Hello everyone. I just discovered this site, and it’s very impressive—lots of helpful members!

I need advice. I’ve taken many BWCA trips years ago, but someone else always planned them. Never needed to plan my own. Now, I want to take my grown kids and grandsons on an easy BWCA trip to introduce them to the amazing wilderness there.

Here’s what I need help with. I’d like advice on a good short route;
maximum two nights camping. Easy, non-grueling portages, camping hopefully on a secluded lake that should be easy to find a campsite on. The plan is for my wife and I to take a test trip in early June on that route, same short length, so we can be well prepared for the next trip later in late July with the adult kids and grandkids who have never been to the BWCA.

…And you know, if it was in an area frequented by moose, so much the better!
Other than me, no one in the group will be experienced, strong paddlers, (nor portagers!) so five miles across a big lake is probably not a good idea, since the weather could go south on us and I don’t want anyone to freak out. Small lakes, easy portages, plentiful campsites, and a short route. Am I asking too much?

Any advice on routes that would work for us?

Well, you are asking quite a bit.....seclusion and easy route are not all that compatible. Still, you might be able to find that on the Homer entry. No guarantee of seclusion, but if you portage in to Pipe you might get that. There's only 3 campsites, and it's a dead end lake so less frequented.

And if the campsites on Homer itself are open, you could just stay there and paddle around and explore, or portage into Vern.

Yes. All those requests are tough to find in one entry point. Easy portages usually means that everyone wants to go there.

Here are a couple of options:

Focusing on your request to see moose:
Entry 47 - Lizz Lake. Portages here are mostly flat and not terribly long. You are headed for Horseshoe Lake. I have seen moose here 2 of the 3 times through. There are good options for day trips (e.g. Winchell Lake to climb to the top of the cliffs or find the waterfall on the south shore.)

Entry 39 - Baker Lake
This part of the Temperance River watershed. Long narrow lakes and easy portages bring you to Jack or Weird Lakes. Good moose viewing chances. Not a lot of day trip options though. Run up to South Temperance for an iconic BW Lake scenery and fishing.

Entry 51 (Missing Link) or 50 (Cross Bay Lake)
This short loop will take you through a pretty section of the BW. Snipe Lake has an ancient feel and Cross Bay Lake has good fishing prospects. Not much for day trips on this route either. A couple more lengthy and challenging portages between Round Lake and Snipe Lakes though. The entry points are about a quarter mile apart and Tuscarora Outfitters is a great place to work with for Bunkhouse and parking.

Another option for you would be to stay at an FS campground and just do day trips into the wilderness. Sawbill Campground would make a great spot for just that sort of adventure. You could paddle the Kelso Lake Loop one day (visit the Viking dolmen!). Run over to Baker Lake and either go up to Jack Lake (visit the abandoned gold mine.) and/or paddle your way back to Sawbill Lake. Then you could run over to Kawishiwi Lake and paddle the river all the way to Kawasachong Lake and back. Passing through the Pagami Creek Fire area will give its own lesson in the benefits of fire to the ecology of the BW. This option eliminates most of the big water risk and also gives you an out for wet weather (drive to Grand Marais for shopping and pizza!)

Hope you find the trip you are looking for.

Welcome to the board, LMS! And welcome back to the BWCA! I hope you and your family have an awesome trip. :)

I agree with Baker and Lizz as great options given your criteria. My longer trip into Lizz was perfect in so many ways including seclusion, moose, and fishing. Baker ended up being a shortened trip but has most of what you are looking for.

While I haven't been to EP 66 - Crocodile River yet, I have read a lot about it. It's a single portage into a dead-end lake. You are taking a little bit of a risk that you might end up without a site but from what I've learned that doesn't happen very often. Maybe worth a try?

Again, enjoy the planning and hope it all goes well for you!

