I know this isn't typical of most trip planning, but I'm trying to sell my wife on the idea of full-blown BWCA trips in the future and want to head north with our camper and do day trips.

Who should we stay with? Two adults and two kids. Probably wouldn't bring my canoe and would rent one this time around.

Here is one option, sawbill lake campground, just north of tofte,mn Sawbill lake campground

It is located right on an entry point lake with an outfiffer that runs the campground

tony

Her is another one closer to Ely with alot of day trip options. Fall lake campground

This website lists National Forest Campgrounds. If you are looking for some amenities, don’t bother with campgrounds with "rustic" in their name. Fall Lake and Fenske are close to Ely. Trails End is at the end of the Gunflint Trail. Sawbill Lake is at the end of the Sawbill Trail. Crescent Lake is close to Sawbill but nearer to Grand Marais. You may want to reserve a site.

There are also private campgrounds associated with the various lodges and resorts that may provide extra services.

Sawbill is wonderful, no camper hook-ups however. I'm talking about water and electricity, not the other kind.

My wife and I have stayed at both Sawbill Lake and Fall Lake. Both are really nice but very different. Sawbill is more toward the primitive while Fall is more developed and refined. If the children are young and need things to keep them interested, Fall Lake has a very nice swimming beach and a nearby playground. Both of them are well managed and very well taken care of. At Sawbill you need to buy showers from the outfitter while at Fall Lake the showers are included with the camping fee. There are better options for renting canoes right at the campground at Sawbill because of the proximity of the outfitter.

I can only speak of Sawbill, and their accommodations are excellent. nice shop nice bathrooms and showers. I am however staying at fall lake this year in hopes of a good experience. But if you are trying to convince her of a BWCA trip and want some of the experience I would highly recommend a rustic campground. 1.) its free, 2.) still have your car and can leave whenever, 3.) they are pretty quiet and you can really go through the motions and get an "away" feeling.

You can also try East Bearskin Campground. They have RV sites, tent sites, and even some small bunk style cabins you can reserve.

East Bearskin Lodge/Outfitters manages the camp, they are also an entry lake (#64) with full rentals if any are needed.

Campground link: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/east-bearskin-lake-campground/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=NRSO&parkId=72055

Outfitters Link: http://www.bearskin.com/

My plan is camper it this year, camper it next year
with a 2 nighter mixed in and in 2020 a full trip.

I should ad im waiting for my 5 year old to grow
up a bit.

I do a car-camping trip nearly every year to the Fall Lake campground. Many day trip options available:

Directly from the campground:
- To Pipestone Falls in Basswood and back
- To Ella Hall and back (good possibility you'll have Ella Hall to yourself)
- Catch a tow from an outfitter to the end of the no motor zone, paddle up to Basswood Falls, then either paddle all the way back or catch another tow.

Wood Lake - loop through Good, Indiana, Hula, and Hoist Bay

Little Indian Sioux - up to Devils Cascade and back

Mudro - loop through Fourtown, Horse, Tin Can Mike, and Sandpit (you'll need to be in good shape for this one!)

Fenske (not BWCA, but just like it) - to Little Sletten, Sletten, and Grassy. One of the outfitters that sponsor this page and frequent contributor, Voyaguer North, included a great trip report of this area in their newsletter a few years back, you might be able to find it online yet.

Lake One:
West from the EP one portage, then upriver back to Lake One, then down Lake One to Lake One outfitters and back to the EP

West from the EP for 4 portages all downriver (no current except near portages) to a neat little waterfall and back

JD

Ive been over ruled. We're headed to Duluth.

Maybe rent a canoe and spend a bit of time on

the St. louis

Fall Lake is great. Very nice private sites for a camper, close to Ely. Some sites are right on the Lake. You can paddle Fall Lake but you have to put up with some motor traffic. We just car topped our canoe to other nearby lakes