SS America Wreck

The park requires every diver to register at Rock Harbor, Windigo, or Houghton Visitor Center and return the completed permit afterward. Diving is closed from 10 a.m. to noon Eastern for ferry viewing. Lake Superior water below 50 feet is typically 34–37°F; a full wetsuit is necessary and a drysuit is recommended. There are no cylinder fills on the island, and emergency care is not immediately available.

Dive gear also needs a warm chlorinated-water wash and seven days of drying before use in the park, to prevent invasive species from spreading. Sort that out before you arrive.

Ice, waves, and past salvage removed much of the bow and forward superstructure. The midship and stern are still there, including the engine room, galley, and numerous cabins. The interior can silt up, snag divers, and lose visibility, so it rewards experience and careful planning.

Detroit Dry Dock Company built America in 1898 for excursions between Michigan ports and Chicago. The Booth Company bought it in 1902 and put it on the Lake Superior route between Duluth, Isle Royale, and Thunder Bay. It was lengthened to 182.6 feet in 1910–11.

On June 7, 1928, after dropping passengers at Washington Harbor, America struck a reef while leaving North Gap. The crew grounded the vessel and got everyone off in five lifeboats except one pet dog. Fruit from the cargo washed ashore for weeks; an island resident later recalled eating fruit all summer. The wreck was never fully salvaged, and seasonal ice continues to affect its shallower sections.