Good morning!
Hey, I posted a question yesterday regarding outfitters and got some very helpful responses, thank you. I have a new question though and hope for the same input.

Coming from Michigan, I feel we'll be pretty wiped out from the trip, so we're planning to keep to the eastern part of the park. Can anyone share with me a good 3 to 5 day loop with cool stuff to see and do in that area? Which EP should we use for that purpose?

I know it's sort of a tough question. We're pretty competent in the outdoors. Have done two mile portages, but would rather not again! We're in good physical shape. Just looking for ideas.

Thanks.

Why the eastern third? In spite of what you might think, the eastern entry points are not the closest. If you are coming from Michigan, you will be going through Duluth. Little Gabbro lake/South Kawishiwi river are probably the closest entry for you, if you didn't need an outfitter, at about an hour and 50 minutes from Duluth. It's over three hours to the end of the Gunflint trail! It's actually a shorter drive to go to the far westernmost entry (Little Indian Souix 2 hours and 40 minutes) than the far easternmost entry (Mcfarland Lake 3 hours 1 minutes). Times according to Google Maps.

If you need an outfitter, either consider going out of Sawbill, or out of Ely.

There are so many choices of a three to five day route that it's very difficult to suggest one.

Yeesh! I didn't look at it that way.
I guess I need to look at it a little closer and find what permits are available when I get a date nailed down.

If the border was open and you could drive north around Superior then you're correct and I know a lot of people like that trip. But....if the border is closed then you're coming around from Duluth like almost everyone else. At that point the eastern third is your farthest away. (unless there's a ferry across Superior?)

On the other hand, the trip up the North Shore is beautiful. And Google Maps says it’s 2hr 10min. to Sawbill Lake from Duluth.

Check out the Cherokee Loop out of Sawbill Lake at the Sawbill Outfitter website. If you take the full 5 days consider adding a day trip to Frost Lake from Cherokee to your itinerary.

If you only have 3 days, get a shuttle to Kawishiwi Lake and paddle back to Sawbill through the Lady Lakes.

Have a great trip!

I'd focus on getting your dates firmed up first then start looking for permits. I booked a trip 2 weeks ago and had a couple weekends to work with and a couple entry points in mind and found permit availability is what ended up dictating things more than anything else. If you only have a specific window of time to take a trip then permit availability will certainly impact your decision making process. I'm not sure I'd let overall distance to your entry point deter you. Considering the distance you're traveling I'm not sure if the extra drive time to one EP versus another will be that big of a deal, you're looking at maybe a potential of an hour difference.

I'm also from Michigan and it is a 14 hour drive to get to Ely.

We stay at VNO the night before we enter as well as the night we come out. I wouldn't dream of driving home the same day I exit.

It makes the last day a lot better. We can camp further away from the exit point the last day and try to be back in town by 4pm to get cleaned up and have a beer and a good steak dinner.

I know not everyone can take all the time off work and that is crappy but I only get to go once a year right now and I want to enjoy every last little minute and I don't want to be exhausted while doing it.

Since the sawbill trail is mostly paved now you can make it in about 2 hrs from Duluth to Sawbill outfitters. (With good traffic up the shore) If you have 4 days, do the Cherokee Loop out of Sawbill Lake. Easily done in 4 days. Probably can do it in 3 with a little longer days. Great fishing and there are some falls as well as a rapid you can run. Also an abandoned gold mine where you enter the portage on Jack lake heading to Kelly Lake. If you fish send me a message and I can give you some good spots also tell you how to get to the mine.