BWCA Knife Lake - reasonable likelihood of available sight on west side or NAK Boundary Waters Trip Planning Forum
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sylvesterii
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03/03/2020 04:56PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
Planning a trip to Knife for mid-august. Heading in on a Sunday from Moose. Not getting a tow, so campsite availability will be something we need to consider.

My group can definitely make it to Thunder Point on Day 1, but am wondering what the chances are of making it there, only find out all of the sites to the North are taken.

I know there are never any guarantees, but just looking for patterns etc.

Thanks!
 
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03/03/2020 06:33PM  
I wouldn’t worry too much about it. You’ve got a few things working for you. 1. There’s a lot of campsites up that way, and 2, you’re heading in on a Sunday when there’s a good chance that a lot of groups will be packing up and heading back for a tow out. I like your chances. I’ve paddled through the area on a weekend looking for a sight at 6 pm and have found one.

Good Luck!

Tony
TreeBear
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03/03/2020 06:49PM  
I headed in on a trip in late July also on a Sunday and also with no tow. We did make it to the site just past Thunder Point to the North for the night. However, every site west of there was full (they were also full West of Thunder Point on our way back later that week.) Knife is a really busy lake because it feeds from Sag, Seagull, and Moose. However, I have found the North arm to be fairly quiet when I have been there. Best of luck!
sylvesterii
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03/03/2020 08:10PM  
TreeBear, how is that site? That is the one I was kind of targeting.
TreeBear
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03/04/2020 07:53AM  
sylvesterii: "TreeBear, how is that site? That is the one I was kind of targeting."


I was guiding a group of kids that day, so making it to that site in one push was a long day for them, and, for some reason, there was a strange NE headwind on Knife that day. I would have stopped at the first open site, which just so happened to be the one just past Thunder. It's an average site: not incredible, but not bad. Landing is crammed on the East side. Camp kitchen area is really nice. There's two to three tent pads. Biff is more or less right in camp, but is tucked behind a couple cedars. There isn't really any airflow, but it is up above the water and the bugs weren't bad. Also, the proximity to Thunder Point was awesome. It seemed like there used to be a trail from the site, but it dead ended for us. We watched a sunset from Thunder which was incredible.
03/04/2020 08:26AM  
We've done exactly that twice - launched at Moose early - pushed hard to the north end of knife and grabbed a site. No issues with any of the sites being taken.
03/04/2020 08:48AM  
if your going to camp on the north arm the best site is the last one before little knife , one on the point. The next one south of it is nice too.
03/06/2020 12:01PM  
I've been going to this area for many a moon now. You should have no issue getting there. Just a heads up though, there are 4 sites on the south east shore just off Robbins Island. It is a known bear area. Multiple years I have encountered other paddlers who had their food raided on those sites. Even gave 2 guys some spare food one year because they lost everything. It is a group of sites I have been warned about by Debbie at Seagull Outfitters.

If you are willing to push just a bit further the sites heading into the South Arm are pretty good. If you don't make it that far I say try to snag the site on Carp Lake. Great Small Mouth Bass lake if you fish.
sylvesterii
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03/06/2020 12:47PM  
Thanks for the heads up on the Bears!
 
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