Boundary Waters Trip Reports, Blog, BWCA, BWCAW, Quetico Park

BWCA Entry Point, Route, and Trip Report Blog

September 17 2025

Entry Point 24 - Fall Lake

Fall Lake entry point allows overnight paddle or motor (25 HP max). This entry point is supported by Kawishiwi Ranger Station near the city of Ely, MN. The distance from ranger station to entry point is 7 miles. "Access is a boat landing at Fall Lake. Several trip options to Newton, Basswood, & Mud Lakes with additionalportages." This area was affected by blowdown in 1999.

Number of Permits per Day: 14
Elevation: 1324 feet
Latitude: 47.9527
Longitude: -91.7213
"This trip will be taking off from Fall Lake up through Newton Falls portage onto Pipestone Bay campsites. 3 day, 2 night trip into the wilderness.

Boundary Waters trip 2012

by Jackfish
Trip Report

Entry Date: August 19, 2012
Entry Point: Snowbank Lake
Number of Days: 4
Group Size: 2

Trip Introduction:
I've been taking canoe trips in Quetico since the mid-'80s and had never paddled the BWCAW other than on my way to or from Quetico. After meeting Debbie, who had one canoe trip on her resume', a 4-day trip to the Sylvania Wilderness that we took together in September 2011, we decided to do our first BW trip together.

Report


Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Packed up and left camp, went across the lake and headed up Moose River. We expected this river to be calm and serene like it was on the way in. Nanny stated she hated for the adventure to be over. The Lake was just too calm. Well, thanks to Nanny, we found a very different river from the calm one on which we’d paddled in. After about 5 inches of rain during the night, the Moose was really flowing---naturally going the wrong way. We had to fight the current all the way up, but stayed tight to the grass and on the inside of the bends, so it wasn’t too bad. Cuz did get wet to the waist trying to cross the first beaver dam, but that was really our only mishap. Cuz and Donnie were able to use their knowledge of sailing a couple of times as the ‘tacked’ across the creek. Often we would hear Donnie, ‘Draw Carol, draw!’

We made it up to the 160-rod portage without too much trouble, and finished our second and last trip through the portage just before 3:00 PM. Laura from Piragis was right on time with the shuttle, and we enjoyed the comfortable van seats on the ride to Ely. We got everything boxed back up and shopped in the store at Piragis for a while. We had a fine supper at Cranberry’s, along with several Labatts, and later a bottle of wine topped off the evening. We relaxed in the motel for the evening, and had a post-mortem discussion of the trip. We all felt we’d done well for age 50 some (I am the youngest) and that it had been a real adventure. We’re already planning what we’ll leave and what we’ll take the next time.

Quote of the day (from Donnie during the difficult trip upstream in the swift water): “Carol, when in doubt, don’t think, just paddle!”

 


Routes
Trip Reports
a
.
Routes
Trip Reports
Routes
Trip Reports
Routes
Trip Reports
.
Routes
Trip Reports
Routes
Trip Reports
x
Routes
Trip Reports
fd
hgc
Routes
Trip Reports
Routes
Trip Reports