Harry Island Hilton

Located on Harry island, just north of Battle Island Light Station.

The Harry Island Hilton falls under the same category as places like location #5239, Bowman Island Fish Camp. It was started as a fisheries camp over 100 years ago, and has since been rebuilt by locals and others who frequent Lake Superior. Take into consideration the amount of effort involved in hauling all that material out there to build this place. The counters, the tin roof, tables, chairs, BBQ's, lumber. It's incredible.

I did an overnight kayak trip to Battle Island and a group of kayakers from Iowa whom I was speaking with before departing Rossport told me about this place so I figured I would give it a quick look. There are tons of places like this on Superior, they serve as safe haven for many boaters and paddlers that get caught up in the sudden storms that the big lake is famous for. Bowman Island fish camp is another. The government of Canada is moving toward destroying these places due to liability. The nearby Slate Islands have a number of old camps like this standing and are maintained by the strangers who happen upon them and by the locals who know how valuable they really are. As I said, they have served as safe havens for countless people over the years. Some utilize them as hunting camps, others spot them on their way by and decide to take up shelter under a roof instead of in a tent. It's sad to see our government taking them down because we live in a society that will file a law suit if they step on a nail. Personally, I'd take my chances with the nail over being stuck in the elements of one of the storms that Superior kicks up.