Prompt and effective service. No complaints in that regard. Nice boat, too, with an affable and effective captain & crew and an efficient boarding process. Only problem was the boat/company owner. He came on prior to departure and went on an obnoxious, unhinged, raging monologue about the onboard bathrooms. It was unprofessional in the extreme. Apparently, he was confronted with a toilet backup from the voyage the day before. I can understand his frustration, but my gosh his demeaning and near-hysterical speech to us prior to the departure was so uncalled for. He even went so far as to imply that there was something wrong with those who need to avail themselves of the facilities during the 3.5 hour voyage. Suggestion: if you want to lessen the frequency of your customers using the toilet, maybe don't sell all manner of snacks and drinks during the voyage. Bottom line: want to be yelled at as you kick off your vacation? This is the ferry for you. read more

This is the Queen IV Ferry Service that departs from Copper Harbor, Michigan heading out for visitors to explore Isle Royale National Park. In my opinion, the Queen IV Ferry is the most logical way to get to Isle Royale. And...although Isle Royale is a pretty vast island, the Queen IV will take you to the primary section being the Rock Harbor area. I took this Queen IV Ferry back in early June of this year, 2021 and the roundtrip price to and from Isle Royale was about $135. That price is pretty normal/standard for getting on a boat and dropping you off at such a primitive destination. Speaking of Isle Royale, it's located right on the Canadian border on the waters of Lake Superior. So...this Queen IV Ferry departs from Copper Harbor, MI which is a tiny little coastal seaside town in the UP - Upper Peninsula of Michigan and takes you 3.5 hours each way to and from Rock Harbor. And for $135...that's pretty reasonable. Now...for those interested in getting to Isle Royale in a quicker fashion...they do offer seaplanes that depart from Houghton, Michigan (another picturesque town roughly 45 miles south of Copper Harbor) but obviously a seaplane will cost $$$ more. For myself, I was in no rush during my summer road trip plus I was excited to explore around charming Copper Harbor for a few days prior to my voyage to Isle Royale. And Copper Harbor if you look at a map is situated right at the tippy top section of Michigan. It's a remote town and there's not even cell phone reception available (at least for me there wasn't). So yeah, if you don't choose a seaplane, then this Queen IV Ferry will be your fastest path to Isle Royale at 3.5 hours each way. Also in Houghton, MI they offer the Ranger III Ferry but during my research it mentioned about a 6 hour journey each way! Crazy! Why would anyone take the Ranger III Ferry for 6 hours when they can drive 45 miles north to Copper Harbor and grab the Queen IV for half the time? Makes no sense, imo. And finally, there are boat departures from Grand Portage, Minnesota on either the Voyageur II to Rock Harbor or the Sea Hunter III to the Windigo section of Isle Royale. Those tours and travels may only be 1 - 2 hours (from my recollection), but they don't travel as frequently as here in Copper Harbor and the Queen IV. Overall...I'd suggest Queen IV as the best/most efficient way of traveling to Isle Royale. Some details about the Queen IV Ferry... - I booked my boat ride online at https://www.isleroyale.com/day-trips-to-isle-royale.html. It was a simple process, and they give an entire description about your expedition to Isle Royale. - I took the boat trip in early June but as you get more into the heart of summertime, they offer better options out to Rock Harbor more frequently each week. Eventually there are trips offered daily. - Now...they suggested for visiting Rock Harbor (which I chose but kind of regret) you can take the 3.5-hour ride to Rock Harbor, hang out on the island for 3 hours and then return back to Copper Harbor for another 3.5 hours comprising one long daytrip. You can take camping gear with you and spend a few evenings at Isle Royale before catching the return ferry back to Copper Harbor. For those outdoor nature enthusiasts, a lot of people picked this option. Prior to departing in the morning, the crew of the Queen IV will assist in lifting up your belongings onto the boat making for a hassle-free departure. For myself, I had camping gear with me on my road trip I could have spent a couple nights at Rock Harbor but ultimately chose a daytrip. I'd say 95% of the people on the ferry had packed up to camp at Isle Royale rather than the daytrip. In the end it's up to you. Though so you know, Isle Royale is simply a forest park and doesn't offer much in terms of sights and attractions. Basically, you'll be stuck on the island for as long as you decide to stay. - Here is a copy of the schedule from the website... "A one-day trip lasts about 10 hours altogether, 8 am to 6 pm. The trip includes the 3:15 crossing, 3+ hours on the island, and the 3:15 return". - My only issue with the ferry ride experience is that inside the cabin everyone rushed to grab a 4-person seating arrangement. I was traveling alone and when I boarded there weren't any seats available. That was disappointing. I had to sit and stand on the boat outside for the entire 3.5 hours. Normally I don't mind this but because I was here visiting in early June it was frigid riding out on Lake Superior's waters. I guess I should have spoken up and asked some people to move. Whatever I'd rather be by myself. - So...be prepared with clothing layers as the ride can be extremely cold! - They don't offer any food or beverages. You must bring your own supplies on board which you can grab at the local gas station/convenience store in town. - Lastly, I stayed at the Minnetonka Inn, left my car at the lodge and simply walked 5 minutes to the pier to board and avoided paying for parking. read more

