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Duncan Bay Campground in Isle Royale National Park

Campground · Isle Royale National Park

Duncan Bay Campground

A two-shelter boat-in camp on a remote island bay.

Type
Campground
Nearest trail
1.2 mi
Audio stories
8 nearby
  • Restrooms
DirectionsMap

Hear the audio tour

Rock Harbor Lodge and Scoville Point

Overview

About Duncan Bay Campground

Why stop

  • Two shelters, a food locker and an overnight dock support a small boat-in stay.

Heads up

  • Access requires a canoe, kayak or private boat.

Map

Where it is

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Full map
CampgroundDuncan Bay Campground48.15043, -88.52229
Keep this map with you offline in the Parkwolf app

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 Duncan Bay 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.

Recorded for this area

Rock Harbor Lodge and Scoville Point
0:00 / 0:34
“You're approaching Rock Harbor Lodge, a useful stop for a hot meal even if you're not staying overnight. Greenstone Grill serves pizza, burgers and sandwiches, with a deck overlooking the harbor.”

Plays on the road 1.8 mi from Duncan Bay Campground in the Parkwolf Isle Royale Tour Guide.

More stories near here in the app

  • Built for the Dive
  • Skiing for Science
  • Copper Before the Mine Shafts
  • The Fish That Changed the Catch
  • 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!!!!”
JMJamesApp Store review
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4.7 from 8,600+ ratings

Guide

More about Duncan Bay Campground

A boat-in camp on Duncan BayDuncan Bay Campground is a small backcountry campground on the west end of Duncan Bay, on Isle…

Duncan Bay Campground is a small backcountry campground on the west end of Duncan Bay, on Isle Royale's northeast side. It has two shelters and one tent site, with an overnight dock, a food locker and a grill. Choose it for a water-access night on the island; this is not a drive-up stop.

Reach it by waterThe listed access is by canoe, kayak or private boat.

The listed access is by canoe, kayak or private boat. Overnight permits are required, and small-party sites are first-come, first-served. A three-night seasonal stay limit applies. Bring your own food and supplies; the grill is for cooking, not meal service.

Plan for a backcountry stayThe campground has an outhouse and a water source.

The campground has an outhouse and a water source. Filter and chemically treat any water you collect for drinking. The dock's normal depth is listed as six feet, but conditions can vary, so check your boat's draft before setting out. Generators are not allowed.

boatcampsheltercanoekayakbackcountry

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 Duncan Bay Campground

See it all on the map

Trails nearby

ModerateTobin–Duncan Portage Trail1.6 mi · 1.5 hr · 1.2 mi awayA steep, boat-accessed crossing over Greenstone Ridge.ChallengingHarbor to Hills Loop33.2 mi · 1.3 days · 1.7 mi awayA 33-mile island loop climbs from Lake Superior shore to Greenstone Ridge.EasyTobin Harbor Trail3 mi · 3 hr · 1.7 mi awayHarbor islands and an inland sea arch off an easy woodland walkModerateScoville Point Loop4.2 mi · 3 hr · 1.8 mi awayA rough lakeshore and wooded harbor side meet at Scoville Point.ModerateSuzy’s Cave Loop3.8 mi · 3.5 hr · 1.8 mi awayA rocky shoreline loop to Isle Royale’s inland sea arch.ModerateRock Harbor Trail11 mi · 7 hr · 1.8 mi awayAn 11-mile rocky shoreline hike from Rock Harbor to Moskey Basin.ModerateStoll Memorial Trail (Short Loop)1.8 mi · 1.5 hr · 1.8 mi awayA wooded and rocky interpretive loop near Rock Harbor.ModerateMount Franklin Trail2.3 mi · 2.5 hr · 2 mi awayA steep climb to the island’s broad northward view.

More stops nearby

Sight · 1.3 mi awaySuzy's CaveA 4,000-year-old sea arch worth the rocky trail detour.Campground · 1.5 mi awayRock Harbor CampgroundA busy harbor base with campsites close to ferries and trailheads.Campground · 1.7 mi awayLane Cove CampgroundA five-site Lake Superior camp for a quiet backcountry night.Restroom · 1.7 mi awayRock Harbor Comfort StationSeasonal toilets, showers and laundry in Rock Harbor.Store · 1.7 mi awayRock Harbor StoreGroceries, fuel and gear before you leave the main dock.Visitor center · 1.7 mi awayRock Harbor Visitor CenterA smart first stop for ranger answers and island trip planning.Sight · 1.7 mi awayRock Harbor MarinaFuel, rentals and dock services in a remote island harbor.Campground · 1.7 mi awayTookers Island CampgroundTwo boat-in sites, two shelters, and a dock in Rock Harbor Channel.

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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