Isle Royale National Park

Isle Royale National Park's dark skies make it an excellent location to enjoy nighttime phenomenon, like the Aurora Borealis.
Explore a rugged, isolated island far from our connected communities. Isle Royale offers adventures for backpackers, hikers, boaters, paddlers, and divers. Cross Lake Superior and make a commitment: Become a part of this island, and let it become a part of you. Find peace and refuge in island wilderness – because Isle Royale, in turn, finds refuge in us. Help Isle Royale stay wild.
Map showing location of park.
An oil painting of a blue night sky with streaks of white imitating northern lights.
Celebrate Isle Royale National Park’s 85th Anniversary through Music and Art
On February 15, 2025, celebrate 85 years of Isle Royale National Park through music and art at the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts. In partnership with Michigan Technological University (MTU), Rozsa Art Galleries, and the Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra, this event highlights how the power of place inspires music and art that resonates within the human spirit.
An acrylic painting of a wolf and a wolf pup laying across a rocky ground surrounded by leaves and ferns
Become an Isle Royale Summer 2024 Teen Artist
Applications for Isle Royale National Park's 2025 Teen Artist Exploration will be accepted between January 2 and February 16, 2025. This artistic discovery is geared to all aspiring teen artists who want to develop their art through experiencing wilderness. It is open to all visual and performing artists, writers, and composers ages 13 to 18 at time of summer participation.
An oil painting of an island in fog. The color palette is white, grays, and black. The island sits obsured in the middle of the canvas.
Apply to Become a Summer 2025 Artist-In-Residence at Isle Royale National Park
The Isle Royale Artist-in-Residence Program offers writers, composers, and visual and performing artists the opportunity to capture the moods and magic of Isle Royale through artistic expression. Applications for Isle Royale National Park's 2025 Artist-in-Residence Program will be accepted January 2 through February 16, 2025. Each 2 - 3 week residency provides artists the opportunity to become part of a long-established tradition of interpreting national parks through art.
View from above the trees looking down at Duncan Bay Narrows, trees, Lake Superior, and Canada.
Photo by NPS / Paul Brown
Ice floes float in a harbor
Photo by NPS Photo / Paul Brown
Aerial View of Belle Harbor
Photo by NPS Photo / Paul Brown
Young bull moose browsing for food
Photo by NPS Photo / Paul Brown
Aerial view of Rock of Ages Lighthouse
Photo by NPS Photo / Paul Brown
Diverse colored Aurora Borealis in the night sky
Photo by NPS Photo / Paul Brown