BWCA Entry Point, Route, and Trip Report Blog
October 04 2026
Entry Point 31 - Farm Lake
Farm 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 on Farm Lake with access to South Farm Lake. Paddlers access North Kawishiwi River from Farm Lake. Some trip options available for paddlers with additional portages.
Number of Permits per Day: 3
Elevation: 1392 feet
Latitude: 47.8932
Longitude: -91.7183
Farm Lake - 31
Number of Permits per Day: 3
Elevation: 1392 feet
Latitude: 47.8932
Longitude: -91.7183
Farm Lake - 31
South Kawishiwi River - 3 Nights
by Pete2Paddle
Trip Report
Entry Date:
August 24, 2026
Entry Point:
South Kawishiwi River
Number of Days:
5
Group Size:
3
Trip Introduction:
This was the 2nd trip to the BW for both of my Boys. Their first trip was to South Hegman Lake for two nights in 2024. I originally booked a permit for Mudro Lake on permit day in February. Due to the wildfires, I had to keep my eyes open for cancelled permits in the Ely area and I lucked out when South Kawishiwi River became available.
As my boys grow older, I want them to enjoy these trips and not burn them out. So, when I made our reservation, I asked my boys if they wanted to stick with just a 2-night trip, or if they wanted to stay a little longer and go for a 3 night trip. I was happy to hear both of them opt for a little longer trip. My next question was if they needed me to sleep in the tent with them, or if I could sleep nearby in my Hammock. I thought they would be scared and want me with them, but they both said I should sleep in my hammock. They're growing up so fast!
Day 1 of 5
****************************************************[paragraph break] Day 1 - Sunday - Drive to Ely + International Wolf Center[paragraph break] ***************************************************[paragraph break] [paragraph break] It's about a 5 hour drive from our home in central Minnesota up to Ely. It is tradition to stop at Gordy's High Hat in Cloquet for burgers on the way up to Ely. They never disappoint! From there it's about 1hr 45min to Piragis to pickup the Canoe and our permit. I also opted to rent a couple camp chairs for my boys. Next we headed to the International Wolf Center. Two years before, we hit the Black Bear Center, and the boys really enjoyed it, so I figured the Wolf Center experience would complete the set. I wasn't sure how two 13yr olds would appreciate it, but they spent a good amount of time walking through the exhibit and checking out the wolf pack in the window. We had dinner at Boathouse Brewpub and then checked in at the Canoe on Inn for the night. [paragraph break] 
Day 2 of 5
****************************************************[paragraph break] Day 2 - Monday - Breakfast @ Britton's & Into the Wild [paragraph break] ***************************************************[paragraph break] [paragraph break] My boys remembered the pancakes at Britton's from our first trip so we started this trip the same way. A quick stop at Circle K gas station to fill up our water bottles and we were headed down the road towards our entry point. The South Kawishiwi entry point is a little less than 30min from downtown Ely. We were walking down the portage by about 8:15. [paragraph break] The first portage is listed at 130 rods on paddle planner but 147 on our map. I would say it felt closer to the 147. There were some rocky patches, but overall it is an easy portage. The weather that day was ideal. Almost zero wind and bright sunny skies. There was only one more portage between the entry point and the area we wanted to camp. A 19 rod portage was a great chance for one of my boys carry the canoe for the first time. He did great. [paragraph break] After the short portage, we started looking at campsites. I knew it was a busy area so I thought it would be good to know what sites were available and if we liked them as a possible spot to camp. Our target site was one of the four sites on the branch to the south of clear lake. Unfortunately, all of them were taken. So, we paddled back north and ended up at the site just south of the portage into Clear Lake. [paragraph break] Overall I would give the campsite 3.5 to 4.5 stars. The Kitchen area has a fantastic view, but there aren't any trees that would allow you to setup a kitchen tarp. Also, there is a boulder right in front of the fire grate where normally you would want to sit. The grate should really be moved. On a positive side, there are good trees for hanging a hammock and tent pads close by. I also found a spot up the hill from the kitchen area where I could hang my nemo bugout tarp. [paragraph break] 
Day 3 of 5
