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

Boundary Waters Trip Planning Info

Rules

Basic Rules & Information

BWCA Permits

BWCA Permit & Information

Checklist

Checklist & Trip Planning

BWCA Outfitters

Gear Rental & Outfitters

Camping

Resorts, Cabins & Camping

Winter

Winter Trips and Lodging

BWCA Entry Point, Route, and Trip Report Blog

January 05 2025

Entry Point 32 - South Kawishiwi River


view flash version | view topographic map
South Kawishiwi River entry point allows overnight paddle only. This entry point is supported by Kawishiwi Ranger Station near the city of Ely, MN. The distance from ranger station to entry point is 21 miles. Access is a 140-rod portage to the river.

Number of Permits per Day: 2
Elevation: 1201 feet
Latitude: 47.8419
Longitude: -91.6632
South Kawishiwi River - 32

First Time in the BWCA

by hardcoreoutdoors
Trip Report

Entry Date: July 12, 2017
Entry Point: South Kawishiwi River
Number of Days: 3
Group Size: 6

Trip Introduction:

Report


First time doing any BWCA trip. The portage in kicked our butts. We could have done 2 trips but ended up carrying our heavy packs with the canoes in. Once on the river it was a battle with the wind and rain. Once we found our campsite, it cleared up and the beauty of the Boundary Waters opened up to us. Wow!! I love it. Glad to experience this. Will be back again next year!

 


