Wood Lake Campground
The Quick Take
Wood Lake is one of Isle Royale's most remote and rewarding backcountry camps — a place you genuinely have to earn. With only a handful of sites tucked along the north shore of a quiet inland lake, this is about as far from a drive-up campground as you can get in the national park system. Access requires paddling across Siskiwit Lake or Lake Whittlesey and then hauling your canoe overland on a portage trail that, while short, will remind you that gear weight matters. There are no toilets, no potable water, and no cell signal — just food lockers to keep the resident wildlife out of your provisions. The tradeoff is near-total solitude on a lake that rarely sees more than a few paddlers at a time. This one is for experienced backcountry canoeists who consider a portage part of the adventure, not an obstacle.
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
No wheelchair access. No Roads
Rules to Know
- Generators:Quiet hours are from 10:00 p.m.
Pro Tips
The portage from Lake Whittlesey is the shorter route but can be muddy after rain — waterproof bags for your gear are non-negotiable, and camp shoes you do not mind wrecking will save your hiking boots.
Bring a water filter rated for lake water and fill up at Wood Lake itself; there is no treated water source anywhere nearby, and carrying enough for a two-night stay adds serious pack weight.
Fishing on Wood Lake requires only barbless hooks and artificial lures (no license needed for inland waters), and the lake sees so little pressure that pike and perch are remarkably willing to cooperate — pack a lightweight rod even if fishing is not your main objective.
Photos
Mike Ausema
