Rock Harbor is the main access point for visitors landing on

Isle Royale Isle Royale (, ) is an Islands of the Great Lakes, island of the Great Lakes located in the northwest of Lake Superior and part of the U.S. state of Michigan. The island and the 450 surrounding smaller islands and waters make up Isle Royale Na ...

in northern

Lake Superior Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface areaThe Caspian Sea is the largest lake, but is saline, not freshwater. Lake Michigan–Huron has a larger combined surface area than Superior, but is normally considered tw ...

. It sits from the northeastern end of the island, the whole of which is protected as

Isle Royale National Park Isle Royale National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States consisting of Isle Royale, along with more than 400 small adjacent islands and the surrounding waters of Lake Superior, in Michigan. ...

. Two structures in Rock Harbor—the Rock Harbor Light and the Edisen Fishery—are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

. The name ''Rock Harbor'' is properly applied to the inlet from Moskey Basin to Scoville Point along the southern shore of the eastern part of Isle Royale. This inlet is screened from the open waters of Lake Superior by several offshore islands, including Mott Island, which is the site of the park headquarters. Travel to Rock Harbor from the

Upper Peninsula The Upper Peninsula of Michigan—also known as Upper Michigan or colloquially the U.P. or Yoop—is the northern and more elevated of the two major landmasses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan; it is separated from the Lower Peninsula b ...

of Michigan is by the ''Ranger III'' park service ferry, operating from

Houghton, Michigan Houghton (; ) is the largest city and county seat of Houghton County, Michigan, Houghton County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Located on the Keweenaw Peninsula, Houghton is the largest city in the Copper Country region. It is the fifth-larges ...

, the ''Isle Royale Queen IV'' out of

Copper Harbor Copper Harbor is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located in Keweenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located within Grant Township. The population of the CDP was 136 as of the 2020 census. The communit ...

, Michigan, and seaplane service. The ''Voyageur II'' operates out of

Grand Portage, Minnesota Grand Portage is an unorganized territory in Cook County, Minnesota, United States, on Lake Superior, at the northeastern corner of the state near the border with northwestern Ontario. The population was 616 at the 2020 census. The unincorpora ...

; it circumnavigates the island with stops at the Ozaagaateng Ranger Station in Washington Harbor on the west end of the island and other points along the shore. The ferry boats land at Snug Harbor, which also has berths for private watercraft, a campground, the visitor center, and a lodge that predates the national park. Rock Harbor is the eastern end and terminus of the

Greenstone Ridge Trail The Greenstone Ridge Trail is a hiking trail on Isle Royale, in Lake Superior, northern Michigan. The island is within Isle Royale National Park. There are no roads on the island, a wilderness area and national park, so the trail doubles as th ...

. Rock Harbor is also listed by the

Geographic Names Information System The Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) is a database of name and location information about more than two million physical and cultural features, encompassing the United States and its territories; the Compact of Free Association, asso ...

as a populated place named Rock Harbor Lodge. Although there is no permanent population, the area includes the Rock Harbor Lodge, restaurant, resorts, several boat docks, and campgrounds. Rock Harbor also contained its own summer post office from 1924 to 1958.

References

{{Authority control Isle Royale Geography of Keweenaw County, Michigan Coastal resorts in Michigan Landmarks in Michigan Tourist attractions in Keweenaw County, Michigan