Grand Portage Isle Royale Transportation Lines

07/24/2024

John Muir and Theodore Roosevelt. Everett Townsend and Walter Fry. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Richard Proenneke, and Ansel Adams. Since the inception of...

05/15/2024

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12/07/2023

Reservations for the 2024 season are now available online at isleroyaleboats.com.

02/04/2023

GPIR Transportation Lines is seeking staff for the upcoming 2023 season. We are looking for deckhands on both vessels, as well as office staff.

The deckhand position on the Voyageur II, a 65’ aluminum vessel, is 6 days every other week. This position requires 3 overnights a week on the boat on the island. The season runs from the first weekend in May through the first week of October

Also available are positions on the Sea Hunter III, a 65’ aluminum vessel, the day trip
boat to the island. These trips run 3 - 5 days a week from early June through the first week of September.

Deckhand duties are as follows:
Contribute to the best guest experience possible for each and every passenger
Follow safety procedures in order to ensure the protection of passengers and vessel
Participate in routine safety drills
Handle lines to moor vessels to docks
Assist with passenger boarding and disembarking
Stand watch on ships' decks and in pilot house in order to look for obstructions in a ship's path or to locate navigational aids
Assist captain in vessel maintenance as needed
Maintain the cleanliness and safety of all common areas and crew quarters
Sweep, mop, and wash down decks and exterior using brooms, deck brushes, and hoses
Load and unload passenger luggage, packages, and freight
Gather and remove trash from vessels, maintain supplies of cleaning products, trash bags, etc.
Maintain stock of and facilitate sale of food items; drinks, snacks, etc.
Service, clean, and supply restrooms

Both positions require passing a pre-employment USCG drug screen and on-going random drug testing.
This is an excellent opportunity to gain sea time on a commercial vessel for anyone looking to obtain a Coast Guard Captains license.

Office staff duties include answering phones and emails, inputting reservations into a computer booking system, keeping the office clean and organized, interacting with customers directly, and managing apparel sales.
Our season lasts from mid-May through the end of September. The schedule is Monday through Friday, with weekends and holidays off.
Our ideal candidate will be professional and reliable, and have some office experience, though we are willing to train the right person.

Very competitive beginning wages with potential of an hourly rate increase.
For more information or to request an application please email [email protected].

10/10/2022

To the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Isle Royale is known as Minong, which means “the Good Place.” Minong is part of the ancestral lands of the Anishinaabe/Ojibwe peoples who have cared for this place for hundreds of years.
From their homes on Gichigami’s (Lake Superior’s) North Shore – lands that are now known as Minnesota and Canada – Ojibwe peoples could see Minong. By birch bark canoe the Ojibwe traveled here to fish, obtain copper, make maple sugar, and engage in other lifeways.
Long before Isle Royale became a national park, before it was mined, fished, logged, or vacationed on, before it was even on a map – Ojibwe peoples were the first known visitors and caretakers of this land. Over generations, the Ojibwe fostered a connection to Minong. Despite historical events that eventually separated the Ojibwe from Minong, old connections to place are still cherished, and new connections are being cultivated.
Explore more about the Grand Portage Band's connections with Minong: https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/minong-tcp.htm?fbclid=IwAR1GZTa0n1hFEDQbRMAIL2dRUwlgt0FqCuRE20kx6FM-5dYk-Z-4k5s6uuo

To the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Isle Royale is known as Minong, which means “the Good Place.” Minong is part of the ancestral lands of the Anishinaabe/Ojibwe peoples who have cared for this place for hundreds of years.

From their homes on Gichigami’s (Lake Superior’s) North Shore – lands that are now known as Minnesota and Canada – Ojibwe peoples could see Minong. By birch bark canoe the Ojibwe traveled here to fish, obtain copper, make maple sugar, and engage in other lifeways.

Long before Isle Royale became a national park, before it was mined, fished, logged, or vacationed on, before it was even on a map – Ojibwe peoples were the first known visitors and caretakers of this land. Over generations, the Ojibwe fostered a connection to Minong. Despite historical events that eventually separated the Ojibwe from Minong, old connections to place are still cherished, and new connections are being cultivated.

