SS Cumberland Wreck

Overview

About SS Cumberland Wreck

Why stop

The wooden hull, side-wheel and boiler still survive.

Heads up

Remote, boat-only cold-water dive with no tank filling on the island.

SS Cumberland is a protected 19th-century wooden side-wheel steamer wreck on Rock of Ages Reef, offshore in Isle Royale National Park. It’s a boat-accessed cold-water dive, not a shore stop; save it for experienced divers with the right equipment and support. The combined Cumberland/Chisholm dive site is listed at 20–80 feet, and its mooring marks boat access rather than the wreck’s full footprint.

Parkwolf’s verdictA specialist wreck dive

Map

Where it is

Loading the Isle Royale map

Full map

SightSS Cumberland Wreck47.85806, -89.32559

Keep this map with you offline in the Parkwolf app

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 SS Cumberland Wreck, 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

4.7 from 8,600+ ratings

Guide

More about SS Cumberland Wreck

The wheel and hullBuilt in 1871 for Great Lakes service and named for railway manager Fred W.

Built in 1871 for Great Lakes service and named for railway manager Fred W. Cumberland, the ship’s working life was short. On July 25, 1877, it struck Rock of Ages Reef. Salvage failed; the wreck broke in two by August and was underwater by early September. The engines were salvaged, but large sections of wooden hull, the side-wheel, and the boiler remain. The wheel’s radial timbers are the strongest photographic subject; frame them with the broken hull behind.

Plan for cold water, leave it intactLake Superior’s surface rarely exceeds 55°F; below 50 feet, the water is typically 34–37°F.

Lake Superior’s surface rarely exceeds 55°F; below 50 feet, the water is typically 34–37°F. A full wetsuit is required, a drysuit is recommended, and immediate emergency care isn’t available. Keep within your training. The wreck is protected: leave everything in place, and wash dive gear in warm chlorinated tap water and let it dry for seven days before diving in park waters.

A specialist wreck diveRegister each diver at Rock Harbor, Windigo, or Houghton Visitor Center before diving, then…

Register each diver at Rock Harbor, Windigo, or Houghton Visitor Center before diving, then return the completed permit after the trip. There’s no tank filling on the island, so arrange gear and boat support before leaving.

Wildlife

Wildlife in Isle Royale

All Isle Royale wildlife maps

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 map

Sighting maps show where each species has been reported across Isle Royale. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.