We are looking for a route out of the Ely area for a short (2-3 nights) winter camping trip. We want to get “away from it all” without having to travel lots of miles. Where would you suggest we go?

Wood Lake out of Ely comes to mind. Its in BWCA so no gas augers if fishing. It’s a relatively popular spot for some but not a bad hike in, a couple decent sites to set up camp, and pretty good fishing if that’s part of your plan...

I would suggest you go first to this thread, which has information on plowing status of roads and parking areas that will pretty much determine your opportunities:

Winter Access Entry Points

The Wood Lake suggestion is a good one (I'll be there this coming weekend), several folks have recently mentioned Fall Lake, and I had a really good experience on North Hegman last year. Agree with the suggestion to check access to entry points, also the thread regarding slush, which can be an unexpected and severely limiting factor.

Ella Hall Lake from the Fall Lake EP? It would be about 3 miles as the crow flies to get there. I think it would definitely be infrequently visited in the winter.

JD

Big Moose from Big Moose Trail....

North or south Hegman are both easy to get to. Another possibility is Angleworm Or across the road is Agassa.

My husband and I went to Parent Lake out of Snowbank a few years ago, and didn't see anyone. This was over President's Day weekend.

Here's our trip report