BWCA Hog creek Boundary Waters Trip Planning Forum
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Grizzlyman
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01/27/2018 10:22AM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
Taking 4 yr old this yr. I hear good things about hog creek/ perent with kids. Any thoughts on this trip for 3 days?

Thanks in advance.
 
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TuscaroraBorealis
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01/27/2018 11:36AM  
I have not been that way since before the fire but, paddling those tiny, intimate, little creeks always peaks the anticipation before finally reaching the lake (especially for kids). We were able to walk the canoe down the rapids.

Scenic lake with good fishing.
mjmkjun
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01/27/2018 01:12PM  
You will love the twisty creek--which likes canoes with some degree of rocker. 3 or 4 easy beaver dams--two of which you likely can paddle over. The other two you can drag the canoe over 'em. Nice scenic lake with some fine campsites. Watch the wind. Perent lake gets choppy quickly in windy conditions. Not dangerously so; just choppy. Of course, all lakes do so with some wind but Perent seems temperamental. Maybe the depth? Big boulders just below to surface to watch for, as well. Glare blocking sunglasses a must. Very scenic & peaceful. I didn't fish. Last time I paddled there was in 2016.
Sites I liked were 992, 998, 1022, 1023. 998 especially.
01/28/2018 09:33AM  
Great trip for a little one. My wife and I took big duckling there for her first trip at age 5. We stayed at site 998 and loved it. Hog Creek is an adventure and takes longer than you think it's going to. As noted... Perent can get hairy when windy and has lots of those big rocks just under the surface. Walleye cooperated for the little one.

01/28/2018 04:35PM  
Years ago I took my son who was 10 down Hog Creek. We had a Moose walk right in front of us across through the creek. We paddle a Wenonah Jensen 18 which is a straight ahead bullet of a canoe and did just fine. Any canoe will work.
Grizzlyman
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01/28/2018 08:34PM  
Thanks all. Very helpful. I was 99% but these comment just put me over. I think we'll give it a go.
01/29/2018 01:38PM  
Grizzly, we love those small intimate rivers for paddling. We did the Hog Creek entry last May and found it monotonous and less interesting than most of those pretty little rivers. There are stretches that are cool with unique features but all too much of it is the same and frankly, kind of boring. It will take you longer than you think and in our case, it outlasted our interest and enjoyment of it. I've seen it once, now I never need to go back.

Perent Lake is a beautiful lake but we were mostly stuck in camp for a couple days due to the wind. It does get whipped up pretty easily into conditions that you wouldn't want your 4 year old in.

Not trying to say don't go, but I do think there are many more interesting entry points with less monotony and more reward. As small rivers go, Hog creek was just not that fun. With the patience level of a four year old I can imagine he/she will have lost their enthusiasm halfway through.
jbreeggs
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01/30/2018 07:16AM  
Hog Creek... a group of friends went there about 10 years back. We still joke about how grueling an experience that creek was! It was probably cause we thought it would take 30 minutes and it ended up taking a couple of hours! Each turn was like, “are we there yet?!?!!!?” Lol. We won’t be going back anytime soon...
OregonDave
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01/30/2018 02:59PM  
Went down it two years ago..agree with Lindylair it was a bit monotonous...lots of minor beaver obstuctions we could paddle over...going back up might be a bit of a pain. We also got windbound on Perent Lake on the island site on the NE side..with big rollers on both sides.
Grizzlyman
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01/30/2018 10:19PM  
Oh wow. I guess maybe not now? Lol. I'll have to keep looking... :)
LivinGood
  
02/01/2018 08:15PM  
This is slightly off topic, we took our 4yr old out of EP80 Larch Creek and it had a lot of similar qualities to hog creek based on others comments. It went just fine for us. Slow going down the creek, and she barely got out of the canoe at the beaver dams, and we also threw in one of those cheap extendable paddles from Walmart for her to “help” paddle. We just tried to make it fun for her which made the trip a success. You can always ride the shoreline to try and avoid the wind? Anyway I hope you get a chance to enjoy taking your kiddo out! I have seen a number of posts for kid friendly trips on here, so many great folks to give advice and who have tons of experience. Best of luck!
02/02/2018 10:25AM  
Grizzlyman: "Oh wow. I guess maybe not now? Lol. I'll have to keep looking... :)"

Just to throw another monkey wrench. I've seen moose up close both times I travel Hog Creek
RLJ
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02/02/2018 01:26PM  
I think Hog Creek would be an excellent trip with a 4 yr old. Length of creek is long, but avoids big waters until Perent Lake. Perent can get choppy, but you have to deal with that on most lakes. I've been down it twice, once solo and then with 3 grand kids. Nice camp sites around the northern islands and good swimming in mid summer.
mjmkjun
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02/03/2018 05:46AM  
........one S curve after another but a very quaint and easy paddle downstream or upstream. Perent Lake on a clear, sunny, windless day is a glorious sight to behold...especially after that last S curve. :-) The last time I paddled it I was outfitted in a rented Vagabond and wind developed quite a chop while I was playing about on Perent. Handled it easily in that 14 footer (loaded) as long as I kept the nose pointed in the rolls.
 
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