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Birch Island Campground in Isle Royale National Park

Campground · Isle Royale National Park

Birch Island Campground

A tiny boat-in camp near McCargoe Cove's mouth.

Type
Campground
Nearest trail
1.9 mi
  • Restrooms
DirectionsMap
Parkwolf audio tour17 stories across Isle Royale’s roads

Overview

About Birch Island Campground

Why stop

  • A small island campground with an overnight dock and shelter.

Heads up

  • Just one tent site; the water source is non-potable.

Map

Where it is

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Full map
CampgroundBirch Island Campground48.11012, -88.68566
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Plan your stop

Before you go

8 active Isle Royale alerts

  • ClosureSeasonal park closure begins November 1Isle Royale closes to public use November 1–April 15 because extreme winter weather threatens visitor safety; the closure extends 4.5 miles into Lake Superior from the island.Official details
  • ClosureCamping closures at east-end campgrounds and Zone 9Camping restrictions are in effect at four east-end campgrounds and Off-trail Camping Zones 9–13 and 30–38 because of increased human-wildlife interactions and food-storage concerns.Official details
See all 8 alerts
A park ranger sits on a dash-mounted phone, talking, as Parkwolf’s Tour Guide plays “Army Cutworm Moths: A Grizzly Bear Buffet” on Grand Loop Road below Dunraven Pass in Yellowstone
Parkwolf Tour GuideThe highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.

Isle Royale Tour Guide

Your drive to Birch Island Campground, narrated.

Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Isle Royale National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.

  • 17 audio storiesacross Isle Royale’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
  • Wildlife heatmapsfor Moose, Wolf, Bald Eagle, and 13 more
  • Works offlinemaps, 39 trails, 83 places, and audio download before you lose signal
  • CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
★★★★★
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
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4.7 from 8,600+ ratings

Guide

More about Birch Island Campground

A one-site stop by waterBirch Island Campground is a small boat-in campground on Birch Island near the mouth of…

Birch Island Campground is a small boat-in campground on Birch Island near the mouth of McCargoe Cove, on Isle Royale's north side. It has one individual tent site, one shelter and an overnight dock. Come here as part of a canoe, kayak or private-boat trip; this is not a drive-up campground.

Plan for a backcountry stayAn overnight permit is required, and stays are limited to three consecutive nights from June 1…

An overnight permit is required, and stays are limited to three consecutive nights from June 1 through Labor Day. In normal conditions, the dock depth is five feet. The water source is non-potable. There is an outhouse and a food-storage locker available year-round, but no camp store or staff on site.

The other McCargoe Cove campgroundBirch Island is near the cove's mouth; McCargoe Cove Campground is a separate site in the cove.

Birch Island is near the cove's mouth; McCargoe Cove Campground is a separate site in the cove. It has three tent sites, three shelters and six docks, compared with one tent site, one shelter and one dock at Birch Island. Keep the names straight when planning a water route.

campingpaddlingislandboataccess

Wildlife

Wildlife in Isle Royale

All Isle Royale wildlife maps
Moose308 sightingsMooseMost seen around 8 PMSighting mapWolf93 sightingsWolfMost seen around 8 PMSighting mapBald Eagle77 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 5 PMSighting mapLoon150 sightingsLoonMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapTrumpeter Swan24 sightingsTrumpeter SwanMost seen around 6 PMSighting mapBeaver71 sightingsBeaverMost seen around 8 PMSighting map

Sighting maps show where each species has been reported across Isle Royale. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.

Keep exploring

Near Birch Island Campground

See it all on the map

Trails nearby

ModerateChickenbone Lake Loop6.4 mi · 3 hr · 1.9 mi awayA forested lake loop with a short, repeated McCargoe Cove approach.ModerateMinong Mine Trail2.2 mi · 2 hr · 1.9 mi awayA rugged detour into Isle Royale’s ancient copper workingsModerateEast Chickenbone Trail1.6 mi · 1.3 hr · 2.3 mi awayA forested connector with glimpses of Chickenbone Lake.ModerateLake Richie Trail1.9 mi · 1.3 hr · 3.9 mi awayA narrow backcountry connector through wetlands and rocky outcrops.ModerateDaisy Farm Triangle5.1 mi · 3.5 hr · 4.2 mi awayBoardwalks, ridge climbs, and a historic tower above the island.ModerateDaisy Farm Trail1.7 mi · 1.3 hr · 4.2 mi awayBoardwalks cross beaver wetlands on the climb to the ridge.ModerateMount Ojibway Trail3.4 mi · 2.5 hr · 4.3 mi awayA steep island climb to a historic tower and ridge views.EasyEdisen Fishery–Rock Harbor Lighthouse Trail0.4 mi · 30 min · 5 mi awayA short boat-in loop links a historic fishery and lighthouse.

More stops nearby

Campground · 1.8 mi awayPickerel Cove CampgroundA one-site camp for north-shore paddlers.Campground · 1.9 mi awayMcCargoe Cove CampgroundA remote cove camp with boat access and six shelters.Campground · 2.6 mi awayEast Chickenbone CampgroundFour forest sites for an inland night, not a lakeside stay.Sight · 2.7 mi awayMinong MineCopper mining here spans 4,500 years on a remote trail spur.Sight · 3.6 mi awayOjibway TowerA historic lookout crowns Greenstone Ridge above its interior lakes.Campground · 3.7 mi awayWest Chickenbone CampgroundA backcountry lake camp reached on foot or by portage.Campground · 3.7 mi awayMoskey Basin CampgroundA remote shoreline camp with six shelters and Lake Superior sunrise views.Campground · 4.1 mi awayLake Richie CampgroundA lakeside overnight on the interior paddling route

Parkwolf’s Isle Royale ranking

Top sights in Isle Royale

All 83 places
  1. 1Rock Harbor LighthouseSight
  2. 2Scoville PointSight
  3. 3Lookout LouiseSight
  4. 4Edisen FisherySight
  5. 5Mount FranklinSight
  6. 6Ojibway TowerSight

Take Parkwolf to Isle Royale.

The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.

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