ISLE ROYALE PHOTO ADVENTURE 2026

Status: SPACES AVAILABLE

When: September 4-7, 2026

Tour Leaders: Neil Weaver & Aubrieta Hope

Where: Isle Royale based at Rock Harbor Lodge

Since Rock Harbor Lodge does not allow a block of rooms to be reserved, please call and reserve your room at Rock Harbor Lodge as soon as possible. The hotel strongly urges you booking 366 days in advance, which is the earliest allowed, to secure a room as they fill up quickly.

Group Limit: 8

Skill Level: Participants should have a basic knowledge of their camera and exposure settings.

Activity Level: The terrain is rugged and can be treacherous, with steep slopes and uneven, often very narrow trails, requiring a moderate

level of agility and fitness.

Itinerary: Our four-day photo adventure will begin on the afternoon of Friday September 4th and will conclude at on Monday, September 7th. The exact timing of field excursions will depend on weather conditions.

Overview: Join us on our very first Isle Royale National Park Photo Adventure, September 4-7 2026! This wildly beautiful island archipelago (located in Lake Superior, 54 miles offshore from Copper Harbor, Michigan) offers a stunning array of photographic opportunities. As one of the most remote and least-visited national parks, it is blissfully pristine. The Isle’s coves and cliffs, cobblestone beaches, crystal-clear water, abundant wildlife, historic lighthouses, storied islands, sea stacks, and dark night skies make for an unforgettable experience! We will see hints of fall color, encounter very few bugs, and hopefully glimpse the northern lights. Best of all, we will not be roughing it! Rock Harbor Lodge offers comfortable rooms, suites, and housekeeping cabins as well as two restaurants. All our photo destinations are accessible from Rock Harbor via hiking trails or boat tours.

Cost: $ 1,595

What's Included in Cost:

In-the-field personal instruction from two professional landscape photographers
Informational handouts for reference
All special-use permits required for our group field excursions

What's Not Included in Cost:

Meals
Lodging
Transportation
Isle Royale National Park Entrance Fee
Tour Boat Fees

What to Bring to this Workshop

ABOUT ROCK HARBOR

Rock Harbor is the heartbeat of Isle Royale. It’s home to the Rock Harbor Lodge and Housekeeping Cabins, a National Park Visitor Center, a Camp/Convenience Store, two small restaurants, and the “Guest House” (open from 7am-7pm, with limited WIFI). There is absolutely no cell service on the island. Because everything arrives by boat, the availability of items at the store and restaurants is unpredictable. It’s best to bring along snacks, fresh fruit, and any essential supplies (like bandaids, etc.) that you may need.

GETTING TO ROCK HARBOR:

Three ferries and a sea plane make trips to Rock Harbor. We recommend taking either the Isle Royale Queen ferry out of Copper Harbor, MI (3.25 hour one-way trip) or the sea plane out of Hubbell, MI (45-minute one-way trip). The Ranger III ferry out of Houghton (a 6-hour one-way trip) has a much more limited sailing schedule than the Isle Royale Queen or the sea plane. The Voyageur II ferry out of Grand Portage, Minnesota (7 hours round trip) is another option, but it, too, has a rather limited sailing schedule.

Please Note: Luggage limits vary. Isle Royale Queen: max 100 lbs. Sea Plane: max 40 lbs. Ranger III: Max 60 lbs. and Voyageur II ferry: 70 lbs.

IMPORTANT: Tickets must be purchased well in advance, typically in December or January.

Be aware that there is always the possibility of weather delays for your return trip. So, be sure to bring extras of anything you really need, such as medication, in the event of an unexpectedly extended stay on the island.

Questions? Please call Aubrieta at 815-751-5395

Cancellation and Refund Policy

Cancellations require us to re-open enrollment and spend additional resources to promote the event to fill the workshop. Therefore there are no refunds within 45 days of the event. Any cancellation made before July 22 will result in a tuition refund minus the nonrefundable deposit.

Please note that the entire fee of $1,595 must be paid by date specified to secure your place in the photo tour. If the full amount is not received by that date, your enrollment will no longer be held and all payments up to that point will be considered nonrefundable.

We reserve the right to cancel the photo tour if we do not meet our minimum enrollment. (We recommend travel insurance to cover your expenses in case of cancellation.) If the event is cancelled for this or any other unforeseen circumstance, you will receive a full refund, deposit included.

Registration form

*Please submit completed registration form once your deposit is made (click blue button above).