My son (15) and I just had a 3-4 day window open up in our schedule and of course, we're hoping to grab a quick bonus trip to the BW. We're looking at exploring a new area off the Slim Lake EP. We like exploring and solitude and the chain of single campsite lakes is intriguing. If we enter on a mid-July Monday morning, what are the odds that we'll find availability at either Rice, Hook, or Keneu?

Finding complete solitude is unlikely and it's hard, if not impossible, to predict campsite availability. But, it's a beautiful area that offers some great hiking as well.

We exited out of Slim a few years back. Trip report

I would say just to go for it. Since you are entering Monday morning you should have a better chance at finding an open site. Just be prepared to move to the next lake if you find a site occupied. Be flexible and you should be fine.

My guess is you'd be good to go....I've been in that area twice and never had a problem.

Just got back from a solo a couple weeks ago. I may have had too much solitude. When I looked at the permit site, every day leading into mine was fully permitted, so I figured it would be busy. As there are only 6 or maybe 7 sites without going to Big Rice I wondered if all sites could be taken.

At Slim Lake entry, going in on a Friday, after stopping along Burntside for the a small window of cell phone reception about 100 yards long, I continued to the lot which had 5 cars in it, so I figured something would be open. I didn't check the southern site(s) on Slim, but the 2 northern ones were taken. I gambled that something would still be open on the next lakes. Surprisingly, the sites on Rice, Hook and Keneu were all open. I stayed at the Hook Lake site, it is a nice campsite. I didn't see anyone for the next few days until canoeing out. Maybe folks like to stay on Slim for short single overnight trips?

Enjoy the trip. As the "exploring" is limited I contemplated trying to grab the southernmost site on Slim and extend a day as you can get to hiking trails from that site, but a burger was calling my name.

Glad you didn't mention fishing as it was lackluster fishing.

We went into EP6 early last August, 3 dads 3 daughters. We stayed 3 nights at the northern most site, closest to the portage to Rice. Really cool spot with views up and down the lake. It's a smaller site but there's a couple decent pads and a nice, sandy landing. We moved to the larger site just south of this one for our last night. Big views and a much larger, open layout.

Great swimming spot, you can jump right off the shore into deep water, the girls loved it. We fished from shore a bit, only a couple smallies the entire trip.

Even though the permits were maxed out, we only saw a few groups the entire time on Slim. We didn't see a single soul on our day trips to Rice and Hook, there's some cool sites there as well. Never made the portage to Keneu.

Great EP for a shorter trip!

I’ve stayed on Hook Lake. It has a nice campsite. We didn’t see anyone for 3 days despite Slim being full. The Rice and Kenue sites were both vacant as was LaPond and Big Rice if you decide to do the long portage.

"Too much solitude?" ....

Is there such a thing?

The Slim area is nice. I've been there twice.

The portage to Rice from Slim is hard to see from the lake; it is there, on the north side of the creek though.

I think Slim is WAY pretty and the campsite on Hook is probably my favorite ever... and the site on Kenau is cool too.

On a Monday, I'd go for it. It is the right EP for your scenario.

Sig Olson used these lakes as a quick getaway from ely. It’s a gorgeous area, huge pines, maybe solitude. Sites may be taken, you never know. I’ve been on this loop more than a dozen times. I now take a slim site and do day trips. Fishing is poor, hiking the dunord trails is fantastic . One of my best bwca memories was being on the bluff overlooking burntside with my young children, we listened as a family of wolves fed not more than a few hundred yards away. Magic.