We are planning to take on the Granite River route in late July. (3 kids: 15, 12 & 9, limited canoeing experience - this will be our 4th family BWCA trip.) We have only base camped so far, so this will be our first time moving campsites. We will utilize the bunkhouse at Tuscarora so we can get a decent start the first morning at EP #57. Planning to camp on Clove if available, and then pack up and paddle onward to Devil's Elbow or Marabouf. After 2 nights at our second campsite, we plan to get a tow back to the dock on Saganaga.

My main question is this: Is this a reasonable timeframe to take this route? Our kids are certainly capable but inexperienced, and our youngest has significant anxiety issues. I've read several trip reports commenting on how the portages are somewhat difficult to find and navigate. Our 'safer' option would be to base camp on Clove/Larch and then exit out at Larch Creek. Or maybe add 1 day to camp 2 nights at each spot?

Thanks for sharing any wisdom from more experienced paddlers. :-)

Your itinerary looks good. Get an early start and try to keep moving your first day to optimize your chances of getting a campsite on Clove. My suggestion would be to add that fourth night and paddle out to Saganaga for that last night. There are lots of campsites in that part of the lake. Also I would paddle in the last day instead of tow. I know Sag has a reputation for bad wind, but the route from Granite/Pine River to Gull lake is pretty sheltered. It is a beautiful lake.

Also, ask your outfitter about water levels on the rivers. I am pretty sure they have had below average precip since mid-winter. I have heard the river out of Magnetic Lake can about disappear making that first portage a problem.

Thank you! I have heard that Saganaga has some gorgeous, enormous campsites. We even debated about base camping on Saganaga (maybe next year?). I don't have a ton of confidence in bigger water...a few years ago we got really blown around and turned around in Seagull.

I will check with Tuscarora about the water levels - thanks for the tip!

I know that some of the young folks that work at the outfitters make that trip in one day. Of course, they're not hauling gear, (just lunch), single portaging, so they can really zip through the trip.

I did that route in 2015 with my then 9 year old, you should have no problem. We had some wind issues slow us down, but still made out in 3 days at a very leisurely pace.

Try and get the campsite on the north end of Clove, it has a nice sandy beach and is great for swimming.

Thank you for the encouragement and the information! About how long would you expect it to take to travel from Clove to Marabouf? (with 2 canoes, gear, 5 people)...

That's about a 5 mile paddle with 4-5 portages all under 75 rods. I'm guessing you're double portaging.

I'd think 4 hours is plenty of time for that part of the route. Also, don't think you need to worry too much about finding the portages as long as you pay close attention to your maps.

The only portage we found tricky to find was from the Pine River into Clove. That portage landing, as I recall, has a landing that is all rocky, (but not steep, and easy to walk on), and as a result you can't really see that "path" that is the portage trail until you land and walk about twenty yards up the landing, then you can see the trail into Clove. This portage is tucked into a small bay just north of campsite #1950 where we camped our first night

A couple more tips. When we got to Horsetail Rapids, water levels were low, and we found it easier to get out of the canoe and walk it down the "rapids", which wasn't difficult, rather than use the portage, which is really tight and tricky, and up against a wall of rocks.

Also our maps showed the portage at Saganaga Falls as being on the East side of the falls, but our outfitters told us it was on the West side of the falls, which it was. I've heard rumors of a 2nd portage at Sag Falls on the East side, but I can't verify that.

What makes the Granite River/Pine River a bit tricky to navigate is the lack of detail on any of the maps most of us use. I use McKenzie maps and I've looked at the Voyageur maps and both do not have the fine detail needed plus they have some errors. This area is very narrow with lots of possible routes to travel. The canoe maps I mention just aren't zoomed in close enough to see the detail. This is why some people get lost and are never heard of again (kidding).

And canoeing conditions are subject to change depending on water levels. I think I have taken some of the wrong routes but always got through anyway. If you really want to have accurate maps, I would recommend printing Google Earth images and laminating them.

If you or anyone wants, I can attach my Google Earth images with the "correct" route on them.

I paddled the Granite from Gunflint to Sag in 2016 as the first trip for my kid plus a buddy and his daughter. We took a week and basically did the stops you mentioned - two nights on Clove, two nights in the elbow area, followed by two nights on Sag. Travel was mostly easy, I'd say 4 hours between camps. There are a couple riffles you'll likely be able to run, ask your outfitter for more info. Also, the portage coming out of the elbow into Maraboeuf was a little technical, mostly just figuring out the best place to load on the other end.. Horsetail Rapids as johndku notes.