Explore more about the Grand Portage Band's connections with Minong: https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/minong-tcp.htm?fbclid=IwAR3ljvJg8Nlq22aEIjBcGLm3SGaejhlsZ7RNMc3Kew_ZSGyimTAHCNO71F8

08/11/2022

Due to high community spread of COVID-19 in upper Michigan, masks are currently required inside of all buildings on Isle Royale. Please plan accordingly. Face coverings are not required on the Voyageur II or the Sea Hunter III at this time.

Update as of 8/14: Masks are recommended, not required in federal park facilities. Masks are required for all Rock Harbor Lodge and Windigo Store facilities. For the most up-to-date information, please visit the Current Conditions page on the park website: https://www.nps.gov/isro/planyourvisit/current-conditions-at-isle-royale.htm

Due to a high-community spread of COVID-19, masks are currently required inside of all Isle Royale buildings and aboard the vessel RANGER III.

Stay up-to-date with what is happening in and around the park on our Current Conditions page: https://www.nps.gov/isro/planyourvisit/current-conditions-at-isle-royale.htm

If the COVID-19 community level drops to low or medium, then masks will not be required. If you have questions about how this may affect your trip, please leave them on this post or contact the Houghton Visitor Center at (906) 482-0984 or [email protected].

📷A park ranger with a face mask on standing in front of a large sign speaks with two people. @ NPS

07/06/2022

Here is some basic information if you are considering traveling with us, including info about wait lists, cancellation policy, and resupply package deliveries, etc.
https://www.isleroyaleboats.com/faq.html

05/31/2022

Are you headed out to the park for the day, or staying at the Rock Harbor Lodge or the Windigo Camper Cabins? Make sure you help by watching this before you go!

05/27/2022

❗️NOTICE regarding Covid-19 precautions aboard ferry boats: Even though the USCG is no longer mandating face coverings, the NPS has the authority to require masking for park visitors. We recommend you bring a mask with you when you arrive at the ferry terminal, as mask requirements could change quickly.❗️

05/14/2022

The 2022 season has begun. 😃

03/31/2022

We are seeking applicants for a deckhand on the ferry boats, and an office associate for the 2022 season.

For more information or to request an application please email [email protected].

03/29/2022

Reminder regarding Isle Royale entrance fees. More info is here: https://www.nps.gov/isro/planyourvisit/fees.htm

Your Greenstone Gem: We’re Going Cashless!

All Isle Royale National Park entrance fees and the Isle Royale & Keweenaw Parks Association on-island Visitor Center bookstores will be cashless this season, so only credit/debit card transactions will be accepted.

What can you do to be prepared?

✅Pay your entrance fees BEFORE you come to avoid long waits upon arrival
✅Make sure you bring a credit/debit card with you on your adventure

Rock Harbor Lodge and its stores in Windigo and Rock Harbor will still accept cash, as well as credit/debit card payments.

All visitors aged 15 and older are charged a $7 per person, per day entrance fee to enter and remain in the park.

As cash sales have declined significantly over the last ten years, the cost to collect cash overshadowed the volume of cash that was collected. Maintaining cash operations on an isolated island in Lake Superior was no longer financially sustainable.

Learn more about entrance fees and how to pay them before you come: https://www.nps.gov/isro/planyourvisit/fees.htm

📷Image: A group of people on a dock listen to a park ranger speak. Surrounding them are a fuel dock, a brown building, and tall, green trees. Decker

02/21/2022

We are seeking applicants for an office associate position for the 2022 season.
Duties include answering phones and emails, inputting reservations into a computer booking system, keeping the office clean and organized, interacting with customers directly, and managing apparel sales.
Our season lasts from mid-May through the end of September. The schedule is Monday through Friday, with weekends and holidays off. Competitive pay.
Our ideal candidate will be professional and reliable, and have some office experience, though we are willing to train the right person.
For more information or to request an application please email [email protected].

01/16/2022

Old cow made it 22 years, among the oldest living wild moose on record.

