Isle Royale National Park Transportation Study

Isle Royale National Park is a remote archipelago located in western Lake Superior, fourteen miles from the closest mainland and 60 miles from the park’s headquarters in Houghton, Michigan. While visitors treasure the parks pristine environment and solitude, transporting visitors to and operating a park in such a remote location is costly. Isle Royale has the highest cost per visitor ($170) of any unit in the National Park System. In this transportation study, Volpe defines what transportation activities are necessary to maintain operation of the park and determine what alternatives may feasibly replace the current manner of doing business. At the time of writing, the 55-year old Ranger III provides the primary means of transporting visitors, cargo and some fuel to the island. Other vessels with the Park’s fleet are used on a limited basis. Upgrading and replacing Ranger III is considered as well as outsourcing specific actives and changing the operations of some activities such as waste disposal. The park has already begun to add solar energy systems to reduce the need to transport fuel for electricity.

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• Record URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/12179
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Cover date: February 17, 2015.
• Corporate Authors:

  Research and Innovative Technology Administration

  Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, 55 Broadway
  Cambridge, MA  United States  02142

  National Park Service

  Midwest Region
  601 Riverfront Drive
  Omaha, NE  United States  68102-4226
• Authors:
  • Fisher, Frances
  • Mannheim, Dan
  • Pray, Bob
  • Lamoureux, Katie
  • Carter, Peter
  • Bettisworth, Caitlin
• Publication Date: 2015-4-2

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Appendices; Figures; Maps; Photos; Tables;
• Pagination: 225p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alternatives analysis; National parks; Ships; Transportation planning; Water transportation
• Geographic Terms: Isle Royale National Park
• Subject Areas: Marine Transportation; Planning and Forecasting; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01564450
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: DOT-VNTSC-NPS-15-02, 139/128344, PMIS No. 91108
• Contract Numbers: P13PG00312
• Files: NTL, TRIS, RITA, ATRI, USDOT
• Created Date: May 26 2015 4:06PM