Hello all! First post to the forum :)

So myself, three of my gal friends and our big dog are planning a trip into the Boundary Waters in early September for five nights, six days. We have been to the Boundary Waters once before and LOVED it. We aren't a huge fan of portages, but still want somewhere secluded. We want to be able to get to a nice and secluded base camp on day 1 or day 2 without taking a tow. Maybe even find a couple cool campsites to spend two nights each at. Last summer, we went in at entry point 55, got a tow through Saganaga Lake and were dropped off where motors aren't allowed. We camped on Ester Lake for a night and at campsite 1996 on Ottertrack Lake for two nights. We loved how secluded and elevated the site on Ottertrack was! We didn't paddle very far, but still felt isolated and loved the scenery.

Is it possible to find something like this without a tow? We were looking at starting out of Ely to cut down a bit on the drive time, too. Any trip advice would be appreciated!

Thanks! :)

Seclusion without a tow or portages is tricky. Now if you wait until the end of September your chances increase. Also, if you avoid weekends it helps some. I like going in on Monday morning when I can. Travel early. You will see less people plus then you can try to grab a site after people vacate but before those who sleep in. Good luck.

Is "secluded" a lake all to yourselves or just not a lot of groups?

Not necessarily a lake to ourselves, just a campsite that is not within earshot/close to any others really. Maybe on an isolated peninsula or island. We are also willing to do maybe 5 portages or so if it's worth it to get to an awesome spot, and then we can base camp there for a few nights to make it worth the portages :)

I'd be real tempted to suggest Lake One entry to Insula. Classic BWCA and shouldnt be crowded in September.

PS read duplicate titled thread and wondered if Little Gabbro - Bald Eagle and then consider how far you want to go. You might like Clearwater - entry portage, a throw over into Bald, bit of a hike to Gull, easy/average to Pietro, Camdre, and Clearwater.

My trips into the Kawishiwi River in early september have been pretty nice with not too much traffic. We enter at Ojibwa Lake, take a short roller portage into Triangle lake and then a somewhat long portage, about a half mile or so into the river. From there we paddle down stream to where it forks. There is a nice island campsite shortly after it forks. Very nice and feels secluded even when a couple canoes may pass by.

Crab Lake off Burntside Lake should be rather quiet in mid September.
After the initial 400 rod portage (give or take) the other portages for day tripping to Little Crab, Korb, Lunetta, Cummings, etc are easy plus a few other longer portages give you many options.

The Great Outdoors: "Crab Lake off Burntside Lake should be rather quiet in mid September.
After the initial 400 rod portage (give or take) the other portages for day tripping to Little Crab, Korb, Lunetta, Cummings, etc are easy plus a few other longer portages give you many options."

This is an excellent idea but they are "not fans of portages." 400 rods is looooong.

True, but the others if you stay in the big Crab, Little Crab, Korb, Cummings, Lunnetta area are non existent. Big Crab to Little Crab is only 9 rods, (if that) and that's the second longest one.

Out of Ely, these 2 options off the Echo Trail should give you a good chance of seclusion.

1. Entry #6 - Slim Lake. With just a couple portages, you can be on Hook or Keneu Lake. Each of these lakes only have one campsite. You could spend a night or 2 on Hook or Kenue, then head back out to Slim for a night or 2.

2. Entry #8 - Moose River South. A few short portages along the river and maybe a beaver dam or 2 and you're on Big Moose Lake. It's a good size lake with just a few campsites, so even if other sites were taken, you would have a feeling of seclusion.

Depending upon when you decide to secure your permit and how early in the month you're going, I can report back on the number lakes...I'm heading in at EP 30 and have similar goals for solitude, so circling up through four, rifle, bridge, and maybe Delta.

Thanks for all of the awesome advice everyone! We decided to go in via Poplar lake because I was finding that there were quite a few awesome campsite we can get to from there. We will go Poplar-->Lizz-->Caribou-->Horseshoe-->Gaskin. No clue if we will be able to make it all the way there on day 1, but we will try to get as far as we can! I still have to look into fishing and campsite options for the areas, but I am relieved to have our EP permit purchased and general location decided on :)

Sounds like a good plan, Froe. Let us know how your trip went!

Have fun!

Been in that entry/area several times - a nice area. You can be to Gaskin in half a day - 4 to 5 hours - without hurrying and assuming you're double portaging. An early start and you're there before lunch. Enjoy it.

boonie: "Been in that entry/area several times - a nice area. You can be to Gaskin in half a day - 4 to 5 hours - without hurrying and assuming you're double portaging. An early start and you're there before lunch. Enjoy it. "

Half a day is not bad at all! Does double portaging mean taking two trips with our gear? Have you had any issues finding a campsite on Gaskin?

I was with boonie one of those times. We camped on Gaskin mid September last year. I’m pretty sure we had the lake all to ourselves. We scoped out several campsites on the eastern end before choosing. The day we were there was a Wednesday. I have a feeling it may be busier on weekend days.

Oh, and yes. Double portaging means taking your gear across in two trips.

As inspector thirteen confirmed, double portage means two loads of gear and you walk the portage 3X. That's factored into my time estimate. We had no trouble, but it's the only time I've camped on Gaskin. As he said, it could be busier on a weekend, especially if it's really nice weather; it seems to be popular for short weekend trips. A lot of people stop on Caribou or Horseshoe. Get an early start and you should have no trouble finding one.

froe0172: "Not necessarily a lake to ourselves, just a campsite that is not within earshot/close to any others really. Maybe on an isolated peninsula or island. We are also willing to do maybe 5 portages or so if it's worth it to get to an awesome spot, and then we can base camp there for a few nights to make it worth the portages :) "

I paddled Seagull and Alpine lakes from EP54. On our way out, we stayed at a very nice, island campsite on the SW side of Miles Island on Seagull Lake. It's a popular lake, but a quiet, elevated campsite. Attached is a view of the cove/landing from the campsite above.