Oct. 24, 2008

Congratulations to Joon Kim of Chicago. His sunset photo from Michigan’s Isle Royale National Park received the most votes from msnbc.com readers in our “It’s a Snap” photo contest.

Joon snapped his winning photograph in September while visiting the remote Isle Royale on Lake Superior. The national park is only accessible by boat or seaplane and is known for its primitive wilderness.

If you’re looking to visit the remote archipelago, Kim suggests you hop a ferry in Copper Harbor, Mich., and take a three-hour boat ride. The park is situated just south of the Canadian border.

The ferry docks at a small village with resorts built in the 1920s. The park is all trails and remote campsites. “Take what you need,” Kim advises. “You’re on your own.”

“Unlike other national parks, when you’re there, you better have what you need.”

In other words, pack your thermals and your sleeping bag because you won’t find a sporting goods store anywhere nearby.

Oh — and you might not want to visit Isle Royale if you don’t enjoy your solitude. Kim and his friend encountered occasional campers and hikers, but “95 percent of the time it was just us and moose.”