Malone Bay Campground

Malone Bay Campground is a backcountry campground on Isle Royale’s south shore, along Lake Superior. Five shelters look toward the water, with two group tent sites and a dock where boats can stay overnight. It suits hikers on the Ishpeming Trail and paddlers or boaters arriving on the water; no roads reach it.

Small parties camp first-come, first-served, and the shelters are first come as well. Group tent sites need an advance reservation, and every overnight stay requires a permit. The water source isn’t potable, so bring a way to treat it. Seasonal composting toilets and year-round food-storage lockers are provided, but there’s no camp store or shower. The campground season runs from April 16 through October 31, with a three-night limit from June 1 through Labor Day.

From the rocky shore, you can see the outer islands and the Isle Royale Lighthouse on Menagerie Island. Siskiwit Lake lies just north of camp, and a creek runs from it to Lake Superior just east. The dock and information station are farther east, along with a ranger station that isn’t always staffed; the dock normally has 3 to 6 feet of water.

The Ishpeming Trail approaches from the north through brushy, wild terrain and crosses a beaver dam. Expect a rough, brushy backcountry approach. The campground itself has uneven, rough ground and isn’t wheelchair-accessible.