****************************************************[paragraph break] Day 3 - Tuesday - Lots of Rain[paragraph break] ***************************************************[paragraph break] [paragraph break] We all awoke the next morning to a mild thunderstorm. Lots of rain and a few good thunder boomers but thankfully, no wind. It was fantastic! The storm lasted for about an hour and a half and gave us all a chance to doze in and out to the sound of rain on a tent fly. Once everything quieted down, we all went up to the tarp for some breakfast. I made some pancakes and then a round of bacon, eggs and hashbrowns. By the time we all ate and did the dishes, a second round of thunderstorms were rolling in. Back to our tent and hammock. I brought along "Reflections from the North County' by Sigurd Olson so I read a few chapters and took a nap. [paragraph break] A little after noon, the weather cleared up enough for us to get out in the canoe and do some fishing. We stayed close to camp because the sky looked questionable but we managed to snag a few hammer-handle Northerns. Back at camp the boys had a great time hanging out in the tent, laughing it up while I had a few whiskeys. Dinner that night was simple Mac & Cheese. We went to bed hoping for a clear day tomorrow. 
Day 4 of 5
****************************************************[paragraph break] Day 4 - Wednesday - Lessons about Rationing Supplies[paragraph break] ***************************************************[paragraph break] [paragraph break] The next morning, I was up and making some coffee while the boys were still snoozing. After my cup of coffee the latrine was calling my name. The boys were keeping the toilet paper in their tent so I asked them to pass it out. That is when I discovered that the boys had used all but EIGHT SHEETS of our TP supply. We brought one and a half JUMBO rolls of toilet paper! I couldn't believe it! The last time I saw our bag of toilet paper was 24 hours earlier and I was the first one to use it! It's not my best fatherly trait, but I tend to raise my voice when I want to let the boys know they're acting like idiots. However, it's also about 7:30am and the BWCA is as calm as can be and I know there's campers across the water, less than .25 miles away. I went on a good 5min whisper shout tirade on how ridiculous it was for them to use so much TP. Deep Breath. [paragraph break] Looking back, it's a hilarious story, but man... I was hot. Lesson Learned: Going forward, everyone will have their own personal roll and when it's gone, it's gone. [paragraph break] The weather on Wednesday was perfect. There was a gentle breeze blowing from the north and we planned to fish our way south to some rapids. Hopefully we could bring in a Walleye for a fish dinner. We spent a good 2-3 hours fishing and caught 4 or 5 more Northerns, but none of them were big enough to filet. We also pulled up on an island and tried to do some fishing from shore but still didn't have any luck. We paddled back to camp to relax and prep for dinner. The evening was perfect and the sunset was beautiful. Another great day in the BWCA. 
Day 5 of 5
****************************************************[paragraph break] Day 5 - Thursday - Packing up and Heading Home[paragraph break] ***************************************************[paragraph break] [paragraph break] The next morning was gorgeous! Mist and Fog on calm waters in the morning is always so beautiful. We also had about 5 trumpeter swans hanging out and making a racket right next to our site. It was so cool to hear them trumpet and then listen to the echo as their calls bounced back and forth across the water. The only hiccup with our exit was with the bear rope. For some reason, I left a loop in the end of the rope, and while pulling it over the last branch, the loop went perfectly over a broken branch and completely stuck. I tried to throw the line over from the other side to get it un-stuck but it just wouldn't budge. After 30 minutes of struggling, I had to make the call and cut the rope.. leaving about 20 feet of line hanging from the branch. Bummer :( [paragraph break] The paddle out was smooth and easy. Another day with almost no wind made for easy paddling. We were back at the car within a couple hours and headed back to Piragis to return our gear. [paragraph break] Another great trip. Later that day on the drive home, it was nice to hear them talk about "next time, we should go to a different lake". I hope there are many more trips in our future. 
discuss this trip report (1 comments) - last post on October 04, 2026