National Park Service · Michigan
McCargoe Cove Campground
National Park Service · Michigan, United States · in Isle Royale National Park
- Sites
- 12
- Group sites
- Yes
- Drinking water
- No
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Showers
- No
- Dump station
- No
- Laundry
- No
- Elevation
- 669 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 1
- Cell coverage
- T-Mobile none · AT&T none · Verizon none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Lake
- Isle Royale National Park
- Nearest town
- Houghton
- Address
- 800 E. Lakeshore Drive, Houghton, MI, 49931
- Phone
- (906) 482-0984
About
McCargoe Cove Campground is located in McCargoe Cove, on the north shore of Isle Royale National Park, off of the Indian Portage and East Chickenbone Trails. Boats can overnight at dock. Canoe/kayak access from Lake Superior or 1.2 mile portage from Chickenbone Lake.
Stay Limit: 3 nights effective from June 1 – Labor Day annually.
Shelters: 6
Depth at dock (normal conditions): 7’.
Access: Foot/canoe/kayak/private boat
Fees
Small-party Camping (6 people or less): free. No fee for small-party camping. A free overnight permit is required.
Group Tent Sites: $25. 3 Group Sites by advanced reservation only. All parties of 7 or more must submit group permit requests through the park's online request system. The fee is a per permit cost for each party within a group of 7 or more.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 24° | 15° | -7° | 38° | 11 of 11 |
| February | 26° | 13° | -4° | 40° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 33° | 25° | 5° | 40° | 11 of 11 |
| April | 36° | 32° | 18° | 43° | 8 of 11 |
| May | 43° | 37° | 32° | 51° | 0 of 11 |
| June | 49° | 43° | 36° | 60° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 57° | 49° | 38° | 67° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 64° | 60° | 49° | 71° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 61° | 57° | 50° | 70° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 51° | 46° | 32° | 60° | 0 of 10 |
| November | 39° | 33° | 12° | 51° | 7 of 10 |
| December | 29° | 22° | 2° | 46° | 10 of 10 |
Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.
Nearby campgrounds
- East Chickenbone Campground · National Park Service · 1 mi · 4 sites
- West Chickenbone Campground · National Park Service · 2 mi · 9 sites
- Birch Island Campground · National Park Service · 2 mi · 2 sites
- Lake Richie Campground · National Park Service · 3 mi · 6 sites
- Lake Richie Canoe Campground · National Park Service · 3 mi · 3 sites
All public campgrounds in Michigan · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-02-25. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.