discuss this trip report (6 comments) - last post on August 01, 2017

EP 1 - Trout Lake

EP 4 - Crab Lake & Cummings Lake

EP 6 - Slim Lake

EP 7 - From Big Lake

EP 8 - Moose River South

EP 9 - Little Indian Sioux River South

EP 12 - Little Vermilion Lake

EP 14 - Little Indian Sioux River North

Little Indian Sioux River North - 14
Routes
treehorn - Lazy, Fishless, Awesome 3-Nighter: Lynx & Shell
Trip Reports
LIS July 2004
There are no bad days in the BWCA
Loop Around the Horn, EP14 to EP 16
Bite of the Pike
Destination Finger Lake
First Trip-Been back since...
Little Indian Sioux River north
LIS North to Moose River
Little Indian Sioux- North 2007-- Hot and Uphill!
LIS north to Little Loon, Gun, Gebe, Oyster and Shell
little indian souix to nina moose
Shell Lake Base Camp
Little Indian Sioux Loop Through The Beartracks
A Much Needed Trip
Four years to Nahimana (Photo link added on 8/7/08)
Four Solos 2008
Pauness Lakes to Heritage, Lynx, to Shell, loop
Too many motorboats
Shell Lake Basecamp
LIS / Shell lake
June-July 2009
Divas - JB and Canoe Bender doing Pauness
Mom's first trip: LIS North out EP16
The First of Many
5 Rivers Trip or Lac La Croix circumnavigation
Little Indian Souix River North
LIS Solo
Lac La Croix - around the horn
LIS to Steep, Lynx with day trips
A week of R & R on Little Loon
Yodeler bushwack
Annual Adventure
Ohio Boys going North - 2010
Solo LIS River North
Is it really solo?
Winter Camping, Shell Lake
SS Diva Slug Fest
My Wifes First Trip
LIS North, Hustler, Gebe, Lac La Croix, Moose River
The Year of the Beaver
sept solo
2011 Heritage Lake Basecamp
a
LIS North Loop, April 2012
Little Indian Sioux and Beyond
Severe Trip
Snow Bay 2012
EP 14 exit EP16
2012 LIS North (14) loop to Moose River (16)
Gusto
Little Indian Sioux North Loop Solo
Lots of Animals
From Tinder Box to Please Pass the Napalm
Little Indian Sioux Getaway Trip
EP 14 to EP 16 Northern Loop
Loon Lake
LIS-First Solo!
Little Indian Sioux Solo Trip
LacLaCroix (It's A Really Big Lake)
My Trip on Everytrail.
.
15 Day Solo Trip LIS North
The Storm / Bushwack to Rangeline / A Trip to Warpaint / Lynx Lake
Warpaint Lake
Finally, a full week in the BWCA! LIS through Slim/Beartrack/Finger/Oyster/Lynx.
Little Indian Sioux #14 Sept. 2014
Shell - Little Shell - Lynx
Little Indian Souix and beyond
Sioux Hustler Area Voyage
Lazy, Fishless Awesome guys trip up the LIS
Sam and Andrew's First Adventure
Solo July 2015
Dear Mariel
Portage clearing trip 2016/ LIS North
Keep Calm & Paddle On!
Western Lac La Croix and Lakes to the South
LIS North to Loon and LLC
LIS North to Lynx, August 2016
Leaky Canoe on the Little Indian Sioux
EP 14 Lynx lake
Solo Trip-EP14 Shell/Lynx
First Ever Solo- Little Indian Sioux River North- July 2017
Where Are The Maps?...and No Pictures, Please--our 2017 trip on the Little Indian Sioux
Shell, Lynx, Hustler, Oyster to EP 16
BWCA Sept 2017 EP14
Paddling with friends
BW Full Send 2018
Indian Sioux North Solo
Operation Bushwhack!
Shell Basecame for Wife's Second Trip
Stormy September - Namakan-Loon River Loop
2018 BWCA Trex
June 2019 LISN to Devils Cascade
LIS Loop 2019 - Rivers and Storms
July 2019 Trip - 5 days
First trip to the western area BWCA
LIS September Paddle
The Camps Return to the BWCA
Nonstop wind
Lynx Lake Trip June 2020
A Walk In The Woods - Second Time To The Boundary Waters
Sioux-Hustler trail push
Shell Lake June 2021
Mid-Summer Lac La Croix Paddling Trip
Familiar waters-strange circumstances
September LIS Loop
100 Mile Solo on the Border
LIS Loop of Solitude
I found my thrill on blueberry hill
May 2023 EP14
There will be BUGS!,... and a floatplane.
LLC to Moose Lake
Lac La Croix - The Big Lake
2023 LIS North (14) - Moose River North (16)
Ep 14-14 loop with Weeny PMA exploration
Snow Bay + Fat Lake- August 2023
LLC Interior Tour
Indian Sioux North or
Threading The Weather Needle On Little Indian Sioux
Day Trip LISN
BWCA Haikus
Fall 2019 Trip to Lynx Lake - YouTube

EP 16 - Moose/Portage River (North of Echo Trail)

