BWCA Entry Point, Route, and Trip Report Blog
July 12 2025
Entry Point 49 - Skipper & Portage Lakes
Skipper and Portage Lakes entry point allows overnight paddle only. This entry point is supported by Gunflint Ranger Station near the city of Grand Marais, MN. The distance from ranger station to entry point is 28 miles. Access is a 320-rod portage from Poplar Lake or a 230-rod portage from Iron Lake. This area was affected by blowdown in 1999.
Number of Permits per Day: 2
Elevation: 1865 feet
Latitude: 48.0517
Longitude: -90.5366
Skipper & Portage Lakes - 49
Number of Permits per Day: 2
Elevation: 1865 feet
Latitude: 48.0517
Longitude: -90.5366
Skipper & Portage Lakes - 49
Mudro to boot, fairy, gun, moose camp, fourtown. 9 People 6 days
by Aaron79
Trip Report
Entry Date:
May 30, 2012
Entry Point:
Mudro Lake (restricted--no camping on Horse Lake)
Number of Days:
6
Group Size:
9
Trip Introduction:
This was a 6 night trip planned for 3 guys and our sons. It ended up being 5 adults and our kids for a total of 9 people. This being the first trip for the kids and the last two adults added to the trip. The main goal on this trip is to introduce the kids to what we love.
Day 4 of 6
Wednesday May 30th 2012 We woke up around 5:30 at the Cliff Wolds bunk house and headed over to Britons cafe for breakfast. We packed on the carbs with their VERY LARGE pancakes. The food was wonderful. We headed back to Cliff Wolds to head out for EP 22 (Mudro with no camping on Horse). Let me just say now that the guys and Cliff Wolds are wonderful people, especially the owner Ryan. These guys have great gear, food and really know what customer service is. Once we get to EP 23, we were quickly reminded of the amount of rain that the BWCA area has received the previous week. The creek next to the parking lot that feeds Mudro lake was more like white water rapids. I was happy to see that knowing that we will likely have no problems on Moose camp river later in the trip. The paddle on Mudro was a nice short paddle and the portaging began. I have read on here that this is one of the roughest portages around. Everyone was right, very very rocky, up hill, down hill, up hill again and down hill again (this is the 141 rod portage) the two short portages were not much better and with the water being high, just about everyone got wet feet on these portages. Having kids age 13,12,10, and 7 they were limited on what they could carry and with this many people, we were triple portageing! Once done with the three portages we were on our way through Fourtown lake. We did stop on the East campsite on Fourtown where the Car is supposed to be for lunch. We never did find the car though. We ate some Ham sandwiches and headed back out. This is a pretty big lake. The weather was wonderful. Very little wind and temps around 55-60 deg. We push our way through Foutown and head over to the 48 rod portage to Boot lake. This was a pretty easy portage for what I remember. Once on Boot, we stayed on the 3rd camp site coming from Fourtown. It was a OK campsite. Maybe a 3 star. Had plenty of room for 2- 5 man tents and a nice area for the fire. For dinner, we had some 10 oz ribeyes over the open fire. They were GOLDEN! Tasted so good! Mudro Lake, Fourtown Lake, Boot Lake Mudro Lake, Fourtown Lake, Boot Lake, Fairy Lake, Gun Lake, Bullet Lake, Moosecamp Lake 
Day 8 of 6
Thursday May 31 2012 We stayed on the same campsite as day 1. Did a little fishing. Catching a few fish. Nothing special. Crappie, walleye, pike, smallies, sunfish. Breakfast was Pancakes and Bacon which is wonderful food from Cliff Wolds. His syrup mix is most excellent as well. Lunch was PB&J . For dinner we had big thick slices of ham and mashed potatoes. Once again, very good food from the outfitter. We just had a nice day of throwing the Frisbee and football around and doing some fishing. This was the plan. 2 days on each campsite. Also at this point, the bugs were not bad at all, but this will change.
Day 9 of 6
Saturday June 2nd, 2012 Well, as stated before, our plan was to stay at each camp site for 2 nights each. Today was pancakes and bacon again for breakfast, summer sausage and cheese for lunch and chicken and rice for dinner. We also Fried up some Smallies, a pike and a few walleye for dinner. Man was that stuff good!! We hit a few of the fish off of a 1/4 Oz Jig and leach and the other half was on a Rapala Husky Jerk tiger strip in color.
Day 12 of 6
Saturday June 2nd, 2012 Well, as stated before, our plan was to stay at each camp site for 2 nights each. Today was pancakes and bacon again for breakfast, summer sausage and cheese for lunch and chicken and rice for dinner. We also Fried up some Smallies, a pike and a few walleye for dinner. Man was that stuff good!! We hit a few of the fish off of a 1/4 Oz Jig and leach and the other half was on a Rapala Husky Jerk tiger strip in color.
Day 14 of 6
Sunday June 3, 2012 Today, French toast for Breakfast and Lunch meat and cheese and Mac and cheese for dinner. We got up, had breakfast and headed out to travel down Moose Camp River and head for Fourtown. Moose camp river was beautiful! We had great timing on taking that rout with all the rain they had up there. We had to cross over 3 beaver dams and that was it. Pretty easy and what a view. We hit Fourtown and stopped at the north east camp site for a quick snack as Moose Camp River was pretty long travel. No sooner did we hit the camp site, the wind picked up pretty good, maybe 10-15mph. As we all know, here comes the white caps. So we sat it out for about 45 min and the wind died down. We headed south and ended up on 5th camp site from the north heading south. It had a nice fire pit out on its on little penisula. tent pads were not great but they fit and we all had sleeping pads, so the rocks were not to bad. It was also home to a White tail Doe. She didn't seem bothered at all that we were there. She walked right through our camp sight 2x. She had not a care in the world that we were there. 
Day 17 of 6
Monday June 4th, 2012 Today we had a storm rolling in and seemed to just miss us to the west by about 1 mile. Spent the day preparing for the storm that missed us. Just kinda had a good lazy day around the camp. dodged the storm and watched for another one coming in. Caught a few more fish this day including a 25" walleye and 2 smallies over 17". were supposed to be picked up tomorrow morning but decieded to bust ass and make it in today and we did and Ryan From Cliff wolds came out and picked us up at 10:45 pm so we didnt have to camp in the the EP 23 parking lot.. LOL Thanks again ryan! OVer all, a pretty good trip, but a lot of work for 9 people, seemed like we were doing chores over half the time. 9 people, not again! I like 4 or less. 
discuss this trip report (17 comments) - last post on June 18, 2012