The National Park Service has confirmed that the deaths of two backcountry campers at one of the country's most remote National Parks were not wildlife-related, as the FBI assists in the investigation.
The campers were found dead near Greenstone Ridge trail at Isle Royale National Park, Michigan, after rangers received two separate reports late on the afternoon of Sunday, June 8. Two park rangers hiked overnight for 11 miles to the campground, where they confirmed the deaths early on Monday morning.
In a June 12 update, park officials said both individuals have been identified, and next of kin have been notified.
Isle Royale has been the subject of a successful wolf reintegration program and is currently home to about 30 wolves, according to the National Parks Conservation Association, but park officials say the deaths are not wildlife-related, adding: "There is no known threat to the public at this time."
The 45-mile-long island park sits 15 miles off the mainland in Lake Superior and can only be reached by plane or boat. Due to the remote nature of the campground, the NPS says a fixed-wing aircraft and a helicopter were deployed to assist with the investigation. No further details have been provided on the case.
Isle Royale was named the best National Park in the US by the Wall Street Journal in 2024 and is popular with backpackers who can camp on one of the island's 36 rustic campgrounds with a permit.
The ferry to the island takes three hours, and there is no reliable cell service there, so it's advised to carry a satellite communicator like a Garmin InReach if you plan to go backpacking there.
