BWCA Entry Point, Route, and Trip Report Blog
January 15 2025
Entry Point 39 - Baker Lake
Baker 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 26 miles. Access is a boat landing at Baker Lake with a 10-rod portage into Peterson Lake to reach first campsite. This area was affected by blowdown in 1999.
Number of Permits per Day: 2
Elevation: 1497 feet
Latitude: 47.8452
Longitude: -90.8169
Summary: A 5-day loop from Baker up the Temperance lakes to Cherokee, and back through Sawbill and Smoke lakes back to Baker. A fairly difficult trip.
Day 0: We drove up from Stillwater in the morning and camped at one of the 5 walk-in campsites at Baker Lake, and it was nice.
Day 1 (Baker to S. Temperance) - A beautiful day, we decided to paddle all the way to South Temperance the first day which was a great paddle with easy portages except for the last one. We picked the campsite on top of a huge rock that was close to the middle of the lake. Tried fishing some but no luck
Day 2 (Rest) - In the night, we encountered the worst storm of the entire season. While we were there 19 people had to be rescued from the BWCA. We had about 50mph straightline winds, and I'm still surprised that the huge tent we had stood up to it. We slept in and took a rest day because of the intense winds. Amazingly beautiful sunset.
Day 3 (S. Temperance to Cherokee) - We left as early as we could to beat the heat, but it was no good. The lengthy, hilly portages were challenging and by the last portage we were pretty beat. We overpacked and single portaged which led us to speedier exhaustion. Still amazing weather. North Temperance was a beaut- I wish we had stayed there instead of South. We took the southeasterly facing campsite on Cherokee on the southeastern skinny island. Neat little site.
Day 4 (Cherokee to Sawbill) - Left a little later in the day but it was ok. We took our time going down the river letting out of the southwest part of Cherokee and it was a great area. BEWARE: The area between Ada and Skoop Lakes appears to be floatable, but a dam built recently has made the portion impossible to float. Be prepared for a long portage through muck and water. A guy that we saw there said he had been going to the BWCA for 40 years at least once per year and it was the worst portage he had ever seen. By the time we got to Sawbill it was pretty hot. We paddled all the way down to the site next to the portage onto Smoke.
Day 5 (Sawbill to Baker) - Cooler, cloudier weather for the first time on the trip. We were pretty hungry (I underpacked food a little and I felt really bad) and we were taunting each other with vivid descriptions of the burgers we were going to eat ASAP after getting out. We paddled back to Baker and returned our gear to Sawtooth outfitters.
Overall great route.
Number of Permits per Day: 2
Elevation: 1497 feet
Latitude: 47.8452
Longitude: -90.8169
Summary: A 5-day loop from Baker up the Temperance lakes to Cherokee, and back through Sawbill and Smoke lakes back to Baker. A fairly difficult trip.
Day 0: We drove up from Stillwater in the morning and camped at one of the 5 walk-in campsites at Baker Lake, and it was nice.
Day 1 (Baker to S. Temperance) - A beautiful day, we decided to paddle all the way to South Temperance the first day which was a great paddle with easy portages except for the last one. We picked the campsite on top of a huge rock that was close to the middle of the lake. Tried fishing some but no luck
Day 2 (Rest) - In the night, we encountered the worst storm of the entire season. While we were there 19 people had to be rescued from the BWCA. We had about 50mph straightline winds, and I'm still surprised that the huge tent we had stood up to it. We slept in and took a rest day because of the intense winds. Amazingly beautiful sunset.
Day 3 (S. Temperance to Cherokee) - We left as early as we could to beat the heat, but it was no good. The lengthy, hilly portages were challenging and by the last portage we were pretty beat. We overpacked and single portaged which led us to speedier exhaustion. Still amazing weather. North Temperance was a beaut- I wish we had stayed there instead of South. We took the southeasterly facing campsite on Cherokee on the southeastern skinny island. Neat little site.
Day 4 (Cherokee to Sawbill) - Left a little later in the day but it was ok. We took our time going down the river letting out of the southwest part of Cherokee and it was a great area. BEWARE: The area between Ada and Skoop Lakes appears to be floatable, but a dam built recently has made the portion impossible to float. Be prepared for a long portage through muck and water. A guy that we saw there said he had been going to the BWCA for 40 years at least once per year and it was the worst portage he had ever seen. By the time we got to Sawbill it was pretty hot. We paddled all the way down to the site next to the portage onto Smoke.
Day 5 (Sawbill to Baker) - Cooler, cloudier weather for the first time on the trip. We were pretty hungry (I underpacked food a little and I felt really bad) and we were taunting each other with vivid descriptions of the burgers we were going to eat ASAP after getting out. We paddled back to Baker and returned our gear to Sawtooth outfitters.
Overall great route.