Moose/Portage River (North of Echo Trail) - 16
Routes
Route - Moose River EP16
Trip Reports
My First Trip into the BWCA
Autumn in the BWCAW
E P 16 to E P 24
Jeffords Twosome 2005
June 2005
Moose River North
Moose River North June 2006
June 2006 Solo... (The Foot Trip)
Newbies- Moose River North to Moose Lake
Paddling Pageant and the Sioux Hustler portage
Sausage Party 2006
2007 Moose River Trip
May 2007 trip - EP 16 to Crown Land and High Falls
Oyster Lake-Quality Trip
Nina Moose to Iron Lake
Oyster/Agnes/LLC
Oyster agnes LLC
Old Friends and New Places
A Wildlife adventure
Moose River to LLC
Bill and Rob 2008 Moose River Trip
Opener Weekend '08-EP 16 to Oyster and back home via Ramshead
A Trip of First's
first time to Lac La Croix
Radtke's on Lac La Croix '08
Aug 2008 - Moose River out & back
Moose River North to Iron Lake and back again
Moose River to Agnes
A Group of Newbies
Early June 2009 EP #16 First trip for all of us
Boulder Bay 2009
Agnes, La Croix, Iron, Stewart
Father and Son Trip
The Gary Harden Trip: Where a boy Harden's into a man!
BWCAW 2009
Four Old Girls Tackle the BWCA
A New Adventure
Perfect April Trip
EP 16 to EP 24
Oyster, Ge-be, L.L.C.
Father and Son Trip
Moose River to LLC and Iron, near-tragedy on Agnes
FS rides again!
Extreme
Oyster Creek and Boulder River
Moose River North to Lac La Croix
Father's and Son's
A couple returnees and four newbies from EP 16 up to LLC
Sept. 2011
Trip to Iron Lake Fall 2011 (2019 remake)
Winter Lake Trout
Moose River North to Iron
Angler hooks walleye, the fish returns the favor
Father / Daughter Trip
Iron Lake or Bust
September Morn
Oyster Lake Base Camp 2013 (Green,Rocky,Ramshead, Ninamoose)
EP 16 -- Agnes Lake
EP16 to Lac La Croix West to East Loop
moose river north entry 16
EP 16 Nina Moose to Agnes Basecamp: A Family Excursion with a bit of fishing
Try to Remember a Day in September
Annual Fall Trip to Lake Agnes
Oyster, Finger, LLC September/Oct 2013
Pictorial Trip Report - Lake Agnes in October
THE FIVE WORN OUT INDIANS
Fall 2014 Lake Agnes Trip
A Perfect Trip
Moose R. North to Iron/LLC. First as a trip "leader"
Moose river north
Father-Daughter trip to Iron lake via EP16 Iron lake
Moose River First Solo
Fall 2015 Lake Agnes Trip
Iron Lake Trip 2016
Agnes - LLC
More than I imagined
Fall 2016 Lake Agnes Trip
Wolf sighting between Oyster and Hustler
Agnes - LLC - Ge-be-on-e-quet Loop
LAC LA CROIX VOYAGERS
Memorial Day Heat--Moose River North 2018
June 2018 to Oyster & beyond
Relaxing Jaunt to Nina Moose
8 day 7 nights EP16 Boulder Bay, LLC, Ge-be-on-e-quet, Oyster, Agnes
27 day solo
Return to Iron Lake
Entry point 16
Bushman goes back to the BWCA
Moose River to Tiger Bay
May 2020 - Nina/Moose > Iron > Crooked > Basswood > Horse > Mudro
EP16 Loop - Oyster, Ge-be-on-e-quet, Lac La Croix, Nina Moose
EP16 - I-R-O-N Lake Fishing Expedition
Tiger Bay, Agnes, and we suck at portages
Sept 2020 EP 16 Loop - Nina Moose, Oyster, Ge-be, LLC, Agnes, Nina Moose
namaycush redemption
Lake Agnes Basecamp
May 29-June 4th Nina Moose to Lacroix with plenty of wind
Trip with Friends BWCA 2022
June fishing exploits on Lac La Croix
#16 Moose River Loop
Moose River North to Lac la Croix - Youtube Slideshow
Toy Soldiers at Fish Stake Narrows
Mosquito Fiesta
first trip
null