You'll undoubtedly find more seclusion if you can plan your trips for weekdays! While it isn't the "wilderness" I like Michwall's suggestion of finding someplace in the greater national forest. Instead of a fee campground I would look for a backcountry site or rustic campground in the Tofte District. Distractions in Ely, Grand Marais or on Gunflint Trail can really weigh on a short vacation, you can avoid most of that going to Tofte plus it feels more like the 'end of the road' even though it's probably a shorter drive for you. I like the Timber/Frear and Hogback/Scarp area but will also suggest backcountry sites at Silver Island, Windy, Crescent and Lichen lakes.

I definitely second the idea of a Homer Lake entry and stay on Vern, Juno or Pipe with Homer itself as a possible fallback. Small lakes, extremely short portages, with only a couple daily permits. There aren’t a ton of sites, but even if most are full you’re not going to see much traffic. That is the limiting factor though- with only a few sites it can get full, so the same advice you’ll see for other EPs still holds true- try to be at a site by noon, but that’s very easy at this EP even if you had a mid morning start. The fishing is decent and moose sighting chances are as well.

One of my favorites is Wood Lake. The portage in is around a half mile so it could be longer than what you would like. There are five sites on the lake to choose from and plenty of bays to explore, plus you could day trip to Good, Hula, Indiana, Basswood. I have been there twice and haven't felt like we weren't secluded, although there is a chance you will see some canoes passing by.

Isabella is another easy one. The portage in from the parking lot is fairly flat and wide. The lake has many different features to it, which I find very cool. Fishing has been great on both of my trips there. There can be some traffic at this lake but there are plenty of bays to explore to get away from others. You can also day trip out both the east and west ends of this lake.

I have never seen a moose while in the bwca so I can not help you there.

Welcome to bwca.com!

I'd recommend the Island/Isabella River region. Good area for moose too.

Here's a couple of trip reports that showcase the areas in question.

Island River

Little Isabella River

You could also just camp on Isabella Lake (one very easy portage) and then explore the rivers from there. Also, Pow Wow hiking trail is right there.

dogwoodgirl: "Well, you are asking quite a bit.....seclusion and easy route are not all that compatible. Still, you might be able to find that on the Homer entry. No guarantee of seclusion, but if you portage in to Pipe you might get that. There's only 3 campsites, and it's a dead end lake so less frequented. And if the campsites on Homer itself are open, you could just stay there and paddle around and explore, or portage into Vern."

I strongly agree with dogwoodgirl. Homer is a great entry point for an easygoing trip. The dead end nature of this entry point will keep it less busy and Homer is a great fallback lake. I recommend using Rockwood Lodge & Outfitters for this trip as they have bathrooms in all of the bunkhouses. You’ll have a great trip!

Good input. Thanks!

Wow, very comprehensive reply. Thank you!

TuscaroraBorealis: "Welcome to bwca.com!

I'd recommend the Island/Isabella River region. Good area for moose too.

Here's a couple of trip reports that showcase the areas in question.
You could also just camp on Isabella Lake (one very easy portage) and then explore the rivers from there. Also, Pow Wow hiking trail is right there."

Thank you for the input. My concern with any rivers in June, is that I might find that route is not a wise/passable route due to early season water flow, and then I’ve toasted my permit and my dry run opportunity. But— I’ll keep that route in mind for a future trip.

Michwall2: "Another option for you would be to stay at an FS campground and just do day trips into the wilderness. Sawbill Campground would make a great spot for just that sort of adventure. You could paddle the Kelso Lake Loop one day (visit the Viking dolmen!). Run over to Baker Lake and either go up to Jack Lake (visit the abandoned gold mine.) and/or paddle your way back to Sawbill Lake. Then you could run over to Kawishiwi Lake and paddle the river all the way to Kawasachong Lake and back. Passing through the Pagami Creek Fire area will give its own lesson in the benefits of fire to the ecology of the BW. This option eliminates most of the big water risk and also gives you an out for wet weather (drive to Grand Marais for shopping and pizza!)

Hope you find the trip you are looking for. "

If you go with this last option, you could also camp on Crescent lake, which is basically across the street from Baker Lake entry, and do day trips. Crescent lake is car camping, but has a Boundary Waters feel. I don't think there are any houses on the lake, its very pretty.

