Parking
Reach Rock Harbor by passenger boat, seaplane or private boat. From Rock Harbor Lodge, follow the path toward the Tobin Harbor dock; there is no drive-up trailhead parking.
Overview
About Tobin Harbor Trail
Why go
- Gentle grade through a shaded birch, spruce and fir canopy
- Small-island views along Tobin Harbor
Heads up
- Narrow, rocky and rooty footing slows progress
- One-way route requires a return plan
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Isle Royale map
Full mapElevation594–640 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 Tobin Harbor 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.
Recorded for this area
Rock Harbor Lodge and Scoville Point0:00 / 0:34
“You're approaching Rock Harbor Lodge, a useful stop for a hot meal even if you're not staying overnight. Greenstone Grill serves pizza, burgers and sandwiches, with a deck overlooking the harbor.”
Plays on the road 0.1 mi from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Isle Royale Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Built for the Dive
- Skiing for Science
- Copper Before the Mine Shafts
- The Fish That Changed the Catch
- 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 Tobin Harbor Trail
A shoreline walk, one wayTobin Harbor Trail is a roughly 3-mile point-to-point walk from the Tobin Harbor dock path by…
Tobin Harbor Trail is a roughly 3-mile point-to-point walk from the Tobin Harbor dock path by Rock Harbor Lodge to the Mount Franklin Trail area near Three-Mile Camp. Allow two to four hours for the one-way walk. It is a connector, not a loop: retracing it makes an outing of about 5.9 miles. The Rock Harbor return is listed at 6.3 to 6.5 miles, while the Suzy's Cave cutoff makes a shorter circuit of about 3.8 miles. Check the current island map for the loop you choose. At the far end, the mapped Tobin and Mount Franklin paths are slightly offset; follow the marked connection on the ground.
Easy grade, uneven treadThe route rolls gently rather than making a major climb, and much of it sits in shade under…
The route rolls gently rather than making a major climb, and much of it sits in shade under birch, spruce and fir. The unpaved tread is only about 18 inches wide and has rocks and roots, so it is easy in grade but slow underfoot. Sturdy walking shoes make sense here.
Harbor islands and Suzy's CaveThe trail follows Tobin Harbor and opens onto views of its small islands.
The trail follows Tobin Harbor and opens onto views of its small islands. When a view opens, frame a near island with a slice of shoreline so the picture shows the shape of the harbor. Around halfway, an inland cutoff leads to Suzy's Cave, a sea arch formed when Lake Superior stood higher; it is a separate side trip, not the end of this trail.
Getting thereReach Rock Harbor by passenger boat, seaplane or private boat, then follow the path toward the…
Reach Rock Harbor by passenger boat, seaplane or private boat, then follow the path toward the Tobin Harbor dock by the Lodge. This is a boat-and-foot access, not a drive-up trailhead. Seasonal Greenstone Grill and Lighthouse Restaurant are near the Lodge, separate from the walk. There is no trail activity fee or reservation requirement, though park entrance fees may apply. The listed hiking season is spring through fall. Pets are not allowed.
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.