Be on the lookout for blueberries on your trip. You may be a little on the early side, but could luck into some ripe ones.

I wrote a trip report about it, feel free to check it out if you'd like. Link's under my screen name.

BeaV: "If you or anyone wants, I can attach my Google Earth images with the "correct" route on them."

Yes, please!

fsupp: "

BeaV: "If you or anyone wants, I can attach my Google Earth images with the "correct" route on them."

Yes, please!"

OK, here are the 2 areas where confusion can happen. The first image is of the Blueberry Portage area. Both ends of this portage are a little hard to discern because of the granite groundscape. The second image is further downstream. The two spots I have marked as Rapids #1 and #2 are, I think, runnable for most people under most stream flow levels but if not, then there should be a portage on the US side (I labeled it Mystery Portage because the last time I was here during a rainy night, I didn't find it so I boulder hopped going upstream). Maybe someone else can comment on the location of this portage. McKenzie and Voyageur maps don't show a portage here to avoid those 2 rapids. The red line on both maps is the route I took including where I screwed up looking for the portages- it was a dark rainy night and I was tired:)

And here is what I mean by granite groundscape. This is taken at the upstream side of the Blueberry Portage. Note the aluminum international boundary pin and the rock cairn to the left of the photo. This is where the portage goes over the top before dropping down into a steep "cut" into the rock.

For clarity, the "river" flows from Magnetic Lake down to Saganaga.

That's much nicer than the condition I found that portage in August 2016... We were in maybe a few days to a week after some heavy wind & the landing was pretty hard to make.

Thanks very much, BeaV!

I've done this route at least a dozen times. I echo what most people say. This is the go-to trip I take newbies on. It offers river, lake, rapids, big water, little water, good fishing and paddling a river where Canada is on the right side of the canoe.

Your plan sounds very good and doable. It can be done easily in two days.

The narrowest spot between Devil's Elbow and Maraboeuf Lakes yielded me a nice bass in 2002.



Mike

Thank you so much! I appreciate seeing the Google Earth images. I know we'll get a decent map from Andy & Ada at Tuscarora and they typically point out any inconsistencies on the maps for us ahead of time.

Thanks for sharing your trip report! Hoping we don't encounter that type of wind. While it's great for keeping mosquitoes at bay, not so much fun paddling.

Thank you! I've read your trip report a couple of times. Beautiful photos and description of the route. Wish we had more time to have layovers at both campsites, but glad to hear that 3 nights/4 days is doable.

Thanks, Mike! We're hoping to do some fishing as well. I keep hearing that this is considered an 'easy' route but wondering how that's possible with all the portages and stories of folks getting lost, etc. I'm hopeful with careful planning that we'll be OK. Hoping for good blueberry picking as well!

Your route is near and dear to my heart. It was my first-ever BWCA trip with my parents. I was six years old. My father guided that route out of Gunflint Lodge when he was in college. My mom and I scattered his ashes in Blueberry Rapids after he died in 1994.

As others have said, you should be fine with your kids, including paddling out Saganaga if you so choose. That part of the lake is quite sheltered and very scenic. In college, I flew back from my internship in Detroit, drove up with a friend, my parents and one newbie, did the trip, drove back to MSP, and flew back to Detroit, all over a long 4th of July weekend. I don't recall feeling rushed at all during the paddling.

Thank you for sharing that story, rpike! What a lovely tribute to your father. I appreciate the feedback on the route.

johndku: "I know that some of the young folks that work at the outfitters make that trip in one day. Of course, they're not hauling gear, (just lunch), single portaging, so they can really zip through the trip.

I did that route in 2015 with my then 9 year old, you should have no problem. We had some wind issues slow us down, but still made out in 3 days at a very leisurely pace.

Try and get the campsite on the north end of Clove, it has a nice sandy beach and is great for swimming.

Grandmas sometimes do that route in a day too!

Gunflint to Sag in a Day

Heavylunch, that's amazing and awesome to do that route in a day! Thanks for sharing your story.

Maureen: "Thanks, Mike! We're hoping to do some fishing as well. I keep hearing that this is considered an 'easy' route but wondering how that's possible with all the portages and stories of folks getting lost, etc. I'm hopeful with careful planning that we'll be OK. Hoping for good blueberry picking as well!"

This is an easy route that is a great introduction to the BWCA. Offers a bit of everything: river, rapids, waterfalls, big water, little water, good fishing, sand beach (campsite on north end of Clove Lake) and those cool silver border markers you are bound to see. Blueberries, too. I strong duo could do the route in a day.

Please let us know how it went and post a trip report.

Mike