Moskey Basin Campground
The Quick Take
Moskey Basin is the kind of campground that makes you earn your solitude — and rewards you handsomely for it. Tucked at the quiet western end of Rock Harbor Channel, it sits at the crossroads of two major trails and offers water access for paddlers willing to navigate the channel or haul their canoe over a two-mile portage from Lake Richie. With only a handful of sites and a few three-sided shelters, this is stripped-down backcountry camping at its purest: no running water, no electricity, no cell signal, and absolutely no fee beyond your park entrance. The sheltered basin creates a microclimate that keeps wind and waves at bay, making it one of the calmer waterside camps on the island. The dock accommodates boats overnight, which means you might share the evening with kayakers and private boaters drifting in at dusk. Choose Moskey Basin if you want Isle Royale's wilderness character without committing to the island's most remote corners.
Booking
Reserve Your Campsite
All 10 sites are reservable.
What You Get
Sites & Setup
RV Information
No RVs. No electrical hookups. Generators permitted during designated hours.
Accessibility
No wheelchair access. No Roads
Rules to Know
- Generators:Quiet hours are from 10:00 p.m.
Pro Tips
The shelters fill first — if you're arriving midday during peak summer, plan on tent camping as backup. Shelters are three-sided with a screen front and sleep up to a few people, but they're claimed on a first-come basis regardless of reservations for individual sites.
Moskey Basin sits perfectly for a layover day between Rock Harbor and the Minong Ridge or Indian Portage Trail. Use it as a base to day-hike toward Lake Richie or explore the Rock Harbor Channel shoreline — moose sightings along the marshy edges in early morning are as close to a guarantee as Isle Royale gets.
Pack a water filter rated for backcountry use — Lake Superior water from the channel looks pristine but still needs treatment. Fill up at the dock area where water is deeper and clearer rather than the shallow marshy edges of the basin.
Photos
NPS / Katie Keller
NPS / Mike Ausema
NPS / Lori HonrathGetting There
Directions
Moskey Basin Campground is located in Moskey Basin at the west end of Rock Harbor Channel, off of the Indian Portage and Rock Harbor Trails.
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