EP 19 - Stuart River

EP 20 - Angleworm Lake

EP 23 - Mudro Lake

Mudro Lake - 23
Routes
Route - July'09 big counterclockewise loop
Trip Reports
The Return
Sleeping Under the Stars
Fullmoon over Fourtown
Horse River May7-11
Church Kids
Murdo entry - Intorduction to BW for two of my daughters
2005 Trip...6/26-7/1 (Mudro- Crooked)
Sausage Party 2005
Mudro to Canada - 3rd trip to the BWCAW
September Trip
Mudro in October
First Timer
Our first loop
Big Water to No Water and Portages in Between
Mudro
A SPECIAL TRIP UP THE BEARTRAP RIVER
Mudro to Horse
Mudro to Friday Bay
Moosecamp Solo
Mudrow, Crooked, Iron, LaCroix, and Nina Moose
The Sundial PMA
mudro
Crooked Lake
Horse Lake
Mudro to Beartrap to Moosecamp and back
Family Base Camp Trip to Horse Lake
Mudro to Bear Trap and return
Wandering Women 2008
Horse Lake Pike
Horse Lake Base Camp - 2008
Horse Lake Base Camp
Mudro-Fairy-Thunder-Moosecamp
May fishing photos
Mudro, Beartrap River, Horse lake loop
Dads and sons- Mudro loop thru Horse, Crooked back thru Gun and Fourtown
July 2009 Trip 3
First Solo
Mudro - Crooked Lake loop
Ten days of September
Mudro to Angleworm, April 2010
Mudro loop
Mudro to Horse w/7 yr. old daughter
First Loop Trip - Father and Son
Boot Lake: Here Comes the Rain Again
Boot Lake Basecamp
2010 June - Mudro to Gull
Mudro, LBF, Crooked, Papoose Creek Fourtown in a kayak
Jordan's First Trip to BWCA - Family Trip 2010
BEPCO Trip 2010
1st Timers 8/21/10
Last Canoe Trip of the Season
mudro to crooked to sunday bay to gun to fourtown.. I WISH..
Mudro to Basswood
October Adventures in Paradise
You Don't Catch, You Don't Eat
A trip of many firsts.
Tour of the Crooked Lake Area via Mudro Lake
Fourteen Hours, Four Guys, Toyota Corrolla. and one wrecked Kevlar Canoe
Mudro to Crooked Big Fun One One
Pictorial Trip Report - My First Solo
Through the Eyes of Gabe
Boy Scout
Long Strange Trip
Tippy Canoe & Broken Soles (EP 23)
Five nights on Boot Lake
Mudro to Gun
One New Fisherman
Mudro to Crooked- Cultivating the love
BWCAW 2011 - Summer to late fall in 7 days
Easter Week Border Water Walleyes
Horse Shake
Mudro to boot, fairy, gun, moose camp, fourtown. 9 People 6 days
Turtle Watch !
Mudro to Crooked (Smallmouth Bonanza)
First but not last
2012 Fourtown
Mudro to Beartrap with the Family
Mudro Lake on Labor Day- First Time in BWCA
Mudro to Moosecamp
Crooked Loop
Horse/Friday Bay/Fourtown Loop
Late Fall EP23: Mudro-Horse-Fourtown
Wojack in the wild (Crooked Lake loop)
Mudro to Friday Bay and Back Again
Crooked Lake Falls and Fish
Mudro - Jackfish Bay - Basswood River - Crooked - Gun - Mudro
Mudro EP to Fairy to Fourtown to Horse
My first trip to the BWCA
Crooked Loop
Crooked Lake 4th July 2015
Horse Lake
Mudro to Just Past Wednesday Bay on Crooked Lake
#23 Mudro: “Time travel in a magic canoe” (first solo 2015)
Mudro to Horse
Horse Lake 2016 - Major Storm and No Fish
Lessons Learned From the Boundary Waters
A Sweet Video From Our Trip
A Windy Mudro Loop
Plans meet reality, 4 southerners visit the BWCA
bunggee lake bushwack
First trip
MUDRO-BASSWOOD FALLS-JACKFISH BAY TRIP - FALL 2017
October 2017- 3 Generations of Family
Mudro to Beartrap Loop
First BWCA Trip #23 Loop
Boot Lake fall basecamp with GSP
May Mudro Loop
College Camping Trip
Crooked Lake Loop
Mudro-Crooked Lk with some first timers !
Kids canoe
Solo trip Mudro to Fall Lake
My First Real Trip - Mudro Loop
Crooked Lake Loop for BWCA First Timers
SO's first trip to the BW
3/4 1st timers
Mudro EP to Lower Basswood Falls Video Trip Report
Not exactly a trip report, but a Wall Street Journal story about escaping to the BWCA
Paddling with Padres - A spiritual Exodus adventure
Mudro 2020 Fishing/Relaxing
Hot Summer Nights on Crooked Lake
Crooked Lake - Found A Necklace
Turning 40 in the Boundary Waters
Return of the Cousins Camping
YouTube Slideshow - Oct. Trip Mudro to Lower Basswood Falls
Fourtown Weekend Trip
Long way to Wednesday Bay
Mudro Loop
Mudro
Mudro - Sept 2024
Entry point 23: Iron Lake Loop

