BWCA Campsites near rapids / falls Boundary Waters Listening Point - General Discussion
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02/20/2021 05:52PM  
Got to thinking today about campsites that are within hearing distance of rapids or falls. I think it would be a neat experience. That said, where are they, and when you camp at one does it eventually get annoying where you wish you could turn it off?

Inquiring minds what to know.
 
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billconner
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02/20/2021 06:06PM  
Several times in Quetico and not a real problem though I do like pure wilderness "silence".
 
cyclones30
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02/20/2021 06:47PM  
I love the sound. There are quite a few. Some you'd near no matter what....others you might only hear if it's a quiet night. A breeze or something and you won't be able to hear it if the campsite is a little farther from the rapids or it's not a very big fall.

In the "you will always hear it category" would be all the lower basswood falls and all the upper basswood falls sites. That's at least 7 or 8 right there?

In the you'll hear it on a quiet night...the site on Iron nearest Curtain Falls we could hear it but it was sort of a dull sound being that far away and through trees. We could actually hear flowing water from our site on Nina Moose from the tiny Portage river where it was falling over a beaver dam. I love that sound. Could hear it on Birch and the sites nearest the portage to Carp and those rapids.

I would think the Granite river would have at least a few sites w/ the sound of rushing water heard from camp. Rose falls has a site nearby? Mueller falls?
 
Savage Voyageur
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02/20/2021 07:48PM  
Last one on lake four fits this question. The water puts you to sleep at night.
 
ForestDuff
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02/20/2021 08:28PM  
Yep, when arriving at one of the Basswood River sites where the rapids are a mere feet away, I thought it might make for an interesting time trying to fall asleep.
I have never slept better in the BW.......ever.
 
02/20/2021 09:49PM  
I really like it. The sound helps me sleep. If you camp near falls though just remember it is a magnet for portagers, campers looking for a site, fisherman, site-seers etc... you probably won’t have solitude. It is worth it but ya just have it set appropriate expectations.

T
 
02/21/2021 07:01AM  
If you like campsites with the roar of rushing water...

Campsite 5 in Crosby Manitou State Park (for you backpackers out there). Nice campsite, several good spots for tents and a nice fire area. This site sits right on the water and the water happens to be a pretty good rapids to the left(upstream) and in front of the site and just at the downstream edge of the campsite there is a small (6 footish) waterfall. The white noise from the water was incessant and so loud my buddy and I would have to get close to each other and raise our voices in order to hear each other. But...it was really cool, never got tired of it and slept like a baby. Our only respite from it was to hike smewhere along the trails both upstream and down where thee wasn't rapids and have only the normal sounds of a running river.

This is a beautiful spot and area to spend a few days and we saw wildlife and only one other person. We were there in September so also got to enjoy the beginning of the color change. Highly recommend if you like that rapids/waterfall noise.




Part of the campsite area




This little waterfall sits right at the downstream edge of the campsite which is on the left shore right above it. You can see the rapids that run in front of camp.



We interrupted this guys dinnertime. The sound of the rushing water was so loud we had to yell at him to get his attention.



A nice fire, a view like this and the roar of the water, what could be more relaxing



Lots of interesting water features all along the river, both upstream and downstream. This is a moderate hike north along the river
 
02/21/2021 10:09AM  
Lousia Falls into Agnes Lake in the Q from Lousia Lake. About 8o feet in several actual drops with the "bath tub" as a bonus. It is also worth the climb from the camping site to get to the top for the view.
 
02/21/2021 10:09AM  
Lousia Falls into Agnes Lake in the Q from Lousia Lake. About 8o feet in several actual drops with the "bath tub" as a bonus. It is also worth the climb from the camping site to get to the top for the view.
 
02/21/2021 10:27AM  
My all-time favorite is Myrtle Falls on the Namakan River. Spartan1 says this is "on the border" of Quetico, but is Queen Lands. Have been there twice and both times loved the sound of the falls when in the tent.

You can hear the rapids/small falls from the big site on Cross Bay Lake. That one comes to mind, too.

 
brp
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02/21/2021 10:49AM  
There are campsites north and south of the Devil's Cascade in the western BWCA, that thing really roars so I bet you can hear it from the sites. There is also a clearing along the portage around the cascade, really nice place for lunch or an extended break, it is right above the cascade. If you do stop there, be careful with kids or dogs, there is dangerously steep hill/cliff.

Campsite 1671 on Lake One also can hear the rapids, sounds more like a distant drone than actual bubbling/splashing water.
 
02/21/2021 11:05AM  
Spartan2: "My all-time favorite is Myrtle Falls on the Namakan River. Spartan1 says this is "on the border" of Quetico, but is Queen Lands. Have been there twice and both times loved the sound of the falls when in the tent.


You can hear the rapids/small falls from the big site on Cross Bay Lake. That one comes to mind, too.


