As national parks nationwide grapple with when and how to safely welcome the public during a socially distanced summer, Isle Royale National Park has rolled out the latest update in its phased opening for the 2020 season.

The park announced Tuesday that starting June 10, overnight anchoring for boats will be allowed in the Lake Superior waters of the park.

Liz Valencia, the park’s public information officer, said that the waters surrounding Isle Royale have been open for fishing all spring, but that this update allows boaters to anchor and spend the night offshore.

Boaters wishing to anchor overnight will need to obtain an anchoring permit by calling or emailing the park’s visitor center in Houghton ahead of time (906-482-0984 or [email protected]). They are also required to pay entrance fees in advance at pay.gov (type “Isle Royale National Park” in the search bar, and look for “individual daily pass”). 

All Isle Royale facilities, including docks, trails, visitor centers, campgrounds, shelters and outhouses, remain closed for the time being. Further opening of the park is tentatively scheduled for late June, with park officials possibly sharing more updates sometime next week, Valencia said.

Ferry service to the island remains cancelled for the summer.

Further details and updates on park operations will be posted on the park’s website as well as on its social media channels.

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