BWCA Best Day of week to start a trip? Boundary Waters Trip Planning Forum
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foxfireniner
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08/16/2018 02:35PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
My thinking is that people will take M-F off to give them 9 days in a row with the weekends bookending the week.

That would make Saturday a car travel day and Sunday the first day in BWCA.

If I had my vehicle day on Friday, would that be better?
 
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inspector13
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08/16/2018 03:03PM  

Not necessarily. Unfortunately, it appears Friday has become the new Saturday as far as a travel day goes in Minnesota. Just last Friday it took nearly 5 hours to get to my place 50 miles short of Ely, when it usually takes 3 hours without traffic. Mid week (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) seems to be lighter when it comes to BWCAW entry. There once was a thread about that very thing here somewhere on this website.

08/16/2018 05:15PM  
Friday can be brutal headed up I-35. However, I've found if you just get on the road at the crack of dawn, it's quick and easy on any day.
08/16/2018 09:23PM  
I would think Tuesday or Wednesday would be best. I know not to try to eat or shop in Ely or Grand Marais on a Saturday or Sunday that's for sure. During peak months that is.
old_salt
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08/16/2018 09:30PM  
Today or possibly tomorrow.
mellkat
Guest Paddler
  
08/17/2018 12:37AM  
before planning trip you must go through this guide on bag packing
bwcasolo
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08/17/2018 05:16AM  
any day in my book. it's vacation.
Jackfish
Moderator
  
08/17/2018 07:41AM  
old_salt: "Today or possibly tomorrow."

+1... I knew someone would already have posted my answer.
08/17/2018 08:56AM  
Any day that ends in "Y". I don't have the liberty to be picky. I have my allotted time and I go to maximize my days. If I get stuck during a "busier" time frame, I pick a less busy e.p. and I put some portages behind me to get away.
08/17/2018 05:35PM  
I usually enter during the week, but Fri or Sat would be least desirable I think.
carmike
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08/18/2018 10:56PM  
Better for what....avoiding traffic on the way up or less busy-ness in the BWCA itself?

If you're looking for what days are best to enter, I've seen some folks post data on unused permits. Maybe try a search of the site to see what the data says...or some generous person can link to those prior threads? :)
08/19/2018 08:50AM  
Agree with others that any day you can go it is good and most often that is what dictates a trip, but I think anytime I have started a trip on weekdays it seems less busy. Makes sense, some people are just going to be weekenders and others going for a week are going to try to maximize their days off by going weekend to weekend in my opinion.

Interstate traffic is usually better during the week as well.
T
08/19/2018 05:57PM  
for me, it's whatever day the most permits are available. :)

but then, I usually don't plan too far in advance.
OCDave
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08/19/2018 07:03PM  
On Tuesday in the late evening. I would only paddle in the late evening. Oh, occasionally the early evening, but usually the late evening – or the mid-evening. Just the early evening, midevening and late evening. Occasionally, early afternoon, early midafternoon, or perhaps the late-midafternoon. Oh, sometimes the early-mid-late-early morning. . . . But never at dusk.

- Remember when Steve Martin was really funny?


08/20/2018 10:30AM  
I have been starting trips on Mondays recently. For me that means driving on the weekend, but traffic has not been that bad(All the way from GA). I can usually get a bunkhouse on Sunday night. A lot of folks are exiting on Sunday and few seem to be entering on Monday. I am semi-retired and do not need to use weekend days to extend my trip time.

This year, with a mid-July start, I could have made arrangements for both my bunkhouse and permit at the last minute. I was amazed how light the visitor population was. It was hoppin' 10 days later when I came out.
mjmkjun
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08/21/2018 01:40PM  
after looking at different entry points and in differing seasons I have been surprised at how those 'popular' entry days shift around somewhat.
sometimes the busiest day is a Monday instead of the assumed Friday or Saturday.
you can always check recreation.gov for a particular entry point's total bookings/busy days in the current year. log-in to that site, plug-in specific EP/ specific date.....voila. you can scan back two weeks before and after your target date.


emptynest56
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08/21/2018 04:50PM  
Like to do Sundays to enter. Especially for Mudro or Moose River North entries. Reason being, you will often times meet the basecampers on Agnes or Horse coming out and then their sites are freshly vacated.
08/22/2018 07:57PM  
Wednesday or Thursday if you can swing it schedule-wise. It's a nice mid-week entry time to ensure that crowds are at a minimum at the EPs. Depending on your route, the lakes you choose could also see less traffic but that's highly variable.
 
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