BWCA Meeds Campsites? Boundary Waters Trip Planning Forum
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mashpotatomezzo
member (31)member
  
01/31/2018 11:27AM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
Considering stopping on Meeds during a 5 or 6 day trip starting August 16. I'm not seeing much on PP about any of the campsites. Anyone have pictures, stories, info, etc.? The group will be two adults, a 10 year old, and a 5 year old. How busy does that lake get? Hard to get a site there? Any sites worth staying more than one night on? Thanks so much in advance - the knowledge here is invaluable!
 
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01/31/2018 12:33PM  
We stayed on Meeds in 2014. It was my first night ever in the BWCA. We had the middle island site. From what I had read it seemed like the eastern island site was best, then the middle island site, and the most western site was the worst. The eastern island site was occupied so we took the middle one. I thought it was a nice site. You didn't have a great view of the water but the site was roomy for our two tents.

I don't think it's a very busy lake. The people on the other site were the only ones we saw the short time we were there. We didn't see anyone between Meeds and Omega where we spent our 2nd night. This was August 24th.







inspector13
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01/31/2018 12:42PM  

I’ve have not been there during the busy season, but at the end of last September all three campsites on the lake got taken. The two island campsites seemed best, since they were more elevated. The eastern most site, that we used, would serve your purposes. No pictures.

mashpotatomezzo
member (31)member
  
01/31/2018 12:46PM  
Lovely pictures, tashit. Thanks! Looks like our group could be happy at that site for sure.

Thanks for the insight, inspector13!
inspector13
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01/31/2018 12:54PM  

Seeing pictures of the middle site (it was occupied so we never saw the layout) I do think the eastern site might be better. It had a very good western view.

01/31/2018 02:47PM  
I was with inspector13 and the east site is pretty nice. It's elevated and open to the west - good for sunsets and a good breeze will hold down the mosquitos by the fire area, but a storm from the west will "storm" right into the camp (voice of experience), although there's a tent pad back in the trees that's a little more protected. Although we did not see the other 2 sites, I believe they are lower-lying.

Will you be entering Meeds from Poplar, Caribou, or by way of the Pillsbery-Swallow portages? If the latter, you'll need to know that the portage from Pillsbery to Swallow is located considerably east of where indicated on the map - back in the bay to the east at least 500 yards east of where indicated. We went out the Meeds to Poplar portage, which in addition to its length, is quite rocky with poor footing much of the way and a couple of blowdowns.
mashpotatomezzo
member (31)member
  
01/31/2018 03:41PM  
Thanks for all of the information, boonie! I'm thinking Meeds would be our last stop. We're entering on Lizz, and I'm working on some sort of a loop that stays relatively close to the EP. We would be entering through Pillsbery-Swallow (so thank you for telling me about that portage!) and will exit the way we came in, taking the path through Caribou and Lizz. The long portage doesn't scare me, but the length probably won't go over well with the kiddos. Your information about the footing just solidifies that decision!
01/31/2018 04:05PM  
The east island site is the best. The west island is a nice site but is back in off the water and has bug potential. The west site is the least used and can be overgrown. We got a late start once and launched on Poplar at 3.....got to Meeds at 5 ish. Two island sites were taken but west site was open. It served our purpose. That was mid July.

01/31/2018 05:54PM  
We entered Meeds and went down to Vista for 2 nights, then to Gaskin for a night, then Meeds for the last night. You might want to read inspector13's trip report about it. Not that much traveling - we did a number of day trips from Vista and down to Winchell from Gaskin. There's some climb on the Horseshoe to Gaskin portage, but a good trail and not too bad. We went fro Gaskin to Allen rather than Henson and of course I can't tell you anything about Meeds to Caribou.
mashpotatomezzo
member (31)member
  
02/01/2018 03:07PM  
boonie: "We entered Meeds and went down to Vista for 2 nights, then to Gaskin for a night, then Meeds for the last night. You might want to read inspector13's trip report about it. Not that much traveling - we did a number of day trips from Vista and down to Winchell from Gaskin. There's some climb on the Horseshoe to Gaskin portage, but a good trail and not too bad. We went fro Gaskin to Allen rather than Henson and of course I can't tell you anything about Meeds to Caribou. "


I'll get to reading that trip report ASAP, thanks for the recommendation! Just got to finish reading all of Tuscarora's fantastic reports about traveling with kiddos.

Last summer my husband and I did the Horseshoe to Gaskin portage. As a first-timer to the BWCA I was dreading it and didn't know what to expect. Aside from the bit of climbing, I was happy to find it really wasn't that bad!

Thanks for the pictures of the west site, cowdoc!
willfess
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02/01/2018 07:18PM  
Pics of the east site from last Sep.
 
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