EP 24 - Fall Lake

EP 25 - Moose Lake

Moose Lake - 25
Routes
MissyGirl - MissyGirl And Troop 63
Eric65 - Moose lake to Snowbank Lake
Trip Reports
1974 The Rainy Trip
1975 BWCA Trip & Pictures
1977 Our First Time in Quetico
Trip Recall -- Bear got the food we got carrot sticks & Jolly Ranchers
A First BWCA Trip
Winter trip: Gold Team/Brown Team
Kashapiwi Agnes Loop
First Quetico Trip... The Epic Journey
Late Season Lake Trout Trip
Smoke on the Water, Loons in the Wind
Wandering on Wind
Wandering on Wind
Solo trip, following the Root Beer Lady
Knife Lake
Grandson;s Introduction to the BW
Bill & Jamie's Excellent Adventure
A Week On Knife
Birch Lake to Knife and back through Vera Lake to Ensign
A Trip to the South Arm of Knife Lake
Knife-Kekekabic-Ima-Ensign
North Arm of Knife 2008
Moose to Ima and Back
First Solo, Knife Lake
Easy Does It
A Beast, Another Beast, Another Beast, and a Busted Trip
Third times a charm.
Annual BWCAW Mushing Camping Trip, 2009
Back in the Saddle
Ensign
Brief April Solo
Late May 2010 10-day Solo
Appeasing the fish gods
Solo Trek into Quetico - No Country for Old Men
Solo Trek into Quetico - No Country for Old Men
Tow to Splash Basecamp-Ensign
A Promise Kept
BWCA Border Run 2010 (failed) Moose-Ottertrack-Moose
First BWCA trip- Ensign - Solo
2 weeks of Freedom
Moose to Knife and back.
My 1st Canoe
Belle's 1st Trip
June 15, 2011 Solo Trip
Introducing the Kids to the BWCA
1st trip to BWCA
THE trip (hunter island, quetico...solo)
Short Loop out of Moose Lake
The Ribbon Rock
We Throw Rocks at Bears
Moose lake to Sag
Wildlife with foot fetishes?
Annual Father/Daughters trip
Amazing! You Just Can't Be Too Careful!
The Beatty Bunch do Moose-Knife
First BWCA Fish Dinner!
Ensign in October
Wind Lake Winter Camping Trip-2013
Winter Trekking from Moose Lake
South Arm Knife June 2013
Moose to Agnes (Quetico) Trip 2013
Quetico Solo with/Dog through Louisa, McEwen, Falls Chain, and Emerald
Ensign
Knife Lake 2014 - 3rd Time Around
.
21 day solo in August
Ensign Lake - First time back in 12 years with my Father and Uncle.
Knife Lake Fall 2014
Moose To Neglige May 27th to May 31
Ensign Fishing trip
Knife Solo
Five Monkeys and Four cat herders maiden voyage
Trip Report - Ensign
indiana
Eleven and a half glorious days and one terrible awful, rotten half a day.
8 days on the South Arm of Knife Lake
Moose To Neglige 2016
Revisiting & Testing My Limits
Ottertrack, Knife, and everything in between.
3 month solo freeze in trip on Knife Lake
North Arm of Knife, High Winds, and great fishing
Southeast Quetico Loop
Moose to Knife
Back Into The Outdoors: A Moose loop
Knife Lake Lake Trout
First BWCA Trip July 31-Aug 3 2018
Cherry is a cherry!
BWCA-2018-krj
First and last
We took some first-timers to Knife/Cherry
First BWCA Trip 11-13 June, 2019
Annual Adventure with Dad
Couples Trip 2019! A Picture Perfect Trip!
Knife Lake Smallies
First Timers from Birch to Knife - Lessons Learned
Northern Tier Winter 2019-2020
Winter Solo Trip- Moose Lake EP- January 2020
Callum's First Trip
The trouble with beavers - Father and Son first trip
Day trip to Moose & Wind, failed to reach Wind Bay & Basswood
Trout in the Time of Covid
Family Time
Camping Cousins
Thunder Point: The view that was worth it. Barely.
Lake Trout Slam, Little Knife, Amoeber, Cherry and Hanson Lakes
October BWCA Guys Trip to Lake Ensign
October Guys Trip to Ensign Lake (Video Summary)
EPIC winter crossing 2021
4 days 38 miles to Thomas Lake and Back
Moose-Knife-Kekekabic-Ensign Lakes Loop
Ensign to Disappointment - 2021
Last BWCA Trip?
Ensign to Thomas and back
Reconnecting: 2 weeks wandering in the BWCA
Hybrid Solo 3 Guys and a Dog
Moose to Basswood, 1 nighter
Moose Lake 5 day trip - first time in the BWCA
Ensign Lake
Wolves & Weather
Moose Lake to Lac la Croix & Back
Quick trip to Ensign
First Solo - Moose Lake #25
Father/Son - 6 day/5 Night - Moose Lake Entry Point
Ensign Lake June 2023
Moose/Wind/Washte/Witness
First trip ever as a solo at 21 yo
Daytrip: Moose to Wind to Washte
Wind base camp
Old Lakes, New Lakes, and Great Weather in Quetico