01/04/2022

First Timer: Daytrippin’

Short on time? Squeeze in a daytrip adventure for a taste of what this national park is all about.

✔How do I get to the park?

You can travel from Minnesota or Michigan to Isle Royale for the day. From Grand Portage, Minnesota, the ferry SEAHUNTER III via Grand Portage Isle Royale Transportation Lines provides a four-hour daytrip to Windigo. The Isle Royale Seaplanes service provides daytrips of various lengths from Grand Marais, Minnesota to either Windigo or Rock Harbor. From Copper Harbor, Michigan, the ferry Isle Royale Queen provides a three-hour daytrip to Rock Harbor. The Isle Royale Seaplanes service provides daytrips of various lengths from Houghton, Michigan to either Windigo or Rock Harbor.

✔What is there to do?

Activities include hiking, watercraft rentals (when available and weather dependent), wildlife viewing, ranger programs (when available), or simply relaxing at a bench or picnic table and taking in what this wilderness park is all about.

✔What should I bring?

At a minimum, you should bring the following: water bottle(s), food, sturdy closed-toe footwear (trails are rocky and primitively maintained), sunscreen, essential personal items (prescriptions, feminine hygiene products, etc.), rain gear, and warm layers (ferry crossings are cold, even in the middle of summer). Conditions in the park can change rapidly, so make sure you prepare for the unexpected!

✔What do I need to do before I leave?

Book your ferry or seaplane reservation! Early reservations are strongly recommended. Additionally, pay your entrance fee online to avoid long waits upon arrival. Federal Recreation Passes are accepted. Lastly, check current conditions in the park on our website before you head out.

Explore all the experiences and amenities a Windigo or Rock Harbor daytrip has to offer:
https://www.nps.gov/isro/planyourvisit/day-hiking.htm

📷Image Description: A park ranger shows two American toad puppets to a seated crowd of spectators. In the background is a calm body of water surrounded by green leafed trees. Photo courtesy of Kaitlyn Knick.

12/12/2021

IsleRoyaleBoats.com

09/05/2021

The remote national park in the middle of Lake Superior is only accessible by boat or seaplane. Unsurprisingly, it's the least visited national park in the lower 48 states, but visitors spend a long time on the island once they get there.

08/17/2021

WASHINGTON – Following the latest science and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Park Service (NPS) is immediately requiring visitors, employees and contractors to wear a mask inside all NPS buildings and in crowded outdoor spaces, regardless of vaccination ...

07/15/2021

We are looking for deckhands for the Sea Hunter III. The season runs from June 6th through August 31st and we run 3 or 5 days per week with 5 days being from mid-July to mid-August. Duties include loading/unloading gear, passenger service and keeping the boat ship shape. Training is available to assist with learning line handling, loading and docking procedures. Hours are 7:30am-4:30pm with a competitive starting rate. USCG pre-employment drug test is required and provided at no cost. This position will count towards days of service at sea for those interested in a maritime career. Apply in person, by email at [email protected], or by calling our office at 218-600-0765.

06/29/2021

If you are travelling to Grand Portage this summer:

05/17/2021

Wondering how to get a resupply package delivered during your hiking trip? Do you have questions about parking or lodging before your trip? Want to read our cancellation policy? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions page for some answers to those and other inquiries. https://www.isleroyaleboats.com/faq.html

05/07/2021

A short conversation with Captain Ben as he and the crew bring the V2 up the North Shore before the start of the 2021 season.

The Voyageur II transports passengers and mail to Isle Royale National Park from May to October each year. This year will be a bit different due to COVID-19 guidelines, but the Voyageur II and the Sea Hunter will be in service. The Voyageur's first trip to the island will be May 15 and the Sea Hunte...

05/07/2021

It's that time of the year again! The Voyageur II is on it's way home to Grand Portage.

04/10/2021

Have you booked your transportation to Isle Royale yet? Just a reminder that reservations for the Voyageur II and Sea Hunter III are filling up fast, with some dates already sold out. You can make reservations online at isleroyaleboats.com. Contact our staff by email at [email protected] if you need assistance or have questions.