BWCA Granite River Route Queries (mag - sag) Boundary Waters Trip Planning Forum
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
       Granite River Route Queries (mag - sag)     
 Forum Sponsor

Author

Text

04/13/2018 04:58PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
Eight of us are heading up the Granite River for 5 days in July. It's a new route for everyone and as we are a large group we're trying to plan strategically.

We'd like to keep the experience as remote as possible - does this mean avoiding setting up camp on Sag Lake due to motor traffic?

As a follow up, how long (time) of a paddle is it from Sag Falls to EP 55, where we'll be taking out? Wondering if it's possible to make it from a site on Maraboef to our take out in one push. For reference, half of our group have made a few BWCA trips, half are newbies.

Any other tips, must-sees, etc. along the route would be much appreciated!
 
Reply    Reply with Quote    Print Top Bottom Previous Next
04/13/2018 06:16PM  
If you park at Voyageurs outfitter, you can take out early without having to paddle back to entry 55 saving an hour or 45 mins. The last time I paddled from Sag (Horseshoe Island) down that far and it took my family about 1 1/2 to 2 hours to get down there (we paddled slow). From your last portage into Sag off of Granite at Sag Falls, you have about 2.2 miles to Horseshoe. That's another hour at a very relaxed rate.

It's certainly do-able if that's your schedule. Weather might be the only constraint that might slow you down, particularly if wind whips up on Sag.
OtherBob
distinguished member (128)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
04/13/2018 09:02PM  
This route is in no way remote. It's very popular. I even encountered a Canadian college group of 12 canoes; outside the Quetico there is no limit on the Canadian side.

On Saganaga you will be on the motor boat corridor. You might see and hear a boat about ever 20 minutes or so in July. Those are outfitters' shuttles and residents of Canadian cabins.
Motorboat anglers will also be seen and heard there.

From the campsites on Maraboeuf to whatever landing you exit Saganaga at, it is about 10 or 11miles and 2 portages. You should plan on at least 6 hours of travel. Waves on Sag can get big, so that's a factor, although Sag was like glass the last time I did this route. Beautiful.

The Granite River route is very scenic and you have plenty of time with 5 days to cover it.
Enjoy.
JATFOMike
distinguished member (366)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
04/14/2018 06:41AM  
Definitely not remote, but as previously stated, a very popular route. Single portaging, I know people who have run the whole route in 1 day from Gunflint lake to Sag. Again, as previously stated, it is a very scenic route with lots of opportunity for blueberry picking during the right time of year. It is also good fishing......Some great swimming holes and depending on water levels some nice runnable rapids.....The wild card is travel across Sag.....some people elect for a tow to/from the falls for that reason......The last time I traveled that route 3 years ago, we planned for an early morning departure across Sag before the wind picked up and it was like glass!

Mike
04/14/2018 08:09AM  
About a 2.5 hour paddle from Sag Falls to EP 55 on a normal day. However, Sag can be tough. I did this route a couple years ago and got picked up at Sag Falls and towed back to the EP. We got lucky, we would not have been able to paddle Sag that day due to the wind and waves.

Just a recommendation, 5 days is a long time for that route, unless your planning on basecamping/fishing, etc.. It's easily doable in 2, my 9 year old and I did in 3 days, triple portaging, at a very leisurely pace.


04/14/2018 10:16AM  
Thanks, Everyone!

Understand that it is a popular route, that's why I'm thinking about sticking south of Sag Falls for the majority of our trip (and to avoid motor traffic). Although with conditions on Sag being so unpredictable, it may be wise to camp there on our last night to get us a bit closer to EP 55.

Definitely planning on basecamping and fishing, finding those swimming holes, and doing some leisurely day paddling.

Appreciate all the input so far.
Jackfish
Moderator
  
04/14/2018 10:47AM  
My son and I did this route two Septembers ago and we paddled from Maraboeuf to the EP55 boat landing in roughly half a day. We had intended to camp on an island a half hour or so north of the landing, but the preferred campsite was full. We had lunch at the other campsite and just paddled the rest of the way in. I'm thinking from Sag Falls to EP55, it would be a couple hours. Maybe 2-1/2. Depends on wind, waves, etc. We had decent paddling the day we did it.

As a point of reference, we left our campsite on Maraboeuf around 9:00am and got to the landing around 1:30, including a stop for lunch. Pretty easy on good water.
TuscaroraBorealis
distinguished member(5665)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberpower member
  
04/14/2018 05:32PM  
Here's the trip report from our adventure there a few years back.
04/14/2018 06:45PM  
Thanks, Jackfish - this was just the info I was looking for!

