Trip report: 4 nights at the Rock Harbor Lodge
The first week of August, a good friend and I (both mid-40s women) fulfilled a bucket list item and took a long-awaited girls’ trip to IRNP. In preparing for this trip I hadn’t seen many reports from people staying in the lodge, so I wanted to provide one. There is a part of me that felt guilty for not backpacking, especially after we met so many cool people at the Greenstone Grill who were finished with their trek and celebrating with a beer. I salute all of you amazing athletes! But on the plus side, staying in the lodge enabled us to see and experience the island in other ways, with a bed to sleep in at night.
I also want to add a disclaimer that I know some of the things we did cost a fair amount of money, including traveling by seaplane and chartering a fishing boat. I am far from wealthy, and there have been times in my life that I would not have been able to afford a trip like this. I feel fortunate that I was able to save both money and vacation time for this experience, but any way to see IRNP is a great way to see it!
Okay, now onto the trip report.
Day 1
Took the seaplane from Houghton to Rock Harbor. A++ experience! I am kind of a nervous flyer and was anxious about traveling in a small plane, but our pilot was wonderful and got us there on time and smoothly. The weather was clear and beautiful, so that helped. Each passenger was allowed 50 lbs of luggage which was way more than we needed for clothes, toiletries, day packs, and food for breakfast and lunch daily (we planned to eat dinner at the restaurant every night).
After checking into the lodge, we had some lunch and went for a day hike to Suzy’s Cave and back, out on the Tobin Harbor trail and back on Rock Harbor. It was a nice easy day and a good way to warm up our legs. Total distance 4ish miles.
Got back and enjoyed a late dinner at the Lighthouse, which was fine but IMO overpriced.
Day 2
This was our long hiking day! Started by taking the Sandy to Lookout Louise for a guided hike by a volunteer ranger. I can’t remember his name, but he was excellent, if not a bit long winded lol. We were going to hike the 8-9 miles back, but he recommended against it as he said parts of the trail were very overgrown. He was particularly concerned about me being five feet tall which would make me unable to see over the foliage. We debated, but ultimately took his advice.
We took the boat back, had burgers at the Greenstone, and booked another Sandy trip to Daisy Farm, where we docked at 3 pm and took the Rock Harbor trail all the way back to the lodge.
I was a bit nervous about making the 7.5 mile trek back before dark, so we took our headlamps just in case. We made it with plenty of time to spare (around 7:45 pm), but no time to order dinner before the Greenstone closed. I was totally beat after a 10+ mile day and literally fell asleep eating some crackers and cheese in bed. This was the day I was happiest to have a bed to sleep in.
Day 3
This was my favorite day! The weather looked promising so we rented a canoe and paddled along the Tobin Harbor shore. The lake was smooth like glass and we paddled about 3 miles out, 3 miles back with no difficulty. We also saw a giant bull moose on the shore. It was a perfect way to see a moose because we were far away and separated by the water, but we had a birds-eye view. We beached, had lunch and enjoyed the gorgeous day. That afternoon we attended a ranger talk on shipwrecks on the Island, had pizza at the Greenstone, and that evening went to a talk by historian Tim Cochrane about the history of the IRNP mail system (it was supposed to be a general talk about IR but for some reason he focused on mail carriers lol). Finished the day by watching the sunset out on the rocks behind the lodge with a beer.
Day 4
Set off on our 4-hour fishing charter at 8:30 am. WARNING - if you are prone to motion sickness this experience is not for you. That is all I will say, haha. The captain and deck hand were wonderful and accommodating and we ended up catching several 6 to 9 pound trout. We threw them all back except one, which the Lighthouse will filet and cook for you for $30 pp. Well worth it. More on that later!
Due to the waves on the fishing boat, and the fact that we had already caught our dinner, we cut the fishing short and Captain Bob gave us a wonderful tour of some of the privately owned cabins from a much calmer part of the lake. We went back to our room, passed out for several hours, and enjoyed our “Catch and Cook” meal which for $30 apiece came with two filets pan-fried, vegetables and rice. It was the best fish I’ve ever had. I wish I could have taken home leftovers. Stuffed with food and wine, we had no room for dessert. Watched the sunset again.
Day 5
This was our last day on the Island. Our seaplane flight got bumped to 5 pm so we had lots of time to kill. We packed up, left our luggage at the lodge, and hiked out to Stoll’s point, which is about 4.5 miles round trip. This was my favorite hike of the trip! It’s a pretty easy trail with great views of the lake, especially at the point. Very family friendly - we saw a 5 year old in Crocs who made it the whole way. Got home, ate the rest of the food we’d brought, and hung out by the harbor until our flight back to Houghton. Attended a ranger talk about moose bones, which was fascinating. Thanks Ranger Emily!
The flight back was a bit more turbulent but nothing worse than flying through weather on a commercial jet.
All in all, this trip met all of my IRNP expectations and more. Staying at the lodge is a great option for families with older adults or young kids, or anyone who is mobility challenged (although TBH we did a fair amount of walking to and from the amenities).
Pros of staying at the lodge: we had beds, showers, and hot coffee! We could bring plenty of clothing and food with us, and we got to experience IRNP by canoe and fishing boat. The lodge wasn’t fancy but felt safe and comfortable, and is a short distance from the two restaurants and the store. We also had time to see the ranger talks, which were wonderful.
Cons: the cost (it’s over $400 a night for a room), and we didn’t get to see any of the north shore or the other side of the island. I’m bummed I didn’t get to experience Windigo. However, we still did plenty of hiking, as much if not more than we would’ve done on a short backpacking trip. And I definitely plan to be one of those famed re-visitors :)
I’d be happy to answer any questions for anyone considering a stay at the Rock Harbor Lodge or a flight on the seaplane. Thanks for reading!!