Boundary Waters, Message Board, Forum, BWCA, BWCAW, Quetico Park
Chat Rooms (0 Chatting)  |  Search  |   Login/Join
* For the benefit of the community, commercial posting is not allowed.
 Boundary Waters Quetico Forum
    Trip Planning Forum
       Your favorite
          Reply
Date/Time: 05/08/2024 04:32PM
Your favorite

* Help stop spam. Please enter the lake name you see over the flying moose.

  

Previous Messages:
Author Message Text
egknuti 07/06/2017 06:22PM
quote Skarc75: "Hey all,


I've made 8-12 BWCA trips in my life. They've always been peaceful and quiet, however, I'm in search of the most solitude I can find within the BWCA...


Where can I venture out of Ely in order to find the best chance for quiet and solitude? - No faint motor noises, sparsely traveled, low traffic portages; that's what I'm looking for!
Where are your best "off the beaten path" areas/lakes?


Thanks!"

I enjoy going to Bog Lake for day trips. Usually I have the whole lake to myself.
jwartman59 07/02/2017 07:37PM
The little fork river, just west of the bwca, is very wild.
AdamXChicago 07/02/2017 05:14PM
quote moosedoggie: "quote Skarc75: "quote Jackfish: "Not trying to be a smart aleck, but I consider Quetico off the beaten path. Anywhere I can go without seeing very many, if any, people, is off the beaten path enough for me."
I completely understand! I've never ventured into the Quetico, however I am very interested. Where should I start as a beginner? "




You might look at Buckingham Lake"

Just came back from Buckingham last week. Did eight days going from Nym>Pickerel>Buckingham>French. Saw a total of six canoes the entire time (none the first three days). Interestingly, the first canoe we saw was on Buckingham!
AdamX
TomT 07/02/2017 03:06PM
You could go through prairie portage into Kahshahpiwi. Then about mid lake going north exit west to Irene Lake. Solitude abounds then continue west through the Tuck River to McIntyre then down and out.
moosedoggie 07/01/2017 05:21AM
quote QueticoMike: "quote mapsguy1955: "Howard Lakes in Quetico... Moosy and off the beaten path. You might have to bushwhack a campsite though... "



Where is Howard Lakes located? Are there more than one lake since you mention lakes?"



They're off of Rawn Narrows. Head east about 3/4 of the way down.
overthehill 06/30/2017 08:06AM
My experience is limited, but within the bwca the pma sundial was our least visited place.
QueticoMike 06/30/2017 07:25AM
quote mapsguy1955: "Howard Lakes in Quetico... Moosy and off the beaten path. You might have to bushwhack a campsite though... "


Where is Howard Lakes located? Are there more than one lake since you mention lakes?
mapsguy1955 06/29/2017 09:06AM
Howard Lakes in Quetico... Moosy and off the beaten path. You might have to bushwhack a campsite though...
Ohiopikeman 06/28/2017 07:21PM
I would guess that any of the primitive management areas (PMA's) would give you the seclusion that you seek.


I went into the Tick Lake PMA with my boys back in 2012 and spend 4 days on Jackfish Lake without seeing or hearing any other people. We saw plenty of bald eagles and even heard some howling wolves in the evening.


The northern pike fishing was excellent for numbers, but we did not find any size. It was easy to catch 20~30 pike each in a day, but in 4 days of hard fishing I think that we only had a couple of pike that surpassed 5 lbs (most were 2~3 lbs).


Once we exited to Crooked Lake, we did catch some very nice sized pike & bass, but it was back to seeing lots of groups of people and working to find an empty campsite.


Dave


moosedoggie 06/28/2017 03:35PM
quote Skarc75: "quote Jackfish: "Not trying to be a smart aleck, but I consider Quetico off the beaten path. Anywhere I can go without seeing very many, if any, people, is off the beaten path enough for me."
I completely understand! I've never ventured into the Quetico, however I am very interested. Where should I start as a beginner? "



You might look at Buckingham Lake
Jackfish 06/28/2017 03:35PM
quote Skarc75: "I've never ventured into the Quetico, however I am very interested. Where should I start as a beginner? "
The northern entry points (Beaverhouse, Stanton Bay, Nym, French Lake) are less busy than the southern entry points, but entering at, say, Prairie Portage gets you to places that would be a long paddle from the north.


So not to hijack this thread, I suggest asking your question in the Quetico forum. There are lots of Q vets here.
bwcadan 06/28/2017 02:32PM
Use mostly dead end portages to a given lake. Ella Hall off the Fall Lake is about as lonely as it gets within a short distance form Ely. No through traffic. You would probably need to base camp.
Skarc75 06/28/2017 02:16PM
quote Jackfish: "Not trying to be a smart aleck, but I consider Quetico off the beaten path. Anywhere I can go without seeing very many, if any, people, is off the beaten path enough for me."
I completely understand! I've never ventured into the Quetico, however I am very interested. Where should I start as a beginner?
syogod 06/28/2017 01:52PM
It's been about 10 years, but I found a lot of seclusion on the chain between River Lake and Little Saganaga. Definitely had a very Quetico feel to it.
Jackfish 06/28/2017 01:28PM
Not trying to be a smart aleck, but I consider Quetico off the beaten path. Anywhere I can go without seeing very many, if any, people, is off the beaten path enough for me.
Grandma L 06/28/2017 01:06PM
You might look at entry at Little Indian Sioux River North - then up to Loon and the smaller lakes on the "inside loop" between Loon and LLC - Coleman Island, Fish Stake Narrows. Check out the PMA "Weene Lake PMA"

Or head over to Adams and Boulder - enter either Snowbank or Lake One - head east through Alice and northeast along the Kawishiwi River into Adams and Boulder. Then on to Cap, Roe and into Raven (PMA).
Skarc75 06/28/2017 12:02PM
Hey all,

I've made 8-12 BWCA trips in my life. They've always been peaceful and quiet, however, I'm in search of the most solitude I can find within the BWCA...

Where can I venture out of Ely in order to find the best chance for quiet and solitude? - No faint motor noises, sparsely traveled, low traffic portages; that's what I'm looking for!
Where are your best "off the beaten path" areas/lakes?

Thanks!