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Hatchet Lake Campground in Isle Royale National Park

Campground · Isle Royale National Park

Hatchet Lake Campground

An eight-site walk-in camp beside Hatchet Lake.

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

Overview

About Hatchet Lake Campground

Why stop

  • A short walk leads to the lakeshore.

Heads up

  • The descent from Greenstone Ridge is steep.

Map

Where it is

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Full map
CampgroundHatchet Lake Campground48.02113, -88.85082
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Plan your stop

Before you go

Getting there

Reach the campground on foot via Hatchet Lake Trail. If you come down from Greenstone Ridge, expect a steep descent. The campground has five tent-only sites and three group sites. The stay limit is two nights from June 1 through Labor Day.

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 Hatchet Lake 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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Guide

More about Hatchet Lake Campground

A backcountry night by Hatchet LakeHatchet Lake Campground is an eight-site walk-in camp beside Hatchet Lake near the center of…

Hatchet Lake Campground is an eight-site walk-in camp beside Hatchet Lake near the center of Isle Royale. Keep it in your plan for a night by the lake; the shore is a short walk from camp, and visitors especially like the calm water in the morning.

What to bringFood-storage lockers are available year-round.

Food-storage lockers are available year-round. There’s no camp store, ice or firewood for sale, staff on site, or trash collection, so arrive with your supplies and plan to pack out your trash. Cell service and internet aren’t available.

backcountrycampinglaketenttrail

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 Hatchet Lake Campground

See it all on the map

Trails nearby

ModerateHatchet Lake Trail2.6 mi · 2 hr · 0.4 mi awayDrop to Hatchet Lake, then climb back onto Minong Ridge.ChallengingIshpeming Trail7.3 mi · 6 hr · 3.5 mi awayA remote trail from Ishpeming Tower to Malone Bay.

More stops nearby

Sight · 2.3 mi awayHaytown MineA small pit marks an ambitious, short-lived copper operation.Campground · 2.5 mi awayTodd Harbor CampgroundA backcountry shoreline camp with a single shelter.Campground · 3.2 mi awayMalone Bay CampgroundFive shelters on Isle Royale's rocky shore, reached by trail or boat.Campground · 3.5 mi awayLittle Todd CampgroundA backcountry Lake Superior camp for rugged Minong miles.Sight · 3.5 mi awayIshpeming TowerA trail-junction break beside the island's first modern fire lookout.

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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