How to Hike to Scoville Point: Isle Royale’s Best Day Hike
Are you looking for one of the best hikes in Isle Royale National Park? The Scoville Point Loop Trail in Isle Royale is a great option…it’s a relative easy trail that has amazing viewpoints along Lake Superior, and a high chance of seeing wildlife! In this guide, we go over everything you need to know to hike to Scoville Point in Isle Royale, including when to go, how to get there, what to expect, and more.
Isle Royale National Park is a hidden gem of the National Park system. This pristine island wilderness sits in the middle of Lake Superior, and is the least visited of the National Parks in the lower 48. It’s the perfect place to experience nature and find solitude in the outdoors, and what better way to do that than by hitting the trails!
There are over 160 miles of hiking trails in Isle Royale National Park. Many of them can be interconnected to make longer backpacking trips across the island, but many people opt for shorter day hikes, and one of the best is the Scoville Point Loop Trail. In fact, the hike to Scoville Point has been named as some of the best 100 miles of trail in the National Park system…that’s really saying something!
So, what makes the Scoville Point Trail so great? Well, it’s fairly easy and accessible to most visitors of Isle Royale, it has great views along Lake Superior, it’s uncrowded, and there’s a great chance of spotting wildlife (like moose!).
Ready to hit the trail?! In this guide, we’ll go over everything you need to know to hike the Scoville Point Trail in Isle Royale National Park. From how to get there, to when to go, what to expect, and everything in between…we got you covered.
In this Scoville Point Trail hiking guide:
Where is Scoville Point on Isle Royale?
The view from Scoville Point on Isle Royale
There are two main areas where most visitors start their journey on Isle Royale. Rock Harbor is on the eastern tip of the island, and Windigo is on the western tip. The Scoville Point Trail begins in Rock Harbor.
Scoville Point trail map
Here is a map of Isle Royale’s eastern side to show you where the Scoville Point Trail is in relation to Rock Harbor.
This map shows the eastern tip of Isle Royale, where Rock Harbor is located. The inset shows an enlarged version of the Rock Harbor area. Here, you can see the entire loop that makes up the Stoll Memorial Trail and the hike out to Scoville Point.
Where is the Scoville Point trailhead?
The hike to Scoville Point can be done as an out and back, but we think it is best done as a loop to experience more of the park and have different scenery the entire hike.
Because it’s a loop, you can start in one of two places. The first part of either side of the loop is actually the Stoll Memorial Trail, a shorter hiking loop with interpretive signs.
This map of the area is found right in Rock Harbor. The “You are here” mark represents the ferry docks. This map shows the two trailheads for the Stoll Memorial Trail, both which form a loop and lead out to Scoville Point on Isle Royale.
From the ferry dock in Rock Harbor, walk along the harbor towards the Rock Harbor Lodge. Once past the path to the amphitheater, take a left. You can either follow this path all the way until it ends at the Stoll Memorial Trailhead to hike counterclockwise along the loop, or you can follow signs for the Smithwick Mine behind the auditorium to go clockwise around the loop. It will be about a quarter mile walk from the ferry docks to get to either of the trailheads.
Once you walk towards the Rock Harbor Lodge, signs will point you towards the trailhead for Scoville Point on Isle Royale
How to Get to the Scoville Point Trail on Isle Royale
Isle Royale is an island in the middle of the country’s largest freshwater lake, and is only accessible by ferry or seaplane, so it’s a complicated place to get to as far as National Parks go. There are multiple departure points from the mainland that each offer their own modes of transport with different schedules, costs, and arrival points.
The Scoville Point trail is on Isle Royale, accessed by either ferry or seaplane
To get to Rock Harbor specifically, where you’ll find the Scoville Point Trail, you can leave from one of four different departure points on the mainland. We’ll summarize each here, but be sure to check out our Isle Royale planning guide to get many more details on each option.
Copper Harbor, MI to Rock Harbor
Transportation type: The Isle Royale Queen IV ferry
Travel time: 3 hours and 45 minutes to Rock Harbor
Roundtrip cost: $160 (plus parking fees)
Houghton, MI to Rock Harbor
Transportation type: The Ranger III ferry (operated by the National Park Service)
Travel time: 6 hours to Rock Harbor
Roundtrip cost: $160
Transportation type: Isle Royale seaplane
Travel time: 40 minutes to Rock Harbor
Roundtrip cost: $360
Grand Portage, MN to Rock Harbor
Transportation type: The Voyageur II ferry
Travel time: 7.5 hours to Rock Harbor
Roundtrip cost: $220
Grand Marais, MN to Rock Harbor
Transportation type: Isle Royale seaplane
Travel time: 45 minutes to Rock Harbor
Roundtrip cost: $440
As you can see, the seaplane is the more time efficient option, but is much more expensive. Another note is that if you plan on taking a ferry to Isle Royale instead, the departure points from Michigan make the most sense. Getting the ferry from Copper Harbor would be the quickest option to get to Rock Harbor. You can even use this ferry to do a quick day trip to the island to hike the Scoville Point Loop and return in the same day. If you use the Ranger III, a day trip is not an option and you will have to plan to spend the night on Isle Royale.
