Belle Isle Campground

Belle Isle Campground is a small boat-access campground in Belle Harbor at Isle Royale's northeast end. You reach its seven sites by canoe, kayak, or private boat: six are shelters and one is tent-only. Overnight boaters may use the dock, listed at 13 feet deep under normal conditions. All seven sites are first-come, first-served, and a free overnight permit is required. Plan this as an overnight on the water, not a roadside stop.

Composting toilets are seasonal, and the available water is not potable, so bring drinking water. Food lockers are available year-round, but there is no camp store, cell service, or internet. There is a community fire ring; otherwise use a self-contained stove. The campground's ground is uneven and unpaved, and its facilities are not wheelchair-accessible. Check current permit and seasonal-facility details before setting out.

Fred Schofield opened the Belle Isle Resort here in 1912, building a lodge and four cottages on Fish Island, now called Belle Isle. At its height the resort had 28 cottages, two bathhouses, tennis and shuffleboard courts, and a swimming area walled off from Lake Superior. Its nine-hole golf course—the longest hole was just 94 yards—is now the campground, though its traces are hard to spot. One cabin remains, as do cement shuffleboard slabs; the old dock can still be seen in shallow water northwest of the modern landing.