Best time to go
The center is not open year-round: it closes for winter, and hours shift with the season. Check the current NPS schedule before heading over. Visiting the mainland headquarters does not require an entrance fee.
Overview
About Houghton Visitor Center
Why stop
- Ranger help, permits, and orientation before the island crossing
Heads up
- The center closes during winter and mainly serves island-bound visitors
Map
Where it is
Loading the Isle Royale map
Full mapPlan your stop
Before you go
Best time to 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
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Isle Royale Tour Guide
Your drive to Houghton Visitor Center, 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!!!!”
Guide
More about Houghton Visitor Center
Your mainland starting pointThe Houghton Visitor Center is Isle Royale National Park’s mainland headquarters on the Portage…
The Houghton Visitor Center is Isle Royale National Park’s mainland headquarters on the Portage Canal, and the Ranger III’s home port. Stop here if you’re getting ready to go to the island: rangers offer trip-planning help, private boaters can pick up permits, and the 25-minute orientation film is available on request. The park store has books and souvenirs.
Get ready to board Ranger IIIThe 165-foot, 648-ton ferry carries passengers from Houghton to Rock Harbor or Windigo.
The 165-foot, 648-ton ferry carries passengers from Houghton to Rock Harbor or Windigo. It takes no vehicles, so you’ll leave your car on the mainland. Use the stop to get ferry information and a feel for the island before you cross.
Find the right entranceThe center is listed as wheelchair-accessible, with accessible and family restrooms and auto…
The center is listed as wheelchair-accessible, with accessible and family restrooms and auto parking. It sits inside the headquarters complex; look for the signed visitor-center building by the flagpole. During ferry operations, the main gate can close and visitors may be directed to another lot entrance, so follow the signs.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Isle Royale
308 sightingsMooseMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
93 sightingsWolfMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
77 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
150 sightingsLoonMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
24 sightingsTrumpeter SwanMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
71 sightingsBeaverMost seen around 8 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Isle Royale. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
