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Hay Bay Campground in Isle Royale National Park

Campground · Isle Royale National Park

Hay Bay Campground

A one-site boat-in camp with an overnight dock.

Photo: National Park Service
Type
Campground
Nearest trail
4 mi
  • Restrooms
  • Picnic tables
DirectionsMap
Parkwolf audio tour17 stories across Isle Royale’s roads

Overview

About Hay Bay Campground

Why stop

  • An overnight dock beside the only tent site.

Heads up

  • Boat access only, with no potable water or camp store.

Map

Where it is

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Full map
CampgroundHay Bay Campground47.93387, -88.93999
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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 Hay 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.

  • 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 Hay Bay Campground

A one-site stop for boatersHay Bay Campground is a small backcountry campsite on the south shore of Isle Royale, with one…

Hay Bay Campground is a small backcountry campsite on the south shore of Isle Royale, with one individual tent site and an adjoining dock. You arrive by canoe, kayak, or private boat; there is no road access. It suits an island trip that includes an overnight on this side of the coast, rather than a drive-in camping stop.

Plan the overnightThe campsite and dock are first-come, first-served; neither can be reserved or held.

The campsite and dock are first-come, first-served; neither can be reserved or held. A permit is required in advance for boaters staying overnight at anchor, dock, or campground. The dock is normally 3–7 feet deep. The stay limit is three nights from June 1 through Labor Day, and the campground operates each year from April 16 through October 31.

Bring what the site does not haveA seasonal composting toilet is provided, but the water is not potable, so bring drinking water…

A seasonal composting toilet is provided, but the water is not potable, so bring drinking water or treat it before drinking. Food lockers are available year-round; there is no camp store or trash collection, so pack out your waste. Only self-contained stoves are allowed, and pets are prohibited throughout the park. The ground is rough and uneven, and the facilities are not wheelchair accessible.

campingboatingbackcountryboataccess

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 Hay Bay Campground

See it all on the map

Trails nearby

ModerateIsland Mine Trail4.9 mi · 3.5 hr · 4 mi awayA rocky one-way link from Siskiwit Bay to the Island Mine junction.ChallengingIshpeming Trail7.3 mi · 6 hr · 4.3 mi awayA remote trail from Ishpeming Tower to Malone Bay.

More stops nearby

Campground · 2.9 mi awaySouth Lake Desor CampgroundBackcountry nights, loon calls, and sunset on Lake Desor.Campground · 4.1 mi awaySiskiwit Bay CampgroundNine remote sites bring the bay, its dock, and its sunsets close.Campground · 4.1 mi awayNorth Desor CampgroundThree hike-in sites on Lake Desor’s rocky north shore.Sight · 4.3 mi awayIshpeming TowerA trail-junction break beside the island's first modern fire lookout.Sight · 4.5 mi awayIsland MineA rusted engine and rock piles make a brief mining-era pause.Campground · 4.6 mi awayIsland Mine CampgroundA quiet woods camp, but don't count on the creek for water.

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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