Isle Royale Reopening

Isle Royale National Park reopens to visitors on April 16 after its annual winter closure, but most ferries and flights do not start until May. (nps.gov) The National Park Service closes the park to visitors every year from November 1 through April 15. The agency says all islands reopen on April 16, 2026, and trip planning, permits, and fees are handled through the park and its transportation partners. (nps.gov) Getting there still takes a boat or a plane. The park service says there are no car ferries, and the main public routes run from Houghton and Copper Harbor in Michigan and Grand Portage in Minnesota. (nps.gov) The park charges a $7 daily entrance fee per person, counted by calendar day, and children 15 and younger are exempt. A season pass costs $60. (nps.gov) The National Park Service ferry Ranger III runs from Houghton to Rock Harbor and generally sails to the island on Tuesdays and Fridays, returning on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The park says 2026 reservation requests are open, but confirmation processing will not resume until seasonal staff return in mid-April. (nps.gov) Ranger III fares listed by the park are $80 one way for adults and $40 for children ages 1 through 15. The same fare page lists hand-loaded canoes or kayaks at $35 and bicycles or outboard motors at $20. (nps.gov) The private Isle Royale Queen IV from Copper Harbor lists a 2026 round-trip fare of $175 for adults and $125 for children 12 and younger. Its crossing to Rock Harbor takes about 3 hours and 45 minutes, and its May 2026 calendar shows the first island sailing on May 11. (isleroyale.com) From Minnesota, the Voyageur II is scheduled to begin 2026 service on May 9 from Grand Portage, with stops including Windigo, McCargoe Cove, Belle Isle, and Rock Harbor. The same operator’s faster Sea Hunter III day-trip and camper service to Windigo is scheduled to start June 10. (isleroyaleboats.com) Seaplane service starts later than the park reopening too. Isle Royale Seaplanes says its 2026 flights from Hubbell, Michigan, run daily from May 17 through September 19, with a round-trip fare of $406 per person including taxes and fees. (isleroyaleseaplanes.com) The gap between the April 16 reopening and the May transportation start dates means the park is technically open before most visitors can easily reach it without a private boat. That annual pattern is part of what makes Isle Royale one of the country’s hardest national parks to visit on short notice. (nps.gov)