SS Henry Chisholm Wreck

Overview

About SS Henry Chisholm Wreck

Why stop

The intact ornate engine and propeller remain underwater.

Heads up

Deep, cold-water access makes it a specialist dive.

This named wooden bulk freighter lies at Rock of Ages reef near the entrance to Washington Harbor. Its prominent engine site is listed at 125–150+ feet, making this a destination for divers trained for deep, cold, remote conditions. Water below 50 feet is typically 34–37°F; park guidance requires a full wetsuit and recommends a drysuit. Isle Royale has no cylinder-filling facilities. Divers must register at Rock Harbor, Windigo, or Houghton before diving and return the permit afterward; stay within your training and leave the wreck undisturbed.

Parkwolf’s verdictA deep-water specialist dive

Map

Where it is

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Full map

SightSS Henry Chisholm Wreck47.85750, -89.32993

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 Henry Chisholm 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 Henry Chisholm Wreck

The engine and broken hullThe upright compound steam engine, its shaft, and propeller make the most distinctive remains.

The upright compound steam engine, its shaft, and propeller make the most distinctive remains. The wooden hull has broken apart, and sections lie among remains of the SS Cumberland, so the wreckage marks two separate ships. The mapped coordinate identifies the engine buoy position, not the footprint of the whole wreck.

Why it went downBuilt in 1880, Chisholm was 265 feet long and carried coal, iron ore, and grain, including…

Built in 1880, Chisholm was 265 feet long and carried coal, iron ore, and grain, including 92,000 bushels of barley on its last voyage. It could make 9 knots loaded and sometimes towed slower ships. On October 20, 1898, while trying to enter Washington Harbor after searching for the missing John Martin, it struck Rock of Ages reef. Everyone aboard survived; the vessel broke apart and was never salvaged.

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.