Solo: EP 37 to Malberg Base (Day trips to Fishdance/KivaNiva/Boze)
by cabinsolutions
Trip Report
Entry Date:
July 19, 2024
Entry Point:
Kawishiwi Lake
Number of Days:
5
Group Size:
1
Trip Introduction:
I planned this solo trip (my first) starting this past winter. Many thanks to all the comments and input from fellow BWCA contributors! I was able to make some very informed decisions as a result. This was my 11th BWCA trip, but first solo. I rented a Prism solo from Sawtooth Outfitters and headed up to Kawishiwi campground the night prior to put-in. There were two sites remaining, and I was able to get one on the water. After setting a quick camp, I rehearsed my load and portage plans with the new canoe. I found the Prism to be very stable, fast, and easily trimmed. It doesn't turn on a dime in the creeks, but that was the only negative feature worth noting. Great boat!
After a can of sardines, PBJ, and some crackers, I headed to the tent to rest up for the journey! What a great campground to start a trip from!
Day 2 of 5
Friday, July 19, 2024: Reveille: 0500 Breakfast: Boiled Eggs/Protein bar and started hydrating 0515: Packed up camp, parked truck and loaded up 0530: Shoved off to a foggy lake with calm conditions. The sunrise was amazing! Headed up W side of Kawishiwi towards the creek. Paused for a quick gear adjust and then entered creek up to Square 0600: Arrived square. Still no wind and nice cool conditions. What a peaceful stretch! Paddled through Square to the portage. I bypassed the portage and opted to pull over the beaver dam. Continued towards Kawasachong and saw many ducks and beavers along the way. The next beaver dam was a pull over. The final one required unloading and a short carry. Watch the rocks in the center. Some are unstable and could cause turned ankles. Paddled KChong and arrived Townline portage about 7 am. 0700: Conquered the two longer portages to Polly. Easy double portage. No traffic. 0820: Arrived Polly and began the northbound paddle. This was my first encounter with other campers. Polly sites were mostly full. 0850: Arrive Northern Portage. Ran into a group of Girl Scouts (this will be a theme throughout this report!). They allowed me to portage through because they had 3 boats, 8 people and a bunch of gear. I was thankful for their generosity! 0940: Conquered the three portages to Koma. Pretty straightforward. The final one is around 127 rods. It has some small elevation changes but is very manageable. 1000: Arrived Malberg portage and got to the other side of the rapids by 1010 after taking in the view and pictures by the rapids. This is a must-see! 1015: Began paddling Malberg in search of a campsite. All of my top three choices were open but I settled on Site 1053 above the channel towards the NW portage. It was an amazing site! 1030: Arrived Site 1053 and began setting up camp after a short rest. I spent a few hours making camp, gathering firewood, swimming and relaxing. It was awesome to just be in solitude! The bugs were manageable. 1630: Went fishing in the channel and surrounding areas. 1700: Ran into the Girl Scouts who allowed me to portage through. They headed to make camp at site 1051 around the corner from me. 1730: Caught a nice walleye so went back to camp to cook it for dinner. I enjoyed that with some cheddar broccoli rice. As everyone knows, fresh fish cooked in the BWCA are hard to top!! 1800: Cleaned up, hung bear barrel, prepped camp for the evening. Enjoyed a campfire until the bugs came out. 1930: Turned in for the evening after a long and physically demanding day. 2100: Woke up to the sounds of a wolf pack howling about 300 meters NE of camp. What an awesome sound! They continued on throughout the night.
~Kawishiwi Lake, Square Lake, Kawasachong Lake, Townline Lake, Polly, Lake, Koma Lake, Malberg Lake
Day 4 of 5
Saturday, July 20, 2024: 0530: Reveille followed by coffee on the wonderful sitting rock above the channel. 0545: Paddled to Malberg rapids to try fishing. Caught several large bluegills, one pike, and a few smallmouth 0800: After breakfast, I went to gather firewood. The beavers were very busy each evening and left me several scraps for my campfire each day! 0900: While returning to camp, one canoe of Girl Scouts paddled around the bend and asked for assistance. They had some medical challenges and had lost satcomm with their base. I offered to bring my InReach to their camp to assist with comms. 1000: Met another solo paddler (very kind lady!) as I was about to push off. She was on her way to Fishdance, but agreed to help assess the situation. 1015: Arrived at the Scout's camp and began assessing and working out options with the leaders. Likely dehydration and heat related symptoms. They were able to use my InReach to establish comms with their base. Left them with the device and returned to my camp before the approaching thunderstorm hit. 1200: Strung up a tarp, lunch, then sheltered in tent during the rain and thunder. Got a nap/read and wrote a bit. 1800: Emerged after rain and made dinner and had a campfire. 1930: Off to bed!~Malberg Lake 
Day 6 of 5
