#3 of 39 trails in Isle Royale
Isle Royale National Park, MI
A steep climb to the island’s broad northward view.
Overview
Mount Franklin Trail is a steep 2.3-mile one-way hike from the Rock Harbor Trail junction to a rocky overlook on Greenstone Ridge. It crosses the island’s forested spine and finishes at the view over Isle Royale’s north shore. Allow about 2 to 3 hours one way. Turning back at the overlook makes about 4.6 miles from the junction. The full day hike from Rock Harbor is a much longer 10-mile round trip because it includes the walk in and back on the Rock Harbor or Tobin Harbor trails. This is a rewarding choice if you want a rugged island climb and have time for the approach, not a quick stop above the harbor.
Parkwolf’s verdictThe climb and the payoffMap & elevation
Plan your hike
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Isle Royale Tour Guide
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.
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“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
There is no road access or car parking on Isle Royale. Reach Rock Harbor by boat, then follow Tobin Harbor Trail to the Mount Franklin marker for the direct approach to the steep ascent; Rock Harbor Trail is another approach. A water taxi from Rock Harbor Lodge can drop you at Hidden Lake, but it requires advance reservations. The 2.3-mile figure starts at the Rock Harbor Trail junction and does not include getting there from the dock. If you plan the full Rock Harbor day hike, budget the park’s 10-mile round-trip route and carry food and water for the day.
Expect narrow, uneven tread, about 18 inches wide in places, with rocks and roots. The route can be overgrown, and its condition changes, so bring a map and compass and be ready to navigate rather than relying on a clear, built path. From the Tobin Harbor junction, the trail briefly drops through forest and crosses Tobin Creek, then rises onto a rocky ridge. It passes a wetland between two ridges before the final climb to Greenstone Ridge. One on-route account describes roughly 400 feet of gain in two uphill pushes; the elevation profile is similarly uneven. The steep grade and rough footing make this a moderate-to-hard walk even though the distance is short.
Mount Franklin is a rocky bluff on the ridge, named in honor of Benjamin Franklin. From the top, you look across the island’s interior and north shore, with Lake Superior and the distant Canadian mainland beyond. The view opens over forest, ridges, and inland water rather than a single lakeside vista. For a phone photo, keep some of the nearer forest or rock in the frame and aim across the water toward the far shoreline; that gives the view depth and shows how much of the island lies below you.
The Mount Franklin route connects with Tobin Harbor Trail and Three Mile Campground on its south side, and with Greenstone Ridge and Lane Cove trails at the ridge. Backpackers use it to move between the harbor and the island’s interior. If you continue onto Greenstone Ridge, you are extending the hike into a longer backcountry route; confirm your turnaround or campground plan before leaving Rock Harbor. Pets are not allowed on Isle Royale trails.
Wildlife
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.
Keep exploring
EasyMott Island Trail2.3 mi · 1.5 hr · 0.9 mi awayA shoreline loop around the island that holds the summer headquarters.
ModerateLane Cove Trail2.3 mi · 1.8 hr · 1.5 mi awaySteep birch switchbacks end at a cove-side Lake Superior campground.
ModerateTobin–Duncan Portage Trail1.6 mi · 1.5 hr · 2.5 mi awayA steep, boat-accessed crossing over Greenstone Ridge.
ChallengingHarbor to Hills Loop33.2 mi · 1.3 days · 2.7 mi awayA 33-mile island loop climbs from Lake Superior shore to Greenstone Ridge.
EasyTobin Harbor Trail3 mi · 3 hr · 2.7 mi awayHarbor islands and an inland sea arch off an easy woodland walk
ModerateScoville Point Loop4.2 mi · 3 hr · 2.8 mi awayA rough lakeshore and wooded harbor side meet at Scoville Point.
ModerateSuzy’s Cave Loop3.8 mi · 3.5 hr · 2.8 mi awayA rocky shoreline loop to Isle Royale’s inland sea arch.
ModerateRock Harbor Trail11 mi · 7 hr · 2.8 mi awayAn 11-mile rocky shoreline hike from Rock Harbor to Moskey Basin.
Campground · 0.1 mi awayThree Mile CampgroundEight shelters and a dock ease your first night beyond Rock Harbor.
Sight · 1 mi awaySuzy's CaveA 4,000-year-old sea arch worth the rocky trail detour.
Sight · 1.1 mi awaySS Algoma WreckA cold-water dive over a steamer broken apart by an 1885 storm.
Campground · 1.4 mi awayTookers Island CampgroundTwo boat-in sites, two shelters, and a dock in Rock Harbor Channel.Sight · 1.6 mi awayMount FranklinA long ridge hike opens up a view of Canada.
Campground · 2 mi awayLane Cove CampgroundA five-site Lake Superior camp for a quiet backcountry night.
Campground · 2 mi awayDuncan Bay CampgroundA two-shelter boat-in camp on a remote island bay.
Campground · 2.5 mi awayRock Harbor CampgroundA busy harbor base with campsites close to ferries and trailheads.Parkwolf’s Isle Royale ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