TuscaroraBorealis - Thanks very much for sharing - looks like you had an absolutely beautiful trip!
04/15/2018 08:49AM  
While it's well travelled, it is a beautiful route! I've seen a bear or moose (early morning) each of the several times I've been on this route. Couple thoughts and ideas:
1. Island site on Gneiss at the bottom of the falls is great. Also, walleye tend to sit at the bottom of those falls. You can also catch your fill of rock bass on Gneiss (although they've had parasites in the past...but you can cook those bad boys right out).
2. I've had someone with me once who decided to shoot the rapids going into Gneiss...bad idea. He slept in a wet bag that night.
3. Yes, you can make it from Maraboeuf in one push
4. If you do camp on Sag but want to be a little further from the traffick and motors, consider pulling into the bay where campsite 2023 and 2024 are to stay. Few go in there and you won;t hear any motors or see anyone. Also, you can then take the little used portage into Morris Lake and should kill it on the fishing. Beautiful little lake in there.
We actually did a bush wack from MaraBeouf into Morris and cut out a lot of paddling. Beautiful and secluded...but might not suit the inexperienced in the group. Saw moma and cub bears on Marabeouf.
5. If you've got time to do some fishing there, some of the biggest Walleye I've seen in BWCA got pulled out from bottom of sag falls. Probably be floating around with motor boats if you hang out there though.
04/15/2018 12:01PM  
Thanks a million djwillco! Been eyeing that island site on Gneiss since we booked our permit.
MikeinMpls
distinguished member(1339)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
04/18/2018 09:24AM  
I've done this route at least a dozen times. Can get quite busy. I've made it from Devil's Elbow to the Sag entry point in a day, easily. Did it solo, too. My advice is to camp on Marabeouf the last night, not on Sag. It'll be quieter. Keep in mind, however, that much of this route parallels the Gunflint Trail, so you'll hear motors humming often.

Lemme know if you have other questions. I know the route fairly well.

Mike
BigBearArlich
senior member (65)senior membersenior member
  
04/19/2018 08:46AM  
My group went in EP 80 - Larch Creek last June. Alternate EP to jump onto the Granite River Route. It was amazing, very cool trip, we ended up base camping on Gneiss and fishing. Went for the island site, but it was occupied. Ended up staying at the next site a little further west, through the channel. We didnt end up seeing many other groups, possibly because our site was tucked away around a corner.

Smallmouth fishing was very good, Walleye were... intermittent. I had a monster walleye on that snapped my line.

Through all my research I didnt realize that we were going to be in a burn area, the landscape can be a bit desolate, but still very cool with all the new growth.

Half the group grabbed RABC permits, and a few of us got Ontario fishing licenses, but in hindsite, neither were really necessary. Plenty of good fishing on the US side of the border.

As we got closer to Gneiss, we'd paddle the river, hit some rapids, portage around, rinse and repeat. Until we hit one rapids where there was no portage. It was a little dicey but we all floated through unscathed. So the next time we hit some rapids, even though there was an obvious portage around, one of the canoes decided that since we made it through on the last one, they decided to paddle though. Meanwhile me and my canoe partner completed the portage, and paddled up to watch the others come through the rapids. We waited and waited, and didnt see them. But then... we saw a paddle floating down. Turns out they got clotheslined by a tree that fell across the river, and flipped their canoe. 3 iphones died that day. Luckily nobody got hurt.

On the way out a few days later we hit some monster winds on Clove lake which made for one of the hardest paddles Ive ever had in my many years of canoe trips.

Shoot me and email if you have any specific questions about the route we took.
MikeinMpls
distinguished member(1339)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
04/19/2018 03:32PM  
BigBearArlich: "My group went in EP 80 - Larch Creek last June. Alternate EP to jump onto the Granite River Route. It was amazing, very cool trip, we ended up base camping on Gneiss and fishing. Went for the island site, but it was occupied. Ended up staying at the next site a little further west, through the channel. We didnt end up seeing many other groups, possibly because our site was tucked away around a corner.


Smallmouth fishing was very good, Walleye were... intermittent. I had a monster walleye on that snapped my line.


Through all my research I didnt realize that we were going to be in a burn area, the landscape can be a bit desolate, but still very cool with all the new growth.


Half the group grabbed RABC permits, and a few of us got Ontario fishing licenses, but in hindsite, neither were really necessary. Plenty of good fishing on the US side of the border.


As we got closer to Gneiss, we'd paddle the river, hit some rapids, portage around, rinse and repeat. Until we hit one rapids where there was no portage. It was a little dicey but we all floated through unscathed. So the next time we hit some rapids, even though there was an obvious portage around, one of the canoes decided that since we made it through on the last one, they decided to paddle though. Meanwhile me and my canoe partner completed the portage, and paddled up to watch the others come through the rapids. We waited and waited, and didnt see them. But then... we saw a paddle floating down. Turns out they got clotheslined by a tree that fell across the river, and flipped their canoe. 3 iphones died that day. Luckily nobody got hurt.


On the way out a few days later we hit some monster winds on Clove lake which made for one of the hardest paddles Ive ever had in my many years of canoe trips.


Shoot me and email if you have any specific questions about the route we took."



This is a good short cut, though many of the portages on the Pine River (the river right out of Magnetic Lake is the Pine, the Granite River starts later) are around beautiful waterfalls with pools good for fishing. I've swam here, too. Nice place for a swim if the season is right.

Mike
 
Reply    Reply with Quote    Print Top Bottom Previous Next
Trip Planning Sponsor:
True North Map Company