EP 26 - Wood Lake

EP 27 - Snowbank Lake

Snowbank Lake - 27
Routes
Route - Snowbank to Muzzle
Trip Reports
The Trip From Hell
May 21-23
Thomas Lake June 20th/25th
Snowbank to Lake One
Snowbank Lake - June 2006
Kevin's first overnight BWCAW trip to Jordan Lake
(No) Disappointment in August
Wind on Snowbank
Snowbank Lake Trail
Expedition 2007--Snowbank to Ima and back
The Snowbank to Lake One Loop that Wasn't
No disappointment on Disappointment over Memorial Day
Ima/Thomas 08
Knife Lake
Snowbank/Ima/Thomas
Snowbank Loop
Raven, Alice, and Insula
Snowbank to Knife and Back
Peace and Solitude on a Snowbank Loop
Brothers Trip2010
First Ever BWCA Trip
Snowbank to Kekekabic July 2010
Chicago to Disappointment and back
Disappointment Lake
Ahsub Bear family
Solo from snowbank
Snowbank to Lake One and N. Kawishiwi River
No Disappointment for Wife
What Vestibule?
Disappointment Lake Basecamp
Loop from Snowbank to Lake 1
Boundary Waters trip 2012
Snowbank to Ima and back - EP # 27
Snowbank Loop
change of plans
Fishing with Dad
Snowbank Fathers Day Weekend
Not a dissapointment
Disappointment Lake
BWCA Man Trip Extravaganza
Tandem Rookie Trip
No disappointment on Disappointment
First Trip to the BWCA
Snowbank Loop 2015(Through Frasier, Adams, Alice, and Ima)
6th Anniversary
Snowbank to Ima
Nice Little Trip With The Guys--Entry At Snowbank
First Winter Camp- Birch Island- Snowbank
2016 Snowbank to Jordan and back
Solo October 2016
Winter Camping Trip - Snowbank to Parent
First Solo - EP 27 Ambitious trip
Disappointment Lake - 2nd Trip to BWCA
Snowbank to Fraser and Back (the what not to do edition)
3-day out-and-back to Fraser Oct. 2017
EP 27 - Snowbank to Thomas and back in May 2018
Solo Trip to Raven Lake (Mugwump PMA 8) 2018
Snowbank to Thomas
A solo new beginning
Snowbank to Thomas Memorial Weekend 2019
Embracing the Elements - Snowbank Loop
Father Daughter trip
Kekekabic Trail/ Canoe Trip Hybrid
Snowbank to Thomas 2020
Jumanji 2020
Gals Trip + Riley
Kekekabic - a trip that ended where it started
Journey to Sagus
Snowbank to Spider Lake PMA Loop
Disappointment Lake Winter Adventure
Snowbank Trail
A less than disappointing trip
Overnight To Dorothy's
Less Miles Next Time...... Maybe??
Solo Disappointment
Trek or Treat - Round 3
Snowbank W/ Disappointment Backpack
Parent Lake Adventure
water and ice and no bugs
Snowbank Entry June 13 - June 18
Finding Solitude
Snowbank/Disappointment/Ahsub/Parent