Half of the campsites are first come, first serve. It's designed that way to give people a place to stay the night before they go into the BW. About 50% of the campsites are right on the water. It's a beautiful lake, and as Michwall said, you could daytrip Baker, Sawbill, Kawishiwi, Brule, they are all relatively close to there.

My first thoughts were Baker and Homer as mentioned. Lizz Lake is great too but you are unlikely to find much seclusion on Horseshoe or thereabouts.

I am partial to Homer, one of my favorite areas because of the ease of entry and relative seclusion because of the limited number of campsites and not much for route options. It also offers some good daytrip options including the Vern River and in our experience, good fishing. Between Pipe Lake, Vern Lake and Juno Lake there are 8 campsites available, all decent to good, and as mentioned again, the fallback sites on Homer Lake. The furthest west site on Homer is in the BWCA but the two you will pass on your way there are not in the BWCA and don't even require a permit to stay - if they are open. I have been to the Homer/Vern area 3 times and have never seen many people and there have always been open campsites - but that is obviously not a guarantee. We have been able to get our desired site on Vern on both of our recent trips and the other one was empty both times as well.

If you are interested here is a trip report from a July trip several years ago:

Homer to Vern

Let us know what you decide, ask away if there are more questions and have a great trip!

Does your budget allow for a tow from an outfitter?

My initial answer is yes, you are asking too much. The only thing missing from your list is great fishing. Do not go on a trip wanting it to be perfect. Route planning is always about tradeoffs. Which are you willing to make? What is the most important? As someone who took out groups, THE main concern should always be your party. What can they handle, not on a good day, but on a bad day where the rain is falling in sheets and the wind is howling, because that can and will happen even on smaller lakes. I am not as familiar with the Gunflint/Grand Marais area sites, but would second the idea of putting in at Wood. There are some nice lakes there that will allow you to modify your route depending on conditions. I also have a friend who is 79 and partially disabled and he loves Snowbank Disappointment. The suggestions about dead-end lakes are interesting, but a dead end is a dead end. If the sites are occupied or don't meet what you want you are stuck. I also would recommend contacting an outfitter for advice. They have experience dealing with a broad range of clients and are up-to-date on conditions. It is money well spent. You don't say how old your kids are, but make them part of your planning and think about specific activities for them.

Project managers are often quoted as saying "Speed, cost, quality. You can't have all three, so only pick two." Perhaps with BWCA/Q trips it's "Easy access, solitude, great fishing. You can't have all three, so just pick two."

TZ

sns: "Does your budget allow for a tow from an outfitter?"

Possibly. But it appears that outfitter cabins require a 2-3 night minimum, which bumps up the trip cost a lot, and is really impractical. So while the cost of a tow is possible, that’s sort of the least of my challenges right now.

TrailZen: "Project managers are often quoted as saying "Speed, cost, quality. You can't have all three, so only pick two." Perhaps with BWCA/Q trips it's "Easy access, solitude, great fishing. You can't have all three, so just pick two."


TZ"

Correct. Easy access is within our control, solitude might be within our control, fishing is not. So I’m going for the first two.

Z4K: "You'll undoubtedly find more seclusion if you can plan your trips for weekdays! While it isn't the "wilderness" I like Michwall's suggestion of finding someplace in the greater national forest. Instead of a fee campground I would look for a backcountry site or rustic campground in the Tofte District. Distractions in Ely, Grand Marais or on Gunflint Trail can really weigh on a short vacation, you can avoid most of that going to Tofte plus it feels more like the 'end of the road' even though it's probably a shorter drive for you. I like the Timber/Frear and Hogback/Scarp area but will also suggest backcountry sites at Silver Island, Windy, Crescent and Lichen lakes. "

Thanks! I will look into those lakes.

Michwall2: "Yes. All those requests are tough to find in one entry point. Easy portages usually means that everyone wants to go there.

Here are a couple of options.