Where to Stay Near the Scoville Point Trail on Isle Royale
If you want to spend the night on Isle Royale, luckily Rock Harbor, where the Scoville Point Trail is located, is the more touristy place on the island. Here, you can find the Rock Harbor Lodge, which has a few different accommodation options as well as a restaurant. Be sure to book in advance as it’s the only lodging option in Rock Harbor!
You can also camp in Isle Royale, too! There are 36 backcountry campgrounds spread across the island. One is found right in Rock Harbor, but it is limited to a stay of one consecutive night only. But, if all you’re looking for is a quick overnight trip where you can hike to Scoville Point and hang out in Rock Harbor, then this campground is perfect.
The Rock Harbor campground is the largest on the island, with 11 tent sites and 9 sites with shelters (enclosed lean-tos). There’s also an outhouse, and Rock Harbor has a source of potable water (at least in the peak season…if it’s too early or late in the season, this service might not be available).
Camping at one of the shelters at an Isle Royale National Park campground
If you are interested in spending more time camping in Isle Royale National Park, then you’ll want to plan out a backpacking trip to access the other campgrounds from here. Check out our complete Isle Royale backpacking guide to help you plan out your route! We actually spent the majority of our time on Isle Royale backpacking, but before we set off, we made time for the Scoville Point hike. It’s short and quick, so it’s easy to add on right before heading off to your first campground!
How Long is the Scoville Point Trail on Isle Royale?
The Scoville Point Loop Trail is a flat and easy hike in Isle Royale National Park. Here are our hiking stats from our tracking watch:
Length: 4.84 miles
Elevation gain: 577 feet
Time: 2 hours (with some relaxing at Scoville Point!)
Trail map:
Our GPS tracking of the Scoville Point Loop in Isle Royale
How hard is the Scoville Point Trail on Isle Royale?
The hike to Scoville Point is pretty easy. It’s mostly flat and mostly along soft dirt trail, but occasionally when you hike near the shore of Lake Superior it can get a bit rocky, but it’s not anything too challenging or strenuous.
Hiking the Scoville Point Loop Trail on Isle Royale: Our Experience
We arrived in Rock Harbor on the Ranger III ferry at about 3 pm. We were slated to start the Greenstone Ridge Trail today, and even though it was getting late, we knew we really would regret being in Rock Harbor and not doing the hike to Scoville Point. For one, we knew that once we got up to the Greenstone Ridge, we wouldn’t get to have much time along the beautiful and peaceful Lake Superior shoreline, so we wanted to take some time before starting our backpacking trip to experience the moody island coast. But really, we knew the title that National Geographic had given to this 4 miles of trail, and we knew we couldn’t pass it up!
We were able to leave our backpacking packs at the ferry docks, and off we went!
You’ll have to walk about a quarter mile to get from the Rock Harbor docks to the actual trailhead to Scoville Point, but it’s an easy walk through the Rock Harbor Lodge area. You’ll start off walking by all the docks. Here, the sun was out and the water was a brilliant blue color.
Loving the clear blue water in Rock Harbor before we set off on the Scoville Point Trail!
The hike to Scoville Point starts off on the Stoll Memorial Trail in Rock Harbor
We did the Scoville Point Trail counterclockwise, so we started at the trailhead closer to the Lake Superior shoreline. From here, the hike follows the shoreline but it starts off mostly through the woods, so I quickly got worried that this hike wasn’t going to be what I thought it would be…I wanted those cool moody evergreen-lined shorelines views…but as it turns out, I just needed to be just a tad bit patient…
Through this wooded portion of the Scoville Point trail, I was really hoping to spot a moose. We saw lots of dropping, and even a few prints! So we kept our eyes peeled. And while we didn’t see any on this trail, we did see some snakes, birds, and squirrels scampering along the path.
Hiking through the forest along Lake Superior on the Scoville Point hike in Isle Royale
Finding moose prints along the Scoville Point trail on Isle Royale!
We walked across some wooden planks across more swampy areas, and eventually found views out to the beautiful Lake Superior.
View of the Lake Superior shoreline along the hike to Scoville Point
A pretty resting spot on the Scoville Point Trail in Isle Royale
The path to Scoville Point on Isle Royale
Eventually, you’ll hit a trail junction where you can either go straight to continue the hike to Scoville Point, or you can turn left to start to the loop back to Rock Harbor via the shorter Stoll Memorial Trail. Keep straight here!
At this trail junction, keep straight to continue onto Scoville Point!
Shortly after this junction, the iconic Isle Royale coastal views really start opening up! The trail gets a bit rockier in these areas along the exposed shoreline, but the views are so pretty. They are the quintessential evergreens-meet-the-sea views that are typical of the Northern Woods in Michigan and Minnesota. There’s just something about this moody forested shoreline vibe that I just love!
Loving these Lake Superior views on the Scoville Point Trail!
