List of Slides for Isle Royale NP
- Isle Royale is part of the Canadian Shield, shown here in
an aerial view of Labrador.
- Another view of the Canadian
Shield reveals structures typical of erosion by scouring
glaciers.
- An aerial view of the park shows parallel
ridges and islands, valleys and lakes, developed by differential
erosion on tilted rock layers with varying hardness.
- Ridges (sometimes isolated
as islands) form along resistant rock layers, and valleys (sometimes
containing lakes) form along easily-eroded layers.
- Access to Isle Royale is by sea plane
or ferry.
- The intrepid can travel by canoe, as these paddlers
are doing in rough water on the south side of the island.
- Approaching by ferry, you can see dipping
volcanic flows, now eroded into sea cliffs.
- Sea cliffs (palisades) eroded
along the strike of volcanic rocks form part of the north shore
of the island.
- There are no roads on the island, but backpackers enjoy hiking
the central High Trail along Greenstone
Ridge.
- The parallel ridges and valleys
visible from the air are apparent at ground level too.
- Here is a typical view, along the NE
end of the south side of Isle Royale.
- In places, the Precambrian volcanic rocks have been fractured
and eroded.
- In other places, such as the Rock
Harbor area, the rocks have been smoothed and polished by
Pleistocene glaciers.
- Contemplate the vast stretch of time between the Precambrian
eruption of this pillow basalt
and its Pleistocene glacial polishing!
- A closeup view of the basalt
shows the marks left after the passage of the ice.
- Prehistoric people mined
copper associated with these ancient lava flows on Isle Royale
and the Keewenaw Peninsula of Michigan.
- A lucky backpacker may meet one of the present-day
inhabitants face to face!
- Isle Royale is a popular summer destination for those who
like to camp away from the crowds.
- For leanto camping, access is first
come, first served.
- A beaver dam between two ridges has formed this inland
lake - good fishing here!