Day Trips To Isle Royale National Park

​​​​​​Grand Portage Isle Royale Transportation Lines

Grand Portage Isle Royale Transportation Lines offers day trips to the island aboard the Sea Hunter III.  We depart at 8:30 am CDT from Hat Point Marina in Grand Portage, MN.  *For late September day trips aboard the Voyageur II see "Schedules" below. We arrive on the island around 10:00 am, and the Park rangers will welcome you to take part in planned activities including guided hikes and programs, or you can plan your own stay. Sea Hunter III passengers have 4 hours on the island, allowing plenty of time for hiking, a picnic lunch, shopping for souvenirs and snacks at the Windigo Store, exploring the exhibits at the visitor center, or just relaxing. Then we reboard at 1:45pm for a 2:00 pm CDT departure and get back to the marina around 3:30 pm, leaving plenty of time to visit other places of interest in Grand Portage or get to your next destination.











Please Note The Following:


  • We strongly recommend that you make your reservations for both boats at least two to three months in advance, as they tend to sell out. 


Schedules
Sea Hunter III  2024 sailing dates are June 12th - August 31st (Providing service to and from Windigo, Isle Royale from Grand Portage, MN)

DEPART: Grand Portage, MN - 08:30 AM CDT
ARRIVE: Windigo, Isle Royale Nat. Park - 10:00 AM CDT
DEPART: Windigo, Isle Royale Nat. Park - 02:00 PM CDT
ARRIVE: Grand Portage, MN - 03:30 PM CDT

Jun 12th - July 13th: to and from Windigo Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday

July 17th - August 11th: to and from Windigo Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday

August 14th - August 31st: to and from Windigo on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday 

*Saturday and Sunday, Sept 21st, 22nd and Sept 28th, 29th - day trips back and forth to Windigo each day aboard the Voyageur II; depart Grand Portage at 8am and Windigo at 1pm

PLEASE NOTE: There are no day trips available from September 1st through September 20th.


Departure Times

Passengers must be at the boat dock and prepared to board 20 minutes prior to departure from Grand Portage and 15 minutes prior to departure from Isle Royale on the way back. 


Rates

$102 Day trip passenger over and back in the same day
$94 Day trip passenger under 16 years of age


Payments

All reservations require a full fare remittance at the time of the reservation. A reservation is not confirmed until payment is received. Payment can be made by Visa or MasterCard only. 


National Park Entrance Fee
For information about the daily entrance fee and park passes please CLICK HERE. Keep your pass or proof of entrance fee payment on your person during boat transportation as you will need to present it to park personnel upon arrival.


Gear Restrictions
Each passenger is allowed up to 40 lbs of gear. If you will have over 40 lbs of gear you will need to call our office ahead of time to pay an extra charge (see cost on our Rates page) and reserve room on the boat for it.  
Our vessels may not be able to accommodate walkers or wheelchairs. Please call us for more information. We are not able to accommodate power scooters on our boats.


Weather Conditions

Our boats traverse the largest of the Great Lakes during many weather conditions. Wind speed and direction on any given day determine wave size that may affect your comfort on board. In addition, as the boat moves through the water even smaller waves may cause spray on the decks, and our vessels travel rain or shine. Based on cabin size, not all passengers will be able to sit in an enclosed area; seating for some will be on the outside decks. For these reasons we suggest passengers bring their rain gear with them in case. Please keep in mind that the lake is typically 30 to 40 degrees cooler than the air temperature on the mainland. Dress accordingly, in layers, and include a jacket and long pants. Our crew is dedicated to your comfort and safety and we ask that you come prepared for Lake Superior's varied weather conditions.


Cancellation Policy 

Please read and understand our cancellation policy before making a reservation. 


All reservations cancelled at least two full weeks prior to the initial scheduled outbound trip date are subject to a 15% fee, and 85% of fare will be refunded. If a reservation is cancelled within two weeks or if you fail to arrive on your departure date ("No Show") there is absolutely NO REFUND, nor are ticket transfers to other persons allowed within that time frame. All group reservations (over 6 passengers) are subject to a minimum of six weeks notice to receive an 85% refund. There is no refund for group reservations cancelled within six weeks prior to initial departure date. Our cancellation policy is non-negotiable regardless of circumstances.

If WE cancel a trip due to weather or any other reason you will receive a full refund of all fares. However, since weather cancellations are never made prior to departure time you must be present and check in with our office staff to receive the refund. If you are not present you will be deemed "No Show" and will forfeit your refund.


​Reservation Changes
If you need to change your itinerary on an existing reservation to a different day than you booked you may do so by calling our office. Changes are subject to availability and there will be a $10 charge for this service. Making a change to the date of a trip is not allowed within two weeks of the initial departure date (six weeks for groups). 


Have you read, and do you agree to the preceding policies?
If so, please click "I AGREE" to continue with ONLINE BOOKING.