I have been thinking about doing a trip up to Isle Royale and crossing over to Sleeping Giant Provincial park. What are the best hikes of each park? Best time of year? Places to eat along the way? Nice places to stop along the north shore of Lake Superior?

If you're going there this Summer and you don't like crowds just keep driving past Grand Marais.  Which is too bad since I like the town itself.  

Sounds like a fun trip - haven't been there but Isle Royale is on my short list.

Need more info.

How long do you want to stay at IRNP?
How many people in your group?

You lose 4hrs on the ferry getting to the island.
you want to see the lighthouse and do the tour?

it is a really great place to visit. +1000

I'm gonna solo. Probably at least 2 days on the island. Lighthouse sounds fun.

Is sleeping giant worth the drive up from thunder bay for a night or should I spend an extra day on IRNP?

I can't speak to Sleeping Giant, but, TBay is nice place to visit.

You will likely take the ferry from Grand Portage, MN and then over to the island. Talk to the people running the tours to get an idea of how much time is involved. Rock Harbor is another 3 hours (if memory is correct) to get around by boat.

We backpacked from one end to the other and then saw the tour of the Rock Harbor lighthouse during one trip.

One suggestion would be to land in Windigo bay, backpack to Island Mine Campground and stay overnight, and then make it back the next day to Windogo and get on the ferry to go the rest of the way to Rock Harbor and take the tour to the lighthouse.

Check with the travel/guides to see what the latest developments are.

Last time we were there with the scouts, we took pics from the shore of lake Siskiwit with Ryan island in the background. "The biggest island on the biggest lake on the biggest island on the biggest lake in the world"

Thanks. I just saw a IRNP blurb in my Backpacker and went to look at the greenridge trail. 42 miles would make for one hell of a 4 day weekend. I like your idea. I Backpacker says august to sept for timeframe.

http://www.backpacker.com/trips/michigan/isle-royale-national-park/isle-royale-national-park-greenstone-ridge-trail/

42 miles in 4 days is a brisk pace to set.

Just remember to lift your head and look up and not just at the trail.

We had to keep reminding ourselves or else not appreciate the island.

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Yes! I went to Chiricahua in Arizona when I first started hiking and I missed (walked right past) one of the signature postcard spots.

Here is it is. Found a pic on the interwebs of the spot I missed