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Isle Royale NP: Rainbow Cove Trail

Trail Details

County
Houghton
Regions
Western Upper Peninsula
Latitude
N 47° 50' 31.92"
Longitude
W 089° 11' 23.64"
Distance
0.8 mile
Trail Type
Foot path
Terrain
Rainbow Cove, Feldtmann Lake
Difficulty
Easy
Nearest City or Town
Houghton
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Rainbow Cove Trail, a mere 0.8 miles long,  serves as both a interesting side trip for backpackers spending the night at the Feldtmann Lake Campground and a portage for kayakers paddling around the south shore. The easy trail is surprisingly dry, considering the swamp it passes through. It is level most of the distance except for a slight rise in the middle.
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Description
Rainbow Cove Trail, a mere 0.8 miles long,  serves as both a interesting side trip for backpackers spending the night at the Feldtmann Lake Campground and a portage for kayakers paddling around the south shore. Along Rainbow Cove the trail post is 220 yards north of a stream that empties from Feldtmann Lake. From the Feldtmann Lake end the trail junction is reached just before crossing a bridge over that stream.

The easy trail is surprisingly dry, considering the swamp it passes through. It is level most of the distance except for a slight rise in the middle, where it swings away from the stream and drops to Feldtmann Lake Campground.

Kayakers should consider portaging their boats into Feldtmann Lake for early-morning fishing. The lake is renowned for its fine pike fishing but rarely sees any action beyond the shore fishermen who hike in. With a kayak, anglers can fish the undisturbed middle or north-shore portions of the lake and have a chance of landing a pike that exceeds 30 or 40 inches.

 
Amenities & Services
Camping
Foot Path
Difficulty - Easy
Trail Guide

The Rainbow Cove Trail and Feldtmann Lake Trail are covered in detailed in Isle Royale National Park: Foot Trails & Water Routes by Jim DuFresne. To order the 192-page guide to the wilderness island, Click Here.

Facilities

Shower tokens, clean towel, and bar of soap can be purchased at the camp store at Windigo.

It\'s also possible to book a cabin at Windigo for lodging. The Windigo Cabins feature table and chairs, a sofa, two bunk beds and electrical outlets but no indoor plumping. For reservations, contact the park concessionaire, Forever Resorts (866-644-2003 or 906-337-4993 in summer; www.isleroyaleresort.com).

Feldtmann Lake Campground is on the west end of the lake and has individual and group campsites, pit toilets, and a red sandy beach, where you can often find moose tracks. It\'s a pleasant place to set up camp, and because its popularity backpackers are limited to two consecutive nights here through most of the summer.

Hours & Fees

Isle Royale National Park opens April 16 and closes on Nov. 1 to all visitors for the winter.  The park has a entrance fee of $7 per person per day or an annual pass for $60. You can pay the entrance fee once you arrive at the park or in advance at at pay.gov  and avoid congestion and long waits on the island. All park visitors who plan to camp overnight at campgrounds or cross-country sites are required to obtain a camping permit. This permit can be obtained free of charge at the visitor center at Windigo or Rock Harbor when you arrive or on board Ranger III on the way to the Island.

Directions

To reach Windigo and return to Rock Harbor, book passage on the Voyageur II. Alternatively, you can book a flight to Windigo with Royale Air Service, which flies out of the Houghton County Memorial Airport. You can also arrange an inter-island flight between Windigo and Rock Harbor.

From Windigo, Rainbow Cove Trail is reached via the Feldtmann Lake Trail, an 8.5-mile trek rated moderate. Most backpackers then camp at the Feldtmann Lake Campground, a beautiful place to pitch a tent, and hike into Rainbow Cove as an evening trek to to catch the sunset.

Information

Call the Isle Royale National Park headquarters in Houghton (906-482-0984) or check the Isle Royale National Park website (www.nps.gov/isro).


Geo-referenced maps from MichiganTrailMaps.com range from $1.99 to $2.99 each.

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