Sunday, July 21, 2024: 0530: Reveille followed by coffee and breakfast. 0800: I went to check on the scouts and retrieve my InReach. I found no activity at camp so assumed they were sleeping in and I returned to camp. 1100: Returned to the Scouts and discussed status with leaders. Girls were going to rest that day and attempt extract on Monday. Their SPOT device was rebooted, so they had comms with base once again. With InReach in hand, I headed back to camp to plan my day trip. 1200: Departed for day trip to Kivaniva. Paddled NE through Malberg to the first portage. It was a very narrow rapids carved deep coming out of Malberg. I proceeded up the creek to another section of the Kawishiwi River until I reached the portage to Kivaniva. The only activity on this portage was wolf and moose tracks! Arrived Kivaniva Lake with another neat rapids to portage around. Paddled through seeing trumpeter swans, eagles, beavers and many water lilies! There is one site that is overgrown on the northern side. I stopped there for a break and enjoyed many wild blueberries!!! After soaking it in, I began the paddle back to Malberg. I had some daylight left, so I explored Louse Creek east to Boze lake. This is a small meandering creek with much beauty and peace! Returned to camp early evening for dinner and campfire. A long day of paddling and exploring, but it was worth every bit of the effort! ~Boze Lake, Frond Lake, Kivaniva Lake, Malberg Lake 
Day 7 of 5
Monday, July 22, 2024: 0530: Reveille followed by coffee and breakfast. 0800: Scouts stopped by my camp on their way out and asked for assistance portaging to Polly. They had several members dizzy, weak and unable to handle the portages. I agreed to help them, packed up camp, and I caught up to them at the Malberg to Koma portage. I paddled ahead and met them at the first Koma portage. I assisted them with a triple portage on the longer one, and they agreed they could handle the two remaining shorter legs. I wished them well on their return and headed back to camp. I arrived camp about 1000 and pondered my day trip. It was suppose to rain, so I decided to head to the pictos on Fishdance instead of sitting around camp all day. 1200: Departed for Fishdance. Portaged thru to River. Please note, THIS PORTAGE IS FLOODED. GO LEFT IF NORTHBOUND AND YOU'LL WEAVE THROUGH SMALL SECTION UNTIL YOU CAN PORTAGE AGAIN. Arrived River lake and banked SW towards Fishdance. This is a very scenic part of the river. I saw one group staying at the south island site on River Lake. After two hours of paddling and one short portage I arrived at the pictos. It was very surreal thinking about the history and someone painting those so many years ago. I recommend seeing these if you have the opportunity. 1430: Began my return trip and enjoyed a peaceful paddle. As I cleared the portage into Malberg, I heard a float plane to my south. I was concerned about the welfare of the Girl Scouts (more on that later.....). I assumed it was an evac since the fire danger was low. Returned to camp around 1700 and settled in. I had decided to depart the next morning for KChong and spend a final night there so I packed up a few things before hitting the rack. 
~Malberg Lake, River Lake, Fishdance Lake
~Malberg Lake, River Lake, Fishdance Lake
Day 9 of 1
Tuesday, July 23, 2024: 0500: Reveille, quick snack and broke camp 0600: Departed camp and paddled/portaged south thru Malberg, Koma and Polly. As I was approaching the portage out of Polly, I saw three canoes ahead of me heading that way as well. Guess who?! Yes, the Girl Scouts. I noticed they were missing a member as I approached and inquired about the float plane I heard the night before. They had evac'd one of their members who had some complications and needed medical attention. That explained the float plane..... I offered to carry some extra gear on my portage and doubled the first. As I returned, one of the leaders asked if I could help them get to KChong through these longer portages. I agreed and started shuttling gear as efficiently as possible. Following a triple portage, we all arrived safely at KChong (exhausted!) and they had a rescue canoe inbound from EP37. We agreed they were stable enough for me to part ways, so I chose to move on after getting them to this point. I assessed my energy level and realized I should just paddle in the remaining legs and call it a trip. I enjoyed the peaceful winding creeks leading back to Square and Kawishiwi. I met the rescue boat just before Square and briefed them on the crew's condition and location. I paddled out of Kawishiwi to 37 with a sense of relief that they were ok. Packed up my gear around 1330 and headed to Sawtooth Outfitters. This is an amazing outfitter with very friendly staff! They had heard about the Scouts and when I mentioned I needed to pay for all the extra communication on the InReach, they offered to cover it for me. Please give them your business if you need gear and rentals!!!! After a 4 hour return trip to WI, I arrived safely home and was completely satisfied with my first Solo journey! FYI, I checked in on the Girl Scouts the next day.....They all arrived back to their camp, received medical attention and were doing well. For that....I am thankful! 
~Malberg Lake, Koma Lake, Polly, Lake, Townline Lake, Kawasachong Lake, Square Lake, Kawishiwi Lake
~Malberg Lake, Koma Lake, Polly, Lake, Townline Lake, Kawasachong Lake, Square Lake, Kawishiwi Lake
Lakes Traveled:
Malberg Lake,
Koma Lake,
Polly, Lake,
Townline Lake,
Kawasachong Lake,
Square Lake,
Kawishiwi Lake,
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