BWCA Entry Point, Route, and Trip Report Blog
April 03 2025
Entry Point 40 - Homer Lake
Homer Lake entry point allows overnight paddle only. This entry point is supported by Tofte Ranger Station near the city of Tofte, MN. The distance from ranger station to entry point is 33 miles. Access is a boat landing at Homer Lake. This area was affected by blowdown in 1999.
Number of Permits per Day: 2
Elevation: 1825 feet
Latitude: 47.9043
Longitude: -90.6605
Homer Lake - 40
Number of Permits per Day: 2
Elevation: 1825 feet
Latitude: 47.9043
Longitude: -90.6605
Homer Lake - 40
FIRST BWCA TRIP
by 31INCHEYE
Trip Report
Entry Date:
July 01, 2009
Entry Point:
Sawbill Lake
Number of Days:
4
Group Size:
4
Trip Introduction:
MYSELF, MY WIFE, MY 17 YR OLD TWIN BOYS HEAD OUT OF SAWBILL FOR OUR VERY FIRST BWCA TRIP..WINDS OUT OF THE NORTH WITH A SLIGHT DRIZZLE OF RAIN..WOW WHAT A SIGHT LOOKING NORTH DOWN SAWBILL LAKE.
Day 4 of 4
Wednesday, July 01, 2009 AFTER ARRIVING SAWBILL OUTFITTERS AT 8AM WE LOAD THE CANOES AND DEPART THE LANDING BY 9AM.( IF MY SONS HAD THEYRE WAY WE WOULD HAVE NEVER LEFT SAWBILL OUTFITTERS BECAUSE OF THE VERY NICE AND CUTE YOUNG GAL WORKING THE OFFICE AREA) WITH A SLIGHT WIND COMMING OUT OF THE NORTH, WE KNEW WE WERE NOT GOING TO GET A FREE RIDE TO THE NORTH END OF SAWBILL. SO A PADDLING WE DID PAST THE MANY BEAUTIFULL ISLANDS THAT POP OUT OF SAWBILL LAKE. SINCE THIS WAS OUR FIRST TRIP, WE WERE GOING TO TRY AND MAKE CAMP AT ONE OF THE CAMPSITES ON THE NORTH END OF SAWBILL AND DO SMALLER CANOE TRIPS FROM THERE. WE LOCATE THE CAMPSITE ON THE NORTHWEST SIDE OF THE LAKE WITH A SMALL ISLAND DIRRECTLY IN FRONT OF IT. MY WIFE AND I LEFT THE BOYS THERE AND CONTINUED FURTHER NORTH TO CHECK OUT ANOTHER CAMPSITE. WE DIDNT LIKE THAT SITE AS WELL SO WE RETURNED TO WHERE THE BOYS WERE AND SET UP CAMP. AFTER ALL THE WORK WAS DONE WE DID A LITTLE HIKING AROUND CAMP, SEARCHED FOR FIRE WOOD, AND JUST SAT BY THE LAKE AND MARVELED AT ITS BEAUTY. AFTER A NICE LITTLE FIRE THAT NIGHT WE TURNED IN PRETTY EARLY BECAUSE WE LEFT THE MINNEAPOLIS AREA AT 3AM THAT MORNING..NONAME STEAKS ON A STICK FOR THE FIRST NIGHT, GIVE THAT A TRY, YOU WILL BE HAPPY YOU DID..
