Caribou Island Campground
The Quick Take
Caribou Island is Isle Royale distilled to its purest form: a tiny speck of rock and forest in Rock Harbor Channel with just a handful of sites and virtually nothing between you and the wilderness. There are no toilets, no potable water, no trails leading anywhere -- just Lake Superior stretching out in every direction and the kind of silence that makes your ears ring. The island is boat-access only, which means you'll share it with maybe one or two other parties on a busy night, and often nobody at all. Food lockers are provided (this is moose and wolf country, after all), but everything else you carry in and carry out. This is not a campground for anyone easing into backcountry life. Choose Caribou Island if you want Isle Royale's most isolated overnight experience without committing to a multi-day traverse.
Booking
Reserve Your Campsite
3 sites, first-come first-served.
What You Get
Sites & Setup
RV Information
No RVs. No electrical hookups. Generators permitted during designated hours.
Accessibility
Not wheelchair accessible. No Roads
Rules to Know
- Fires:Fires in community fire ring only.
- Generators:Quiet hours are from 10:00 p.m.
Pro Tips
The dock has roughly ten feet of depth in normal conditions, but Lake Superior levels fluctuate -- if you're bringing a motorboat or sailboat, check current water levels with the park before departing. Canoes and kayaks obviously have more flexibility landing on the rocky shore.
There is zero potable water on the island, so bring more than you think you need or pack a reliable filter and plan to treat lake water. Rock Harbor Lodge is a paddle away if you run critically low, but don't count on that in rough weather.
The three-night stay limit runs from June through Labor Day, but the campground is technically open mid-April through October. Shoulder season visits in September and early October offer stunning fall color, fewer mosquitoes, and near-guaranteed solitude -- though weather windows for safe paddling shrink fast.
Photos
NPS Paul Brown
NPS / Paul Brown
NPS / Mike AusemaGetting There
Directions
Caribou Island Campground is located on West Caribou Island, in Rock Harbor Channel, on the northeast end of Isle Royale National Park.
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