Need some help/advice on a route on the Gunflint Trail. My parents (ages mid 50s-early 60s) are coming up for their first trip and looking for a route that would be "doable". I have experience on Rose, Granite River, Duncan, and Seagull. I'm leaning towards Seagull because of access and places to explore with out portages. Just curious if people have some suggestions. Would be very much open to some new lakes, portages would be ok but shorter preferred. Hoping to create a fun experience for their first time up! Thanks in advance!

You could put in at Seagull, paddle south to portage to Alpine, and from Alpine either a short portage north into Red Rock or shorter portage south in to Jasper.

Lots of campsites to choose from on this route, both on Seagull and the smaller lakes, and the portages aren't bad. You'll see burn areas and non-burn areas, fishing is decent, and a waterfall from Jasper emptying into Alpine,

EP#47 Lizz & Swamp. A couple of moderate-easy portages and several lake choices - Caribou, Horseshoe, Gaskin, Vista, Winchell. Many campsite choices.

East Bearskin, EP #64 offers short easy portages all the way out to Pierz or Crystal through Alder or Canoe.

quote Griffner21: "Need some help/advise on a route on the Gunflint Trail. My parents (ages mid 50's-early 60's) are coming up for their first trip and looking for a route that would be "doable". I have experience on Rose, Granite River, Duncan, and Seagull. I'm leaning towards Seagull because of access and places to explore with out portages. Just curious if people have some suggestions. Would be very much open to some new lakes, portages would be ok but shorter preferred. Hoping to create a fun experience for their first time up! Thanks in advance!"

One thing to consider with Seagull is that it is a real monster of a lake in windy conditions. If it's very windy when you enter, and if your parents aren't experienced paddlers, you may be confined to the islands on north end of the lake, since you have to cross the big basin to reach the portage to Alpine.

The northern part of Seagull is really beautiful, but it has the downside of sometimes being within earshot of the very fast and loud motorboats that traverse the non-wilderness portions of the lake if the wind is coming from the north or northeast.

Thanks for the input! I have been eyeing that area for some time. How are the campsites on Red Rock and Jasper for a group of 6?

quote Griffner21: "Thanks for the input! I have been eyeing that area for some time. How are the campsites on Red Rock and Jasper for a group of 6?"

I haven't been on Red Rock, but Jasper is completely surrounded by forest that burned about 10 years ago and is just now coming back. It's beautiful in its own way, but it lacks shade, strong trees to hang food packs, and the standard forest beauty that most people come to the area to find. For people on their first trip to the BWCA, you might consider camping in an area with fuller forest.

Only the very south end of Red Rock is in a burn area, the other 80% was untouched.

We camped at site #407, about half way down the lake on the Western side, this was nice site, easily supports 3 tents, easy enough landing and nice rock ledge from which to fish from shore, from which fishing was good.

We also had lunch at campsite #410, first one down on the East side, at the entrance to a bay. Site was very nice, caught a few northerns in the bay.

Another spot to consider is EP 51 - my parents went there several years ago, and just stayed on Missing Link. There's 1 portage from Round that's marked as 140 rods on my map. That may be simpler than what you're looking for, though.

quote johndku: "Only the very south end of Red Rock is in a burn area, the other 80% was untouched.


We camped at site #407, about half way down the lake on the Western side, this was nice site, easily supports 3 tents, easy enough landing and nice rock ledge from which to fish from shore, from which fishing was good.


We also had lunch at campsite #410, first one down on the East side, at the entrance to a bay. Site was very nice, caught a few northerns in the bay."

That area is looking really nice. Also the amount of campsite is a real plus. Thanks for the input!

quote kajsa: "Another spot to consider is EP 51 - my parents went there several years ago, and just stayed on Missing Link. There's 1 portage from Round that's marked as 140 rods on my map. That may be simpler than what you're looking for, though."

I was looking at that entry point for a future trip to Snipe Lake. I don't mind the portaging, and actually prefer it to get some distance from entry points. Thanks for the input!

it's a nasty 140 though.....