Entry 51 (Missing Link) or 50 (Cross Bay Lake)
This short loop will take you through a pretty section of the BW. Snipe Lake has an ancient feel and Cross Bay Lake has good fishing prospects. Not much for day trips on this route either. A couple more lengthy and challenging portages between Round Lake and Snipe Lakes though. The entry points are about a quarter mile apart and Tuscarora Outfitters is a great place to work with for Bunkhouse and parking.
Hope you find the trip you are looking for.
"

I just checked and learned that Tuscarora Outfitters has a 3-night minimum on their cabins. If this is the norm up there, I can’t figure out how anyone is staging in a cabin the night before their trip…Unless one pays for three nights but only uses one, but that’d be about $350 wasted.

LMS11327: "

Michwall2: "Yes. All those requests are tough to find in one entry point. Easy portages usually means that everyone wants to go there.


Here are a couple of options.


Entry 51 (Missing Link) or 50 (Cross Bay Lake)
This short loop will take you through a pretty section of the BW. Snipe Lake has an ancient feel and Cross Bay Lake has good fishing prospects. Not much for day trips on this route either. A couple more lengthy and challenging portages between Round Lake and Snipe Lakes though. The entry points are about a quarter mile apart and Tuscarora Outfitters is a great place to work with for Bunkhouse and parking.
Hope you find the trip you are looking for.
"

I just checked and learned that Tuscarora Outfitters has a 3-night minimum on their cabins. If this is the norm up there, I can’t figure out how anyone is staging in a cabin the night before their trip…Unless one pays for three nights but only uses one, but that’d be about $350 wasted. "

They have bunkhouses for one night stays.

LMS11327: "

sns: "Does your budget allow for a tow from an outfitter?"

Possibly. But it appears that outfitter cabins require a 2-3 night minimum, which bumps up the trip cost a lot, and is really impractical. So while the cost of a tow is possible, that’s sort of the least of my challenges right now. "

I get get tows several times a year with no overnight at all. I've also overnighted beforehand for a night. Perhaps some outfitters have minimums, but certainly many do not.

A tow can get you deeper in and may help with the other things you are seeking.

Here's the link to Tuscarora's bunkhouse . Looks like $28 a night.

As Ducks mentioned, bunkhouses are different than cabins - bunkhouses are simple, one-night options, and work great for staging the night before a trip. Cabins usually have more amenities and typically require more nights.

Hope you find something that works for you.

ducks: "

LMS11327: "

Michwall2: "Yes. All those requests are tough to find in one entry point. Easy portages usually means that everyone wants to go there.



Here are a couple of options.



Entry 51 (Missing Link) or 50 (Cross Bay Lake)
This short loop will take you through a pretty section of the BW. Snipe Lake has an ancient feel and Cross Bay Lake has good fishing prospects. Not much for day trips on this route either. A couple more lengthy and challenging portages between Round Lake and Snipe Lakes though. The entry points are about a quarter mile apart and Tuscarora Outfitters is a great place to work with for Bunkhouse and parking.
Hope you find the trip you are looking for.
"

I just checked and learned that Tuscarora Outfitters has a 3-night minimum on their cabins. If this is the norm up there, I can’t figure out how anyone is staging in a cabin the night before their trip…Unless one pays for three nights but only uses one, but that’d be about $350 wasted. "

They have bunkhouses for one night stays. "

— I see that on their site now. Thanks for the info!

If you decide to use the Lizz Lake EP 47, I can highly recommend using Rockwood outfitters bunkhouses on Poplar Lake. $20 a night, and each unit has it's own toilet, heater, shower (with towels). EP 47 is right on Poplar Lake, so you could wake up, take a shower, and take off from Rockwood's beach for the entry point. The entry point is an easy paddle of a mile or two.

Rockwood has rental canoes and all other normal outfitting gear. Good people that own the place. Here is a link:

Rockwood Bunkhouse

I've stayed there around 3 times. One other nice thing is that it is only a few miles from Trail Center, which has a very good restaurant and store. It is about 30 miles up the Gunflint Trail from Grand Marais. Rockwood also has a charger for electric cars, if that is your thing.

Tom

They are more expensive than most bunkhouses but there are a few reservable bunkhouse-style cabins at the East Bearskin Lake Campground , in case you decide to head up the Gunflint Trail.