Isle Royale reopens April 16

Isle Royale National Park reopens on Thursday, April 16, but most visitors still will not be able to reach the island until May. (nps.gov) The National Park Service closes Isle Royale and its surrounding islands every year from November 1 through April 15. The 2026 season runs from April 16 through October 31. (nps.gov) Getting there is the first hurdle because Isle Royale sits in Lake Superior and has no car ferry service. Visitors must arrive by private boat, passenger ferry, or seaplane. (nps.gov) The park charges a $7 daily entrance fee for each visitor age 16 and older, including the day you arrive and the day you leave. Children 15 and younger are exempt, and the Isle Royale season pass costs $60 for up to four adults traveling together with the pass holder. (nps.gov) Those park fees are separate from transportation, which is where the trip gets expensive fast. The Isle Royale Queen IV from Copper Harbor lists 2026 round-trip fares at $175 for adults and $125 for children, with service starting May 11. (isleroyale.com) From Grand Portage, Minnesota, Isle Royale Boats lists 2026 one-way fares of $110.50 for adults on the Sea Hunter III to Windigo and $110.50 on the Voyageur II from Grand Portage to same-day stops. Isle Royale Seaplanes lists 2026 one-way fares from Hubbell, Michigan, at $282 to Windigo or Rock Harbor, with some round-trip options priced at $396 or $406. (isleroyaleboats.com) (isleroyaleseaplanes.com) Early-season visitors need to plan for a trip with few services. The National Park Service says April, May, and early June visitors should expect to be self-sufficient because on-island services and emergency response are limited to nonexistent in spring. (nps.gov) That means no potable water is available anywhere on the island in spring, Rock Harbor and Windigo visitor centers stay closed in April, and restrooms are closed, so visitors need to purify water and bring toilet paper. Snow, ice, wind, and cold can also persist into late May, especially on the north shore and northeast end. (nps.gov) The island’s main lodging options open later than the park itself. Rock Harbor Lodge is the only full-service lodging facility on Isle Royale and, along with the Windigo camper cabins, typically operates seasonally from June into September; local coverage reported Rock Harbor Lodge opens June 5 and the Windigo cabins open June 6 for 2026. (nps.gov) (usatoday.com) Camping remains the main way to stay on the island before those services come online. The park requires an overnight permit for anyone staying in a campground, off-trail camping zone, at a dock, or at anchor, and it recommends booking transportation and lodging ahead of time. (nps.gov) Isle Royale is one of the National Park Service’s least-visited parks, with 21,032 island visits recorded in 2024. The 2026 reopening starts the clock on another short season for one of the country’s hardest national parks to reach. (nps.gov)