BWCA Entry Point, Route, and Trip Report Blog
July 04 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.
Base Camping on Horseshoe
by Joni
Trip Report
Entry Date:
September 09, 2007
Entry Point:
Lizz and Swamp Lakes
Number of Days:
5
Group Size:
4
Trip Introduction:
This was a first trip for a group from a paddling club in North Carolina.
Part 1 of 5
The Boundary Waters group is back. 4 of us went: Rita Lewandowski, Tom Adams, Jim Depree, and me (Joni Carter). We also took Rita's Australian shepherd Bendi and Tom's schipperke (a small fuzzy dog) T-Bone. 
Rita and I paddled tandem in a canoe, Tom paddled a solo canoe, and Jim paddled his kayak.
Rita and I paddled tandem in a canoe, Tom paddled a solo canoe, and Jim paddled his kayak.
Part 2 of 5
It was gorgeous up there!! Clear water, evergreen forests, island-studded lakes, moss-covered boulders, ferns, white-barked birch trees, and more species of evergreens than I knew existed. The woods smelled like a Christmas tree lot in December. There are so many shades of green that Sherwin Williams could base a paint line on the place and call it the Boundary Waters Collection. As a group we saw a moose, otters, beaver, loons and other water fowl and birds, and a few pesky mice around the campsite. We had no bear entanglements but we did see a fresh track on a portage trail. Weather was mixed. 60's and mostly sunny on Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday with lows in 40s. Windy (around 25 MPH), cold (below freezing at night), and rainy on Tuesday until mid-day. It was rainy Thursday again so we came out a day early, before a cold front moved in that we heard later was bringing snow. The weather is very changeable there with little warning. 
Part 3 of 5
We managed all the portaging very well. It wasn't as bad as we had imagined it would be and was an integral part of the experience. We rented ultra-light Kevlar canoes that weighed about 40 pounds each. Once you got them on your shoulders and balanced, they were pretty easy to carry. We did double-portage though, carrying the boat first and then the gear. When you can manage a look at them, the portage trails are incredibly beautiful but some are better than others. 
The area got a lot of rain before we arrived so one portage trail turned out to be up what amounted to a knee-deep, fast-moving boulder-strewn creek. Fortunately, that was on a day trip with no gear, just boats.
Part 4 of 5
We outfitted through Rockwood Lodge Outfitters near Grand Marais and paddled in off of Poplar Lake, entering the wilderness at entry point 47, Lizz Lake. We paddled through Caribou Lake and portaged into Horseshoe where we base-camped. On Monday, we did a loop trip from Horseshoe through Allen, Jump, and Gaskin Lakes and back to Horseshoe. On Tuesday, the winds, rain, and cold kept us in camp. On Wednesday, we paddled into Vista Lake, my personal favorite, and explored its coves, fingers, and islands thoroughly. 
We walked the portage trails to Misquah and Jake lakes without boats. We then paddled a little way down the South Brule River before returning to camp. Thursday we paddled back out the way we came in, but in the rain.
We walked the portage trails to Misquah and Jake lakes without boats. We then paddled a little way down the South Brule River before returning to camp. Thursday we paddled back out the way we came in, but in the rain.
Part 5 of 5
After going, I understand the draw of the place and why people go back, year after year. It's the beauty and the solitude, the pleasure of the paddling and the pain of the portages. We paddled 50 acre lakes with one campsite, 200 acre lakes with 3 campsites spaced so far apart you would never know there was another camper for miles. We did see some people in canoes on Horseshoe Lake where there are 5 campsites and on some of the portages but on other lakes, it felt like we were the only people on earth. The quiet is amazing. I just wish it were closer so I could go back again, year after year! And did I mention the Trail Center? What a cool place with great food for a pre- and post-trip celebration! 