Isle Royale Closes Tent Camping at Four Campgrounds After Wolves Enter Tents

Isle Royale is dealing with the part of predator country that does not fit cleanly on a postcard. Wolves have been showing too much interest in campers, and the park is shutting down tent and hammock camping at four eastern campgrounds for the rest of the season.

Beginning Aug. 28 and running through the park closure on Oct. 31, tent sites, group tent sites and hammock use are closed at Three Mile, Daisy Farm, Moskey Basin and Caribou Island. The off-trail camping zones around those campgrounds are closed too.

The National Park Service says the issue is not one random sighting. The park has received repeated reports of wolves approaching occupied tents, pawing and digging at tents, entering tents and dragging away packs and sleeping pads. That is a clear line. Once predators start associating camp with gear, food or easy reward, managers have to act before a bad encounter becomes worse.

Backcountry camping is still allowed in shelters at Three Mile, Daisy Farm and Moskey Basin, and in the cabin at Caribou Island. Boaters can still use docks and stay aboard their vessels. NPS is also reminding visitors to secure food, trash and scented gear, keep a clean camp and report wolf encounters.

This is why wildlife management has to be practical. Wolves belong on the landscape where they are managed honestly, but people also have a right to come home safe. Pretending bold predator behavior is harmless does not protect wolves or campers. Clear rules, clean camps and fast response are what keep wild places wild without turning common sense into an afterthought.