Visitors should be prepared for changeable weather. West of Isle Royale and about 700 miles from Chicago is Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota. Campers travel by canoe or boat across a landscape dominated by more than thirty glacier-carved lakes. The interior of the park is navigable by water only. Camp anywhere along the shore or at one of a hundred designated campsites.
Camping is free and boats can be rented from area outfitters.
Eagle watching at Voyageurs is best from June to September. The park is in the heart of the last region of the continental United States where the Eastern Timberwolf survives. While heavily visited, Great Smoky Mountains National Park makes for an unforgettable adventure and the park is just a half-day's drive from Chicago. The hazy Appalachian mountain range is one of the oldest on Earth and the park is home to an extraordinarily rich variety of flora and fauna. The rugged, western mountain ranges most capture the image we have of national parks.