Parking
No vehicle access at the trailhead. Reach the north Indian Portage junction on foot from McCargoe Cove; the route ends at Greenstone Ridge.
Overview
About East Chickenbone Trail
Why go
- A useful link between Indian Portage and Greenstone Ridge
- Wooded trail with a lake-side stretch
Heads up
- The 1.6-mile figure is one way
- Grade and footing details are limited
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Isle Royale map
Full mapElevation650–771 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
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
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Isle Royale Tour Guide
Your drive to East Chickenbone Trail, 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!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking East Chickenbone Trail
A short connector, not a circuitEast Chickenbone Trail is a 1.
East Chickenbone Trail is a 1.6-mile point-to-point path from the north Indian Portage junction to Greenstone Ridge, curving around Chickenbone Lake’s east end. It follows wooded ridges with the lake beside it for part of the way, rather than staying on the shoreline. Allow about one to one and a half hours one way. It is a handy link for hikers already crossing the island; it is not a return walk.
What you might seeAn older trail guide describes a crossing of Chickenbone Creek and two beaver ponds on the east…
An older trail guide describes a crossing of Chickenbone Creek and two beaver ponds on the east side. Their exact positions on today’s mapped line are unconfirmed, so treat them as possible features to notice rather than promised stops. When the path reaches the marshy lake edge, frame through the ferns toward the wooded far shore.
Plan both endsThe route starts on Indian Portage Trail and finishes on Greenstone Ridge. The 1.
The route starts on Indian Portage Trail and finishes on Greenstone Ridge. The 1.6 miles covers only this connector; access from McCargoe Cove and a return trip add distance. A full McCargoe Cove circuit uses sections of other trails and is a different itinerary; its published figures range from about 6.5 to 7 miles. East Chickenbone Campground is an inland spur with four sites, food lockers, non-potable water and no store. Pets are prohibited on the island except service dogs with an advance permit.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Isle Royale
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 mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Isle Royale. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
