Boundary Waters Trip Reports, Blog, BWCA, BWCAW, Quetico Park

BWCA Entry Point, Route, and Trip Report Blog

March 19 2024

Entry Point 16 - Moose/Portage River (North of Echo Trail)

Moose/Portage River (north) entry point allows overnight paddle only. This entry point is supported by La Croix Ranger Station near the city of Ely, MN. The distance from ranger station to entry point is 27 miles. Access is a 160-rod portage heading North from the Echo Trail.

Number of Permits per Day: 5
Elevation: 1348 feet
Latitude: 48.1230
Longitude: -92.0991
A favorite route offering many trip options and memorable things to see including;

World Class fishing for all four BWCA Species
Pictographs
Soaring granite hills and cliffs
Small lakes
Small rivers
Tumbling rapids and waterfalls
Wildlife, including Moose
Vistas from high points across the region if you're willing to climb. Rating Easy to Moderate. Day One. Get to EP16 off of the Echo Trail early. The initial portage is long, but well worn and smooth, sloping gently downgrade to the launch area. Load your canoe and head North. You'll be paddling with the slight current on this narrow winding river. The water is clear and make sure to tell the bowperson to watch for looming rocks!

Wolf sighting between Oyster and Hustler

by Slough
Trip Report

Entry Date: September 12, 2016
Entry Point: Moose/Portage River (north)
Number of Days: 5
Group Size: 2

Trip Introduction:
We met a couple of paddlers, Eric and Ron from Cleveland, who had a wolf experience.

Report


On our recent trip we came across another pair of paddlers who told us that a single wolf had followed them on the last part, maybe 75 rods, of the portage from Hustler to Oyster Lake. They said the wolf was not easily warned off. It followed them to the end of the portage, and howled from the shore after they had put their canoe in the water and shoved off into the lake.

Because half their gear was still at the other end of the portage we joined them in the walk back, assuming four humans would be more daunting to a wolf than a pair. On the walk we did see a couple of wolf tracks but did not see a wolf so that was the end of the adventure.

The night before we had heard a wolf howling from our campsite on Oyster. It was a single wolf, not the howling of a pack we've heard in the past. That next morning I heard the single wolf howl again and thought it had moved in the direction of the Hustler portage so it may have been the same animal.

Oh, we had a great trip. No bugs, good weather and the portages for as far as we went were smooth and easy enough.

There were a few too many people for our tastes. The camp sights on Lake Agnes were reportedly all full on Tuesday night. We're thinking about moving our annual fall trip from the second week of September to the third week.

 


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