are the  lake superior slate islands inhabited
But it’s now or never. This is our last morning on the Slate Islands and I’m keen to make the most of it, camera in hand. We are about five miles off the coast of mainland Ontario, camping on the rocky, forested islets that make up the Slate Islands archipelago on Lake Superior. A trip to the majestic Slate Islands in Terrace Bay was in the cards, but the one thing we couldn't have planned for was everything falling into place to make it the perfect trip. Lake Superior was like glass as we sit eagerly in the charter boat during the 20 minute ride to what locals simply refer to as the Slates. Slate Islands (Ontario) The Slate Islands archipelago is formed of two main islands, five minor islands and numerous islets located in northern Lake Superior, 10 kilometres (6 mi) south of the town of Terrace Bay. The islands were created by a meteorite impact which formed a crater about 32 km (20 mi) wide. Our expert guide tours us around one side of the islands to dock on the Southern side of Patterson Island. From there we take a light hike up to Lake Superior’s tallest lighthouse at 224 feet above sea level. The view is amazing and provides for an awe-inspiring panorama of the rest of the islands and Lake Superior. Lake Superior: Rabbit Island for artists. This small island once belonged to a Swedish fisherman but was recently purchased by New Yorker, Rob Gorski, and turned into a thriving artists’ colony. Gorski, an emergency room doctor, found the island on CraigsList. Rocky Refuge: Ontario’s Slate Islands. The Ontario government established the Slate Islands as a natural environment provincial park in 1985. It’s early in the morning when I hear a soft tap on my tent. “Let’s go,” Brendan, my kayaking guide, whispers. The Slate Islands are home to Ontario’s largest herd of boreal woodland caribou. (Photograph by Paul Steyn) It was during a cold winter in the early 1900s that a herd of caribou was spotted making its way across a frozen Lake Superior to the islands. The islands span fifty miles from the lake into the river, with dozens of waterfront towns (and even some cities) and restaurants. The Thousand Islands have a rich history – they were a battleground for the War of 1812, an early 1900s playground for the rich and famous, and have always been a hub of maritime activity. The Great Lakes comprise the largest body of fresh water on the planet and more than 35,000 islands are found in the water system. Not all are inhabited and some aren’t much more than a single rock jutting out of the lake with a lighthouse on it – but the inhabited ones provide the perfect opportunity for a weekend getaway. The Slate Islands Lighthouse. Our day is coming to an end and the only wildlife we have seen so far is an adventurous rabbit at lunch. However, before our disappointment can take hold, we come around a corner and our jaws drop at seeing not 1, 2, or 3, but 4 of the island’s caribou, playing and grazing in the grass.
Yes, there are inhabited in lake superior slate islands.