I've got a trip planned out of EP70 North Fowl next week and have a few questions for anyone with experience in the area. The reservations website makes it sound like to enter at EP 70 you have to go through John Lake, Royal Lake, and on through North Fowl, even though the EP map shows the EP at Little John. Do I HAVE to go through John, Royal, and North Fowl to start my trip, or can I head through John to East Pike Lake and on? By the time I'm on John Lake I'll already be in the BWCA.

Second question, hows the parking at the EP 69/70 landing on the Arrowhead Trail?

ep 70 is for north fowl, so yes you have to go to fowl lake. for pike or pine you would need 68 or 69. fowl lake isn't the greatest but mountain lake is. really nice area.

quote jwartman59: "ep 70 is for north fowl, so yes you have to go to fowl lake."

That's what I figured - just wanted to see if I had other route options to play with (going clockwise rather can counter-clockwise through that area).

Really looking forward to getting up to Mountain Lake.

Royal lake can be a challenge if the rice is bad, stay more left, makes for a good workout, all the portages aren't to bad, 2nd campsite on Moose is a nice one if the water is high there's a waterfalls by the bathroom.

Parking shouldn't be a problem that side of the BWCA isn't as busy as say an Ely entry point.