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Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Trip Planning Forum :: Best Old Trees?
 
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redbeardcanoeworks
02/03/2018 02:23PM
 
The best old trees in the BWCA are on the Sioux Hustler trail, especially the north half. Beautiful white and red pines. A day trip walking from Loon or Heritage up to Pageant lake gives you a good taste but it continues nicely from there.
Some of the islands on Lac La Croix have great groups of pines, I'm thinking of the Fish Stake narrows area especially.
There are some huge trees off the east end of Lady Boot Bay in La Croix but they are buried in there a bit.
This is a slightly different answer, but the most open forests that I have been in are around Cummings lake on the west end, just north of Crab lake. This is the only lake that I have ever been to that I could walk the shore line and fish. The trees are large but not huge and there is a lot less undergrowth near the lake. This makes the lake have the appearance of larger trees. Very beautiful and enjoyable to be able to walk someplace besides the portages. the other lakes around Cummings to the NE were similar.
 
geotramper
02/04/2018 09:34AM
 
Here is a more recent map that combines those old Sierra Club maps with burn area (and blowdown) data:


What is Wilderness?
 
butthead
02/04/2018 10:46AM
 
I know BWCA was specified but a mention goes for Ottawa National Forest Sylvania Wilderness for old hemlock, white pine. Never logged many are so old they are coming down.



In the BWCA some favorites of mine are on the island on Finger Lake, the EP portage from the parking to Stuart River.


butthead
 
marsonite
01/31/2018 08:09AM
 
Ramshead Lake has a nice stand of old white pine. Also on Oyster on the campsite just north of the portage from the Oyster river.
 
Bumstead
01/31/2018 11:35AM
 
carmike: "Do you by chance work in the lumber industry? :) "


LOL...
 
ellahallely
01/31/2018 04:54AM
 
The oldest tree in the state is on Basswood. A cedar said to be over a 1000 years old.
 
TuscaroraBorealis
01/31/2018 02:53PM
 
Trees
 
DanCooke
01/31/2018 05:04PM
 
TuscaroraBorealis - Bottom of Johnson falls?

 
TuscaroraBorealis
01/31/2018 06:31PM
 
DanCooke: "TuscaroraBorealis - Bottom of Johnson falls?
"



Yes it is.
 
egknuti
01/31/2018 10:47AM
 
marsonite: "Ramshead Lake has a nice stand of old white pine. Also on Oyster on the campsite just north of the portage from the Oyster river. "


+1. Also, Rocky Lake, just north of Oyster, has some really nice white pines.
 
bwcadan
01/31/2018 04:45PM
 
Enjoy a good number of old growth trees on the Oyster to Agnes portage. A stream is close by toward the Agnes exit. Not too much brush either.
 
jwartman59
01/31/2018 02:05PM
 
Maps from Sierra club, 1970s, Still useful. My opinion is the area around LLC la croix and the area east of the gunflint











 
jwartman59
02/17/2018 10:42PM
 
johnMN: "jwartman59: "Maps from Sierra club, 1970s, Still useful. My opinion is the area around LLC la croix and the area east of the gunflint
Where did you find these two maps?















"
"



Sierra club bulletin published 1970.
 
nlong
02/06/2018 07:05AM
 
I recall a stand of very large old cedar trees toward the end of the portage from Gordon to Unload lake on the way to Frost Lake. Probably the oldest ones I've come across in the BWCA so far.
 
TuscaroraBorealis
02/06/2018 02:11PM
 
nlong: "I recall a stand of very large old cedar trees toward the end of the portage from Gordon to Unload lake on the way to Frost Lake. Probably the oldest ones I've come across in the BWCA so far."

There are some nice ones there.
 
SevenofNine
02/06/2018 05:03PM
 
Sorry but I think that this is best found on your own. Bad enough we have people cutting live trees that are smaller. I’d rather people find trees on their own.
 
chergez
01/30/2018 09:19PM
 
What lake or campsite has the best remaining old growth trees in the BWCA?
 
carmike
01/31/2018 12:11AM
 
Do you by chance work in the lumber industry? :)
 
tree
01/31/2018 06:17AM
 
the island campsite on Boulder lake has old growth cedar.
seagull lake has a tree that is really old, too, the firefighters put sprinklers on it during the cavity lake fire... or maybe it was the ham lake fire.
 
jwartman59
02/28/2018 03:06PM
 
1977 GIS Map from my collection. Red is area with predominate pine.




 
sylvesterii
02/06/2018 10:49PM
 
butthead: "I know BWCA was specified but a mention goes for Ottawa National Forest Sylvania Wilderness for old hemlock, white pine. Never logged many are so old they are coming down.




In the BWCA some favorites of mine are on the island on Finger Lake, the EP portage from the parking to Stuart River.



butthead"



Much easier to get to, but almost as beautiful as the BWCA. A great intro to canoe camping!
 
msnature
02/15/2018 09:12AM
 
Somewhere in the area of Rose Falls we came across this big ol' tree
 
Pinetree
02/03/2018 03:22PM
 
The old Cedar trees between Hanson and Knife are in the 1000 year old area I think.
 
johnMN
02/13/2018 10:03PM
 
jwartman59: "Maps from Sierra club, 1970s, Still useful. My opinion is the area around LLC la croix and the area east of the gunflint
Where did you find these two maps?













"

 
gymcoachdon
02/13/2018 10:04PM
 
I was amazed at the size of the pines at my campsite on Stuart Lake, until I walked the portage to the Dahlgren River. There is a nice stand of massive pines on that portage trail. (and a nice little waterfall waiting at the end)
 
The Great Outdoors
02/14/2018 12:17PM
 
That'll be Ely in another 50+ years after more regulations kick in!! :)
 
DeanL
02/13/2018 07:13PM
 
I recall the huge red pines on the Oyster / Oyster River portage being exceptionally big. Although it's now dead the cedar tree that tipped over between Vera and Knife was a sight to see.
 
mapsguy1955
02/13/2018 12:28PM
 

 
Frenchy
02/14/2018 10:43AM
 
Thank You for sharing this information. Now I have some other places to visit in BWCA.
 
TuscaroraBorealis
02/14/2018 12:11PM
 
Frenchy: "Thank You for sharing this information. Now I have some other places to visit in BWCA."


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