One of may favorite places to get away to is Isle Royale National Park in lake Superior. Although the park is a pain to get to (either boat or seaplane), it has something for everybody once you are there. There are camp stores on each end of the island (for Mountain Dew, chocolate milk, and  showers!).

There are quite a few interior lakes that have decent fishing (not as good as the boundary waters, but good enough) and provide isolation. When I soloed a few years ago, I was alone on many of the lakes with the campgrounds and fishing to myself. Although most of the paddler's campsites are rustic, a few have rather nice lean-to shelters for the wet days.

There are lots of Moose on the island (it's almost impossible not te see any) and NO BEARS (although the mini-bears are about as ferocious and troublesome).

The portages are mostly tough, some are brutal due to the rough terrain. It is difficult to get to the interior lakes without at least one tough portage, but then the crowd is left behind.

Some routes are exposed to Lake Superior which can be a source of delay or may even a cause a route change. And those waters are always cold (no dumps allowed).

Sounds cool, I'll have to check it out sometime in years future!

There is a great guidebook by Jim DuFresne titled "Isle Royale National Park Foot Trails & Water Routes" that is full of the information needed for planning trips to IRNP. This is the best guidebook I have ever read.

-aj

What you encounter depends upon the route you select
and when you travel. Campsites that are easily accessible
by hikers will usually be full or nearly full before the end of
the day. Campsites that are easlily accessible by boaters
will usually be taken early in the day (and expect noise).
But, there are some campsites hidden on the inner lakes
that that are only lightly used, even during the peak in
July/August.

I took a solo canoe trip on the island a few years ago
during the second week in August and spent many nights
where I was the only camper on an entire lake! These
interior canoe campsites are rustic (no inprovements
except discreetly hidden outhouses). If you have
backpacked the island, you know what I mean.

Here is my route with some comments:

Daisy Farms
  crowded, boaters, I got the last campsite (I was trying to
  make Moskey Basin, but battled a headwind all day)

Intermediate Lake
  all by myself, rustic, a hard day to get here, but I left
  the crowd behind

Wood Lake
  all by myself, stunning rustic campsite on a bluff

Lake Whittlesey
  all by myself, saw two canoes (day trippers) next day

Lake Richie
  one other couple (at the rustic canoe campsite)   

Chickenbone Lake West
  crowded campsite (almost had to share with a ranger)

McCargoe Cove
  moderate crowd, boaters, beautiful cove and moose,
  lots of shelters

Pickeral Cove
  only one campsite, many others passing through

Belle Isle
  lots of boaters, yakkers, ranger station, nice shelters
  and agate beach

Lane Cove
  a few hikers, this is a lightly used campsite all season
  beautiful view of the big lake and islands. I always get
  to Lane Cove when I go to IRNP.

Duncan Narrows
  lots of boaters, shelters, nice sunset

Duncan Bay
  all alone, nice campsites with shelters on a little point
  it has a boat dock, but the gas types are afraid they'll
  bend their props getting to it

Rock Harbor
  grand central station, but I wanted chocolate milk and
  a shower on the last day

I have had campsites to myself when backpacking in
September (Hatchet Lake, Island Mine, Lake Desor, Little
Todd) - my favorite time for IR. Still warm, no bugs,
fewer other people.

I hope that this helps you get a better feel for the interior.

-aj

(You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)

(You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)

(You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)

(You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)

This is a larger scale map with many of the sites identified.  Its a good companion to Defrense's guide book.

I'm not sure where I came across this.  Borrowed or otherwise?  If you would like a .jpg copy of it, I'd be happy to email it to you.

-YB