Day 7 of 4
Thursday, July 02, 2009 AFTER A NICE COOL NIGHT SLEEPING, 6AM CAME AND I FOUND MYSELF STARTING THE COFFEE POT AND SITTING BY THE LAKE IN TOTAL PEACE AND QUIET. THE WIFE AND KIDS WERE STILL SLEEPING SO IT WAS JUST MYSELF AND THE MANY LOONS ENJOYING THE MORNING. OUR PLAN FOR THIS DAY WAS JUST TO CANOE AROUND THE NORTH END OF SAWBILL AND CHECK OUT ALL THE CAMPSITES WE COULD FIND VACANT. WE WANTED TO RATE THEM FROM GOOD TO BAD. MY WIFE BROUGHT ALONG OUR LUNCH FOR THAT DAY AND WE LET OUR SONS PICK WHERE WE WOULD EAT. THEY PICKED A BEAUTIFULL ROCKY OUT CROPPING WITH SEVERAL TREES ON AN ISLAND. SO WE PULLED THE CANOES UP AND ENJOYED A WONDERFULL LUNCH OF PRINGLES, CHICKEN SALAD IN POCKET BREAD, FRUIT AND NUT TRAIL MIX. I NEVER THOUGHT CHICKEN IN A POUCH WOULD EVER TASTE AS GOOD AS IT DID, AND THE POCKET BREAD MADE IT SO EASY AND MESS FREE. MY WIFE TOOK SUGGESTIONS OFF THIS WEB SITE ABOUT FOOD PLANNING, SHE DID A WONDERFULL JOB. AFTER LUNCH WE SPENT A COUPLE HOURS LOOKING FOR FIRE WOOD FOR THAT NIGHT AND RETURNED TO THE CAMPSITE TO RELAX BEFORE DINNER.
Day 11 of 4
Saturday, July 04, 2009 THE COOLEST MORNING, I WOULD SAY APROX 45 DEGREES OR SO. THE LAKE COVERED WITH A BEAUTIFUL FLOWING HAZE OF STEAM. THE LOONS SEEM TO AGAIN BE VERY LOUD AND ACTIVE THIS MORNING, LOVE THERE CALLS. THE HOT COFFEE TASTE EXTRA NICE THIS MORNING, NOT IN ANY HURRY TO FISH, SEEMS PERFECT TO JUST SIT AND LOOK OUT OVER THE WATER. AFTER BREAKFAST WE SLOWLY START TO PACK UP CAMP FOR THE TRIP BACK SOUTH DOWN SAWBILL. AS WE LEFT CAMP THE WIND BLOWING FROM THE NORTH GAVE US A NICE EASY RIDE DOWN THE LAKE. HALF WAY TO SAWBILL OUTFITTERS THE WIND SHIFTS FROM THE WEST NORTHWEST AND WE START SEEING MORE CANOES. THE PEACE AND QUIET IS GONE, BACK TO CIVILIZATION, WHAT A DRAG. TILL NEXT YEAR, AND THERE WILL BE A NEXT YEAR IN THE BWCA..THANKS SAWBILL OUTFITTERS, WHAT A CLASS BUSINESS IN A CLASS PLACE.
Day 14 of 4
Saturday, July 04, 2009 THE COOLEST MORNING, I WOULD SAY APROX 45 DEGREES OR SO. THE LAKE COVERED WITH A BEAUTIFUL FLOWING HAZE OF STEAM. THE LOONS SEEM TO AGAIN BE VERY LOUD AND ACTIVE THIS MORNING, LOVE THERE CALLS. THE HOT COFFEE TASTE EXTRA NICE THIS MORNING, NOT IN ANY HURRY TO FISH, SEEMS PERFECT TO JUST SIT AND LOOK OUT OVER THE WATER. AFTER BREAKFAST WE SLOWLY START TO PACK UP CAMP FOR THE TRIP BACK SOUTH DOWN SAWBILL. AS WE LEFT CAMP THE WIND BLOWING FROM THE NORTH GAVE US A NICE EASY RIDE DOWN THE LAKE. HALF WAY TO SAWBILL OUTFITTERS THE WIND SHIFTS FROM THE WEST NORTHWEST AND WE START SEEING MORE CANOES. THE PEACE AND QUIET IS GONE, BACK TO CIVILIZATION, WHAT A DRAG. TILL NEXT YEAR, AND THERE WILL BE A NEXT YEAR IN THE BWCA..THANKS SAWBILL OUTFITTERS, WHAT A CLASS BUSINESS IN A CLASS PLACE.
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