One of my favorite things about the Scoville Point hike were the small black rock beaches we would come across along the shoreline. And when the sun poked out from behind the clouds, the water turned a really deep beautiful shade of blue that contrasted with the evergreens so nicely.
We loved the evergreen-meets-the-sea look of Isle Royale and the Scoville Point Trail
Hiking along the rocky Lake Superior shoreline on the Scoville Point Trail
For the most part, the entire trail to Scoville Point is pretty flat. We had some obstacles along the trail in the more wooded parts due to some winter blowdown, but we were here quite early in the season, and this probably wouldn’t be so much of an issue later (from late June and onward).
Plus, we were so surprised at how quiet this trail was! We were thinking that all of Isle Royale’s “crowds” would be here, since this trail is so easy, accessible, and well-known, but it turns out that the word “crowds” is non-existent in Isle Royale, even on the “busiest” of trails! We only saw 3 solo hikers on the entire 4 miles of the Scoville Point Trail. It was so peaceful and quiet, and we felt like we found our own little remote island paradise out here. It was our first trail we hiked in Isle Royale, and it was definitely already winning us over big time.
A cool rock formation just before Scoville Point!
Scoville Point is a giant granite outcrop at the eastern tip of Isle Royale. We hung out here for a while, having the gorgeous lake views to ourselves.
Heading out onto Scoville Point on Isle Royale
We made it to Scoville Point! Can you see Kevin?
Views from Scoville Point of the rocky Isle Royale coastline
Once it started getting cloudy and cooler, we reluctantly headed back. The other side of the Scoville Point Loop runs along the quiet and peaceful Tobin Harbor. This side of the hike is mostly through the woods, with two places that have views into the harbor. It was a super quiet trail, and we tried to just enjoy our time here and not rush it. We were loving the solitude out here!
Tobin Harbor coming into view on the hike back from Scoville Point
Enjoying the peaceful views over Tobin Harbor along the hike back from Scoville Point
As you get closer to Rock Harbor, you’ll pass by the Smithwick Mine, one of the earlier copper mines on the island.
A flooded Smithwick Mine on the way back from Scoville Point
The easy walk back into Rock Harbor from the Smithwick Mine!
Overall, we’re really glad we ended up doing the Scoville Point Loop before our backpacking trip. In fact, after hiking over 40 miles from one side of the island to the other, I can say that the Scoville Point Trail still had some of my favorite views on all of the island! We think it totally lives up to its National Geographic accolades. It may not be the typical epic mountain views that are conjured up when you think of National Parks, but Isle Royale is different. The peacefulness, solitude, and island wilderness feels are really just a totally unique National Park experience and one that is totally worth the hassle to get out here for!
THe Best Time to Hike to Scoville Point on Isle Royale
Admiring the views from Scoville Point in Isle Royale
Isle Royale is only open between April 16th and October 31st due to the island’s harsh winters. In addition, public transportation to the island usually operates only between mid-May to mid-to late September, so this really limits your window for when you can hike to Scoville Point.
July and August are the peak times to visit Isle Royale, so you can expect more people at this time, but you’ll still never experience the crowds here that you would in other National Parks.
We hiked to Scoville Point in the spring, right at the beginning of June, which is pretty early on in the season. This is when facilities and services just begin to open up on the island. Spring is a great time to hike to Scoville Point and visit the island to experience a quieter park with less people, but it also means bugs (and lots of them...bring bug spray!), muddy trails, and a bit of blowdown you’ll have to navigate around, as the trail crews might not have had the chance to clear trails yet.
We would say that late summer and early fall is the best time to hike to Scoville Point and visit the park. The weather may be a bit cooler and more variable, but you’ll have less people there, but without the bugs, mud, and blowdown of the springtime!
More Information for Your Isle Royale National Park Trip
Are you planning a trip to Isle Royale? Then be sure to check out all our Isle Royale National Park guides that cover everything you need to know! We’ll go over all the options of getting to Isle Royale, what to bring, when to go, where to camp, how plan a backpacking trip, how to plan a day trip, and much more.
ISLE ROYALE PLANNING GUIDES – Check out our ultimate Isle Royale guide to learn everything about getting to Isle Royale and planning your visit. Also check out all the amazing things to do in Isle Royale National Park once you’re there!
HIKING IN ISLE ROYALE – Looking for more day hikes besides the hike to Scoville Point? We have a guide to day hiking in Isle Royale to help you pick and choose!
BACKPACKING IN ISLE ROYALE – Want to opt for a longer backpacking trip on the island? Check out our complete Isle Royale backpacking guide to help you plan out your Isle Royale backpacking itinerary. We also have a complete guide to the Greenstone Ridge Trail- Isle Royale’s premiere backpacking route that traverses the entire length of the island!
ISLE ROYALE DAY TRIP – If you only have one day to visit Isle Royale, be sure to read our Isle Royale day trip guide to help you plan and organize your time.
The Scoville Point Loop Trail was definitely our favorite day hike in Isle Royale. Are you planning on hiking to Scoville Point? Let us know how it went! And feel free to ask us any questions in the comments below, we love to help!