Hello, we are planning on heading through Mudro to LBF the second week of June (14th) and are hoping to find a basecamp there for 4-5 people (2 tents). I know that there are 7-8 campsites in the immediate area, but I also know that it is a popular area. Does anyone have experience with options if all of these sites are taken? Would you head North on Crooked in hopes to find the next available spot, or turn towards Upper Basswood Falls to try and find a spot there? I'm thinking that heading towards the upper falls would present more options?

P.S. This would not be a loop trip, we would head back out via the Horse River.

If it were me, I'd head east. There's many sites between LBWF and UBWF. You have several options for fishing the falls that way.

When we were there in late May of 2019 most of the sites on Crooked near the falls were taken. We saw only one open site between the falls and Thursday bay. I would look east first. I hear there are many good sites along Basswood River.

The Table Rock site is very large but kind of ugly. The large rock landing and Rock are very cool though

If it was late in day, I would head up the river if the campsites around the falls are taken. I think heading up to Crooked would leave you less options and possibly more paddling than you might want to do.

The sites heading up towards Crooked are hilly and are not good, in my opinion. It's not until you get past Table Rock that the sites improve. There is usually excellent Walleye fishing up that way, in particular when you start heading west. The is good current, especially between the islands. Nice campsites up that way as well. About a 2-3 hr paddle from Lower Basswood Falls. It's nice up there and not many people, at least that's been my experience.

I reserved a Mudro permit for June 9th for my daughter and I. The goal is to camp between LBF and UBF for 2 nights before we head west to Thursday/Friday Bay area for a few days, and then out through Gun/Fairy. We have 7nights/8days. Really hoping campsite availability wont' be too much of an issue on the first day. It will be a long day for me and my 11yo.

Blatz: "The Table Rock site is very large but kind of ugly. The large rock landing and Rock are very cool though"

Yeah, I think the attraction is the voyageur history surrounding the rock, leading to a LOT of use, leading to the ugliness.

schweady: "

Blatz: "The Table Rock site is very large but kind of ugly. The large rock landing and Rock are very cool though"

Yeah, I think the attraction is the voyageur history surrounding the rock, leading to a LOT of use, leading to the ugliness.
"

I think it gets use from people stopping by to take a break and see it but does anyone actually stay there? We stopped by for the latrine and a break on our way to Crooked last June and it was really overgrown. It was one site that didn't have a lot of trash, just seemed like it never gets used

I was in that are during the same time frame in 2015. All of the campsites around LBF were taken. We camped for a night at the site near Frolic Lake north of the Picto's. It was small and hilly, but OK for a small tent and a hammock for a night. There were a few sites open the next day in Wednesday Bay, but most of the sites west of there were taken until we got past Friday Bay.

I was in that are during the same time frame in 2015. All of the campsites around LBF were taken. We camped for a night at the site near Frolic Lake north of the Picto's. It was small and hilly, but OK for a small tent and a hammock for a night. There were a few sites open the next day in Wednesday Bay, but most of the sites west of there were taken until we got past Friday Bay.

Thank you for the advice everyone! I think that our plan will be to turn East is everything is full at LBF.
Two questions:
1) Do you access the two sites (circled in yellow) from the top, or below the falls? I've heard there are trails that connect some of these sites, but I do not want to tromp through anyone's camp.
2) Are the two sites circled in purple visible from the end of the portage on the North side of the falls?
I think our plan would be to send one group down the portage to spy the sites for availability, and leave athe second group up top until we could confirm.

Thanks!

The two you've circled in yellow... the SE one (2096) is accessed from the top of the falls and the NW one (1548) is accessed from the bottom of the falls after you've taken the portage west. And, I believe there's still a USFS building (boat house?) just down the shoreline from that one, to the SW. I can't verify whether there are good sight lines from the west end of the portage to the two you've circled in purple. I do know that you are encouraged to not dally about on this portage, but move through, as it is technically Canadian land and use is only allowed under the Webster-Ashburton Treaty.

We did stop for pictures at the base of the falls, but then pushed on to the pictos, then paddled back for a lunch at one of your sites circled in yellow.

bombinbrian: "

schweady: "

Blatz: "The Table Rock site is very large but kind of ugly. The large rock landing and Rock are very cool though"

Yeah, I think the attraction is the voyageur history surrounding the rock, leading to a LOT of use, leading to the ugliness.
"

I think it gets use from people stopping by to take a break and see it but does anyone actually stay there? We stopped by for the latrine and a break on our way to Crooked last June and it was really overgrown. It was one site that didn't have a lot of trash, just seemed like it never gets used"

I stayed there out of necessity and had to get very creative with a hammock

We accessed the "top" site from above the falls and, yes, the bottom site is water-accessed from below the falls, though you can reach it from the top by a short trail. Both were open when we arrived (about 15 minutes before another group arrived and asked our intent, hoping they could have our upper site) and our preference was the upper site. The next day we took the connecting trail and exited through the bottom site to continue our trip on to Crooked Lake, avoiding the portage around LBF.

There is indeed a boathouse in the near-by bay below the falls, which I was lucky enough to get a "tour" of from Forest Service personnel when they came by the morning we were leaving. Additionally, the ruins of an old cabin (see Michael Furtman's book, "A Season For Wilderness") can be found just up the hill from the boathouse. Also of interest to me were the geologic markers embedded in the rock near the lower site, noting the US/Canada border. The constant roar of the falls makes for some soothing wilderness white noise. We enjoyed our say there.

This seemed to be a VERY busy area as we watched many, many groups take the portage around the falls so if you hope to get a site near there, I would not wait 'til very late in the day.

Thank you for the info everyone, as always, this site is a great resource of information!

plander: "The sites heading up towards Crooked are hilly and are not good, in my opinion. It's not until you get past Table Rock that the sites improve. There is usually excellent Walleye fishing up that way, in particular when you start heading west. The is good current, especially between the islands. Nice campsites up that way as well. About a 2-3 hr paddle from Lower Basswood Falls. It's nice up there and not many people, at least that's been my experience. "

+1 a favorite area of ours