Isle Royale National Park
- Lee John
- Apr 25, 2015
- 3 min read
The National Park is composed of Isle Royale, the biggest island in Lake Superior, and around 400 adjacent islands. It is within the state of Michigan, and meets the neighbouring Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area at the U.S. Canada border. It is not only a national park but is also a designated wilderness area and an international biosphere reserve.
Photo Courtesy: http://www.rock-runner.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/5969913870_10239ff53f_b.jpg
Isle Royale was designated as a National Park in 1940 but its human history goes back a lot, lot further than that. Early indigenous inhabitants mined great quantities of copper on the Island and the nearby Keweenaw Peninsula. Carbon 14 testing of wood fragments found in copper items has shown that some of these items are at least 5700 years old. In the mid 19th Century there was a copper boom as settlers caught on about the wealth of copper to be found here. Later, there was a fishing industry, little of which now remains, and a resort community, now gone. Due to local conditions, there are a number of intact wrecks to be found in nearby waters. These were surveyed in the 1980s with a follow up in 2009.
The flora and fauna of this island are the main draw for tourists who travel to the area. The beautiful woodlands are within the Laurentian Mixed Forest Province, which is also colloquially known as the North Woods – a large area of mixed forest that covers much of northern Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan, the forested areas within New England and, in Canada, in Ontario around the Great Lakes and up the Saint Lawrence River to Quebec City, Quebec. It is a transition zone between the Big Woods to the South and the true boreal forest to the north and shares characteristics with both of them. There is a varied mix of deciduous trees and conifers.
Best known of the animal life on Isle Royale are the wolves and moose, which are studied by scientists looking into the predator-prey relationships in an insular environment. The studies are made easier by the fact that Isle Royale is home to only about a third of the mammal species to be found on the mainland. Interestingly, Isle Royale is also the only known place in the world where wolves and moose co-exist without bears. Due to all the scientific study the park is closed to everyone but people involved in the wolf-moose study between September and May.
Over the summer months, however, the island is open for adventurous tourists to visit. The designated wilderness campsites within the park are perfect for those seeking a tranquil escape from the modern world and from the crowds of mass tourism destinations. There are 36 such campsites, some of which are only accessible by trail or by canoe/kayak on island lakes, other coastal campgrounds are accessible only by private boat. They are very basic with few facilities but allow you to enjoy the wilderness you have come to enjoy without too many distractions.
Isle Royale is perfect for those intrigued by the natural world, and those who want to get out there on their own and enjoy a natural adventure.
The Written Content on this website is owned and operated by www.traveleze.co.uk (“traveleZe”). The Content of this website is solely the property of (“traveleZe”), transmission, copying ‘’scrapping of this content is strictly prohibited. Reproduction of ‘’any’’ or ‘’part’’ of the content in any form is strictly prohibited. Copying without consent is a CRIMINAL OFFENCE in the United Kingdom of Great Britain. All Rights are reserved. Please check out the UK official website at http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/48/contents
コメント