sunset and sunrise. A storm blew in and gave us an amazing show. Swimming off the remnants of the dock and such easy access to the lake made for a wonderful experience.
GuideNice campground near lots of small waterfalls
GuideGreat campground with lots of space. One of the longest running campgrounds on Lake Superior. Family owned, very clean and the bathrooms are very nice.
TravelerWe were traveling through and needed a place to stay for the night. Found this place to be very welcoming.
TravelerWe discovered this campground 6 years ago when my nephew wanted to camp as far north in Michigan as we could. Since then we've spent 2 weeks each August tent camping on the shores of Lake Superior. The facilities are well maintained and the owner and camp host are the some of the most down to earth people we have met. There's a camp store that has limited supplies but have the essentials. Everything is based on the honor system
TravelerRough trail well marked from rock harbor. Tent sites close to the water but they get taken quick. Very nice dock to tie kayaks up to also.
TravelerA lot of people around. It has a small store for supplies and a small cafe if your hungry. Not far up the trail are shelters if the weather turns bad. They are first come first serve but can be shared.
LegendThis was a last-minute stop for us because we didn't want to stay at the campground we had originally intended. I found it here on The Dyrt, but bypassed it for another campground option. However, when we drove past the roadside sign, my husband said he wanted to check it out. And we're so glad we did!
When we pulled in, we were told to use the telephone to call the host and they would come and help us out. So when we did, somebody drove up and gave us our choice of spots. The campground was almost empty, so we had anything we wanted, and majority of the options were on the lake!
some of the spots are closer together so there's not a lot of privacy, but the side of the campground we were on had lots of buffers between the sites in the form of pine trees. each site had a gorgeous campfire ring made out of stones pulled off of the beach. It's a red Rock Beach! The bathroom was in a little house, but it had its own shower and looked like something from a log cabin. Not at all like a campground bathroom! there was another shower house at the opposite end of the campground which had similar decor. There was also dump station and fresh water easily available. not to mention the laundry house! Two washers, two dryers, and a sink for scrubbing plus all of the laundry soap and dryer sheets you needed. It was just payment on the honor system to use them. Very reasonable!
there was no electric hook-up at the site we were in, but we didn't need one. However, they were available.
Great little find in Michigan!
Guide
Only a few shelters and we got the last one on Tuesday afternoon we arrived.
The shelters are similar to the other ones on the island.
There are outhouses but no potable water nor cell reception.
There were a few people who docked their fishing boat and ate here.
GuideStayed in a shelter (there are 9) - they are no additional cost. There was one open when we got in on a Saturday afternoon in late June.
It is the most established campground we stayed at. It had pottable water on tap. It had a ranger station and a small store.
ScoutNice private camp ground. Sites are nice on the North side not to crowded with some trees still. South side much more open.
TravelerWent here over memorial weekend and I've gotta say it was just wonderful. This is a more modern camp site with a full bathroom and shower for those of us who dont want to make our own Blair witch movie but that doesn't take away from the beautiful lake view and the wonderful surrounding wild life. I will be coming back.
GuideNot as many sites located directly on the water, about a 7ish mile hike from Rock Harbor. This is one of the few if only campgrounds on the island with fire rings because of people boating in and fishing. Quite a few tent shelters. Can get crowded because of the close proximity to the harbor.
GuideTent camping right on the lake. Camper camping right next to it.
LegendTodd Harbor was my favorite place we stayed on the island. The breeze from Lake Superior kept the bugs down and the campsite had awesome views of the lake. We stayed at site number 4, I highly recommend it, but get there early or someone will beat you to it.
RANGER REVIEW: For all of the reviews that I have performed on theDyrt, I was able to receive a lot of Mountain House freeze dried food to sample and review. I had the Mountain House Scrambled Eggs with Ham and Peppers. Honestly, it is a really good breakfast. The two servings is a little much for me by myself, but it is a great portion to share with your camp buddy. I give it 4/5 stars.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Isle Royale National Park?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Isle Royale National Park is Three Mile Campground — Isle Royale National Park with a 4.6-star rating from 8 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Isle Royale National Park?
TheDyrt.com has all 7 glamping camping locations near Isle Royale National Park, with real photos and reviews from campers.
