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Lonely National Parks
By Rich Beattie, GORP Editor
Michigan

Isle Royale, Michigan


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Adrift in a corner of Lake Superior, seclusion reigns on the archipelago that makes up Isle Royale, officially part of Michigan but closer to Thunder Bay, Ontario, than the Spartan state. Visitors need to fly or ferry in, and marine radio's the only connection to the world. The park service encourages further solitude by suggesting that people "refrain from group games like tag, which often lead to extra noise," but it's pretty quiet already: A full 98 percent of the park is designated wilderness area. You can check out the lighthouses, fish for native lake trout, and explore abandoned copper mines. Most people come in July and August, of course, and so do the mosquitoes, black flies, and gnats. Shoot for spring or fall.

Isle Royale
Walk down the isle:
Isle Royale's a true island getaway

Move on to * Glacier Bay

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