The Rock Harbor Lodge is located on Isle Royale, a 45-mile long island in the northwest corner of Michigan’s Lake Superior. But the island atmosphere is not the only thing that makes this a special place — the entire island, as well as the surrounding smaller islands make up Isle Royale National Park — one of America's most remote national parks. The Rock Harbor Lodge provides visitors to this roadless wilderness island rooms with private baths, cottages, and services including a dining room, snack bar, gift shop, marina and more. Due to the remote location, the lodge is only open seasonally in the summer and fall, between late May and mid-September.

99% of the land in Isle Royale is designated wilderness, which means visitors are surrounded by a land of unspoiled forests and scenic shores. Guests who stay at Rock Harbor Lodge will enjoy a beautiful view of Lake Superior and the quiet comforts of this remote national park, which has no roads, no cellular service, and no television signal. Instead, Isle Royale offers 165 miles of scenic hiking trails and 36 campgrounds for backpackers and recreational boaters, as well as excellent fishing on inland lakes or Lake Superior. Rock Harbor Lodge offers both motel style accommodations (with the European plan or the American plan for dining) and fully-equipped cabins, furnished with kitchenettes so guests can enjoy a "home away from home"

With Rock Harbor Lodge as a home base, visitors to Isle Royale can participate in many self-guided activities, including hiking, canoeing, kayaking, fishing and birding. Sightseers and history buffs will enjoy the historic lighthouses, shipwrecks and ancient copper mining sites, while nature lovers will discover plenty of spots to observe moose, otter, loons, beaver, fox and other small mammals that call the island home, and may even hear the howl of the elusive wolves. Experienced Scuba divers can explore the variety of shipwrecks in Lake Superior — some dating back to the late 1800s.

Different guided sightseeing tours and cruises are offered daily, giving visitors a chance to see something new each day they spend on the island. Fully-equipped fishing boats are available to charter for groups of at least four, in half-or full day increments. Water taxi services are also available to help gain quicker access to the backcountry or to transport guests and their gear (including canoes or kayaks) to many of the docks on the surrounding islands. The Rock Harbor Marina can accommodate boats up to 65' and canoe, kayak, and motorboats are available for rental by the half-day, day, or week.

A vacation on Isle Royale is an adventure that begins well before arriving on the island, because it is accessible only by water or air, and the seasonal passenger service only runs between May and Mid-October (which varies by vendor.) Access points are available in Michigan and Minnesota: Copper Harbor, Michigan offers daily services on the Isle Royale Queen IV, (3 hours one way); Houghton, Michigan has two weekly services on the Ranger III (6 hours one way); and Grand Portage, Minnesota offers travelers three trips per week on the Voyageur II, which stops first at Windigo on the south end of the island before circumnavigating the island to Rock Harbor (approximately eight hours one way.) The island is also accessible via plane – Royale Air provides flights up to six days a week. The seaplane departs from the Houghton Country Memorial Airport in Hancock, Michigan.

Each transport service has different fares and schedules, so reservations are a must, especially during the peak summer season.

Isle Royale is the largest island in the world's largest freshwater lake, and has a long history that contributed to it becoming a national park. Native Americans searched for copper here 3,000 years ago. Later French, English, and Americans trapped on the Island. During the 19th century's "copper fever," mining companies left behind more than 1,000 mining pits. Commercial fishing followed mining in the early 20th century. Isle Royale National Park was established on April 3, 1940 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and in 1976 was designated part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. The park preserves 132,018 acres of land-based wilderness, made up of one large island surrounded by about 400 smaller islands — a total area of 850 square miles. In 1980, Isle Royale was designated an U.S. Biosphere Reserve because the isolated islands have barely 20 species of mammals compared to over 40 found on the surrounding mainland.

With two types of accommodations to choose from, Rock Harbor Lodge is well-suited to hosting group tours. The 60 lake view rooms divided into four guest lodges along the Lake Superior shore and 20 studio-type cottages nestled in the woods mean that nature centers, kayak tours and even wedding parties can enjoy the stay on Isle Royale in comfort. Two dining plans are available for guests staying in a lodge room, which accommodates a maximum of four people: the American Plan, which includes lodging and a half-day use of a canoe, in addition to all meals; or the European Plan, which includes lodging and half-day canoe use, but no meals. Cottages are equipped with kitchenettes (including utensils and dishware) and can accommodate up to six. Cottage stays also include a half-day use of a canoe.