I used this route to reach my destination. Good service at the dock, they took my bags and loaded on the boat. We waited for the other passengers to arrive. I visited the bakery next door, nice blueberry scone for munchies on the 3.5 hr ride to the island. Fare was $62 one way. read more

If you are heading to Isle Royale, you don't have many options on how to get there. You can take a seaplane or a boat. If you chose the latter, one of your options is the passenger ferry operated by the Isle Royale Ferry Service. The Queen IV, a 100 foot vessel, is relatively fast. It takes about 3 1/2 hours to get to Isle Royale when lake conditions are calm. The captain has the authority to delay the trip for up to 12 hours depending on marine conditions. This is for your safety. The ferry is comfortable. The cabin is HVAC controlled, but remember, the temperature on the lake is generally much cooler than on land. Bring a layer to throw on, especially if you plan to take in the view of Lake Superior from the bow of the vessel. Seats do fill up quickly as the ship is usually booked to capacity. There is a good chance that you will have to share your seating area with a stranger. However, this provides a good opportunity to bond with the folks that you will inevitably run into again on your small island destination. Games and reading materials are available to help pass the time. Depending on your service, you may pick up a cell signal while on the lake, but you may want to verify it is from your country of origin, otherwise you may incur some hefty charges. Light snacks and beverages are sold onboard. The captain and crew are friendly and entertaining. I appreciated the interesting tidbits the captain offered on our voyage. The captain is very detailed when giving instructions and tips. It behooves you to listen! The Isle Royale Ferry added to the overall experience of visiting Isle Royale. read more

Just recently spent 2 nights out on the Island and was so rushed that I forgot my headlamp in my car the morning the Queen IV left! It was almost a a trip ruining experience but Mike on the crew was awesome enough to lend me his for my trip. It was GREAT and I couldn't have expected better service from the staff of the Queen. Thanks for all your help! read more

This review is based on the old boat; the Isle Royale Queen III. This is the only way I have traveled to Isle Royale for one it is the quicker of the 2 MI ferries and you dont get as much traffic when you disembark the boat and you are trying to find a camp site. The new boat is faster and not as spartan in the furnishings as the old one and hopefully not so much of a cork in the water like the old one. I like traveling to Copper Harbor, the early departure, and the early arrival on the Island so you still have a chance to do some hiking. read more

*****ATTENTION DAY TRIP TRAVELERS****** Please read carefully and understand that the ferry trip is well over 3 hrs. According to the website, "It takes a little more than 3 hours one way." A little over 3 hours in my book means 3 hours 5 minutes or 3 hours 10 minutes, NOT 3 hours and 40 minutes, especially on an ideal weather day. Here is the breakdown. Weather was sunshine, beautiful and the lake was very calm. THE FERRY RIDE TOOK 3 HOURS AND 40 MINS to get to the isle. That means feet did not touch the dock until 3 hours and 45mins. (Keep in mind even the Captain of the boat said "we are having beautiful weather today which means no delays") The ferry leaves at 2:45pm which means you have VERY LITTLE TIME. If you want to look at the gift shop I guess thats fine. We practically ran Stoll Trail and barely made it back with little time to spare. Keep in mind we are fit/active people as well. Which made it even worse is that Rangers MUST brief you on Island policies which further eats into your very limited time. (9mins and 35 seconds because I timed it) We highly recommend not going on the day trip due to extreme time constraints. We anticipated having a little more time on the island, but due to the additional ferry time and ranger time, we had an hour less, making the trip INCREDIBLY RUSHED. Just wish they would have been more honest with travel time. Those wanting to stay on the island for multiple days this is an excellent option. But....here are the pros: Captain and staff are efficient and nice. Boat is comfortable. The entire process was very organized. read more

Yes, you have to drive further to get to the Copper Harbor ferry. Yes, it's a smaller boat. BUT it's worth the drive. The drive to Copper Harbor is very scenic. The ferry ride is two and a half to three hours shorter than the one leaving the Houghton/Hancock area. And, you arrive at the island hours prior to the Houghton/Hancock ferry, leaving you plenty of time to hike a good day's hike the day you arrive. Before knowing all the perks, I argued with my husband about his logic in making us drive all the way up to Copper Harbor. I lost the argument and am glad that I did. read more

Poor customer service is how I would sum up our experience. We have ridden the Ranger III on three previous trips to Isle Royale (and wish we had on our most recent trip). While the Ranger III trip is longer, the Park Service is top notch in terms of customer service. Two areas of customer service for the Queen to work on: First, the parking attendant was grouchy and difficult to deal with. (Apparently the staff had not passed along updated information to him about our camper.) Secondly, while we understand that "stuff happens" and that boats sometimes hit rocks and are out of commission for several days, the absolute lack of communication from the Queen staff to the passengers stranded on Isle Royale was inexcusable. At a minimum, a printed statement from the Queen explaining the problem and how they planned to deal with it, should have been provided to their customers on the island. There were so many rumors floating around ... Eventually the Queen and the Park Service made an agreement for the Ranger III to run an extra trip from/to Houghton to pick us up. (We incurred an extra 2 days of food and lodging expenses on the island.) The Queen provided school buses to get 120 of us and our luggage from Houghton to Copper Harbor. (There is little space on a school bus for luggage, and no trailer was provided.) Was anyone from the Queen there to meet us in Copper Harbor? Of course not. read more