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North Desor Campground in Isle Royale National Park

Campground · Isle Royale National Park

North Desor Campground

Three hike-in sites on Lake Desor’s rocky north shore.

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

Overview

About North Desor Campground

Why stop

  • Three sites sit on Lake Desor’s rocky north shore.

Heads up

  • Reach camp only on foot; boats and paddlecraft have no access.

Map

Where it is

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Full map
CampgroundNorth Desor Campground47.98119, -88.99381
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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 North Desor 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 North Desor Campground

An overnight on the MinongNorth Desor Campground is a backcountry camp on Lake Desor’s rocky north shore, reached on foot…

North Desor Campground is a backcountry camp on Lake Desor’s rocky north shore, reached on foot from the Minong Ridge Trail. It’s roughly a 13-mile hike from Windigo, a practical overnight on the island’s interior route. There’s no boat, canoe or kayak access.

Take the side trail downA gentle descent from the Minong Ridge Trail leads to camp, then a steeper side path drops to…

A gentle descent from the Minong Ridge Trail leads to camp, then a steeper side path drops to the lake. Lake Desor is Isle Royale’s second-largest inland lake; it’s relatively shallow and has three islands.

Keep the overnight simpleThere are three individual tent sites and a vault toilet.

There are three individual tent sites and a vault toilet. The island campgrounds have a water source, but filter and treat the water before drinking. An overnight permit is required. Parties of six or fewer choose sites first-come, first-served; groups of seven or more need advance reservations. The stay limit is two nights from June 1 through Labor Day.

campingbackcountrylakesideminongridge

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 North Desor Campground

See it all on the map

Trails nearby

ChallengingIshpeming Trail7.3 mi · 6 hr · 3.7 mi awayA remote trail from Ishpeming Tower to Malone Bay.

More stops nearby

Campground · 1.3 mi awaySouth Lake Desor CampgroundBackcountry nights, loon calls, and sunset on Lake Desor.Sight · 3.7 mi awayIshpeming TowerA trail-junction break beside the island's first modern fire lookout.Campground · 4.1 mi awayHay Bay CampgroundA one-site boat-in camp with an overnight dock.Campground · 4.1 mi awayLittle Todd CampgroundA backcountry Lake Superior camp for rugged Minong miles.Campground · 4.1 mi awayIsland Mine CampgroundA quiet woods camp, but don't count on the creek for water.Sight · 4.6 mi awayIsland MineA rusted engine and rock piles make a brief mining-era pause.

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.

4.7 from 8,600+ ratings

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