the grand protage isle royale transportation line

We had a great time on this trip. To get to the ferry, make sure you follow the road that stays near the water as you travel through Grand Portage. Somehow we ended up on the higher road that leads to Canada. While this offered some magnificent views of Superior and I highly recommend it for photo opps, this was not what we needed. We still arrived at the ferry with plenty of time to spare. Parking is on the grass and there are restrooms. There was a scout troop heading to IR on our boat, so it was pretty full, but there was still plenty of room. The ride to the island was 1.5 hrs, but that included some sightseeing along the coast and shipwreck viewing. On the way back, they took the route past the Rock of Ages lighthouse. No credit to the ferry company here, but the lake was perfectly smooth all day, lending itself nicely to some magnificent pictures. This was more of a tour than just a boat ride. Lots of information. They had coffee on the boat and I think they also had limited snacks for sale. The price was excellent.Miscellaneous note:Watch the time - Grand Portage is in the Central Time Zone, while Canada is in the Eastern Time Zone. Our phones showed two different time for our entire trip.

Isle Royale is spectacular but hard to get to. If you have limited time to visit, you can take the Sea Hunter III out of Grand Portage MN for a day trip--a trip we made in July 2012. The boat sails at 8:30 AM, arriving at Windigo harbor at about 10 AM. It returns around 2 PM, so you have about four hours for hiking. You can buy lunch or snacks at the concession store at Windigo, but we packed a lunch so that we could start hiking immediately. Moving at a moderate pace, we had enough time to hike up the Feldtmann Lake trail to reach a wonderful overlook of the lake area. There are plenty of spots on top for picnicking. If you want a shady spot, though, picnic along the bay right before beginning the climb upward. FYI, the Park Service does have a couple of simple cabins at Windigo if you want to go to Isle Royale and stay over but you choose not to camp.

he Sea Hunter lll operated by the Grand Portage-Isle Royale Transportation Company now offers evening cruises on Lake Superior, in addition to day trips to Isle Royale. Catch the boat at the Marina ini Grand Portage, MN at 7:00 PM to be sure to see the sunset and moon rise on Lake Superior from the boat. Highlights of the trip include: The Little Spirit Tree (formerly known at the Witch Tree), the Suzie Islands, and a view of the sleeping giant mountainous area in Canada. This experience is just fabulous. The boat is motorized I have to point out after other sailing ventures on Lake Superior, so you are sure to see what is advertised. The boat captain offers amplified messages about the views, a long enough opportunity at the 400 year old Spirit Tree to get plenty of photos, and friendly conversation. The deck hand offers humorous tips and information, also.