"

Second this. One of the best campsites ever. The namakan river was the the original voyageur route, they abandoned it as they considered it too dangerous, it was debated whether the international border would have used this river in making the border.
If you ever plan a trip to wcpp consider taking the bloodvein river to lake Winnipeg. Pretty much the entire time you are within hearing distance of a falls/rapids.




This campsite on the south fork flambeau river features a loud rapid.
 
KarlBAndersen1
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02/21/2021 11:54AM  
I spent the night ONE TIME near some rapids.
Never again.
They don't shut off.
 
02/21/2021 01:27PM  
Not a fan of campsites near running water. The back ground noise gets old after a while. I do like visiting Falls and rapids however
 
02/21/2021 01:39PM  
Blatz: "Not a fan of campsites near running water. The back ground noise gets old after a while. I do like visiting Falls and rapids however"


Not a fan either. I like hearing the night sounds.
 
02/21/2021 03:52PM  
snakecharmer: "
Blatz: "Not a fan of campsites near running water. The back ground noise gets old after a while. I do like visiting Falls and rapids however"



Not a fan either. I like hearing the night sounds."


Lol, if you thought that was bad try spending the night at a lighthouse with a functioning fog horn that blows once every 10 seconds. THAT got old. Though, amazingly, we did eventually get used to it and have to pay attention to hear if it was still going. It was.

As for waterfalls, I enjoy a night or two by one but wouldn't want to spend a whole trip without the perfect silence you can get on a still night when not near falls.
 
02/21/2021 09:46PM  
I love the sound of water at night. Whether rain, a falls, rapids, lake waves hitting rocks, or ocean waves hitting the beach.

The boulder strewn site on the west side of Agnes has a small creek with a tiny falls you can just barely hear if on the closest tent pad.
 
DanCooke
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02/21/2021 10:24PM  
Vernon lake right next to the portage from Brule lake.
 
02/22/2021 08:07AM  
DanCooke: "Vernon lake right next to the portage from Brule lake.
"


I was going to mention this one as well. You are fall enough from the fall so you can't hear them, but the campsite is right by the creek and you get to listen to the water flowing all night long. It's loud enough to sit back and listen to, but quiet enough to tune it out if you want to. We spent 3 days at this site and had a really relaxing trip.
 
02/22/2021 08:54AM  
On the Falls Chain....site on Sydney right below Bald Rock Falls
 
02/22/2021 09:19AM  
timatkn: "I really like it. The sound helps me sleep. If you camp near falls though just remember it is a magnet for portagers, campers looking for a site, fisherman, site-seers etc... you probably won’t have solitude. It is worth it but ya just have it set appropriate expectations.


T"


I like it, too. There are some 'quieter' falls or even just creek noise sites that I've visited. Two western sites on Cummings near the rapids into Otter are nice - distant enough that you would only hear them on a quiet evening/night.
The SE corner of Shell has a lovely creek in the back of the camp with a nice, high rock outcrop above it for viewing the lake.
The island site on the SE corner of Little Sag is nice, and close enough to the beautiful river/rapids coming in from Mora that you can enjoy the sound on a quiet night.
Keep in mind the time of year and water level, too. Some 'roaring' falls in June turn into quiet trickles by August.
 
02/22/2021 09:30AM  
I like camping with the sound of running water and will seek those places out.
The backpacking site next to Devils Cascade is one, and also the South Kawishiwi River. Head north/upstream to the first portage, there is a campsite there.

A nice campground site is the Little Isabella River CG near Isabella, the farthest campsite to the east/right loop as you enter has a nice site with the gurgling sound of the river.
 
mschi772
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02/22/2021 11:53AM  
There is a campsite on East Bearskin near the EB-Crocodile portage. It's a nice site, next to the stream, and the latrine path goes along the stream back towards Crocodile Falls. It's a funny site as it is technically in the BWCA but doesn't feel much like that since it's in the middle of an entry lake that is largely outside of the BWCA--kind of a shame really because a site like this would be far more popular in a more remote location or it if was technically outside of the BWCA so that a permit would not be required.
 
Jackfish
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02/22/2021 03:16PM  
We've camped in Quetico near Rebecca Falls twice and once at the uppermost campsite on Chatterton Lake around the corner from Split Rock Falls. I like listening to night sounds, too, but I remember how enjoyable these campsites were because of the falls.
 
02/23/2021 04:57PM  
Great responses guys and gals. Thanks so much.

As I thought some would embrace the sound and others would not so much. I'm really not sure what "group" I would be in at this point since I have never camped near one. A nice medium might be good for a first go around.

I started on this thought after listening to the podcast Tumblehome. They did an episode on the best falls they like and got me thinking, I don't need falls per say but water sound? That might be worth trying.
 
02/23/2021 05:53PM  
DanCooke: "Vernon lake right next to the portage from Brule lake.
"


Dang Dan, I was ready to swear off Brule after our September trip and wind. That one looks like a good candidate though.
 
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