Group of four, possibly six this year. Have gone in thru Mudro and Fall to Basswood last two years. We don't mind a long first day with 8-10 hours of travel, but we like to get where we are going and basecamp for the remaining five days.

Usual parameters: Easy portages lol, good fishing, scenery and no crowds, day trips to sites.

FYI: We prefer early to mid June.

Thoughts, suggestions?

Thanks,
TG

Are you only interested in Ely area or are you interested in exploring:
Central to East BWCA

Entry 37 - Kawishiwi Lake to Malberg Lake
Entry 38 - Sawbill Lake to
A. Wine Lake
B. Cherokee Lake (Frost Lake option)
C. Phoebe Lake
Entry 41 - Brule Lake to:
A. Winchell Lake (Ogema Lake option)
B. North/South Temperance Lakes (These will not get you solitude.)
Entry 47 - Lizz Lake to Winchell Lake (Ogema Lake option)
Entry 50 - Cross Bay Lake to Long Island Lake (Frost Lake option)
Entry 51 - Missing Link Lake - to Tuscarora Lake
Entry 52 - Brandt Lake to Gillis Lake (Crooked Lake option)
Entry 54 - Sea Gull Lake to Ogishkemuncie Lake

Some of these are less "crowded" than others. But most will get you past the full entry point syndrome of the past couple years. Usually this involves crossing a portage no one else wants to or simply out lasting them through the day.

Have a great trip.

One of our favorites is:
Ely and west on the Echo trail to - Entry at Moose River North - up to Nina Moose, Agnes, and Boulder Bay to LLC. Lots to see with Curtain Falls, Pictographs and decent fishing.

Grandma L: "One of our favorites is:
Ely and west on the Echo trail to - Entry at Moose River North - up to Nina Moose, Agnes, and Boulder Bay to LLC. Lots to see with Curtain Falls, Pictographs and decent fishing. "

This is the first option that I thought of also. Good base camp location in Boulder Bay or Tiger Bay areas. Many good day-trips and fishing. Curtain Falls would be a must-see if in this area. This area can be kind of busy so the earlier in June, the better.

Lightfoot: "

Grandma L: "One of our favorites is:
Ely and west on the Echo trail to - Entry at Moose River North - up to Nina Moose, Agnes, and Boulder Bay to LLC. Lots to see with Curtain Falls, Pictographs and decent fishing. "

This is the first option that I thought of also. Good base camp location in Boulder Bay or Tiger Bay areas. Many good day-trips and fishing. Curtain Falls would be a must-see if in this area. This area can be kind of busy so the earlier in June, the better."

Hey Lightfoot - great minds think alike!

Grandma L: "

Lightfoot: "

Grandma L: "One of our favorites is:
Ely and west on the Echo trail to - Entry at Moose River North - up to Nina Moose, Agnes, and Boulder Bay to LLC. Lots to see with Curtain Falls, Pictographs and decent fishing. "

This is the first option that I thought of also. Good base camp location in Boulder Bay or Tiger Bay areas. Many good day-trips and fishing. Curtain Falls would be a must-see if in this area. This area can be kind of busy so the earlier in June, the better."

Hey Lightfoot - great minds think alike!"

Another vote for this one

Look into EP30. With a usual 8-10 hour first day, you’ll be able to possibly get past Insula and into Alice. Easy portages and you’ll get past most the crowds. Plus, the fishing is excellent.

My .02 cents

One option

The Lake One (entry 30) (Number Lakes Route) is an easy route with easy portages, but really is sort of like paddling on the freeway. You will need to get to the northern end of Insula to get past some of the traffic and Pagami Fire area. The fire area is re-growing well and most of the campsites survived the fire -thanks to the Forest Service water dumps. The fishing is good and I love to base camp there and watch the paddlers go past. My favorite sites on this route are the sites on Lake 3 just past the Lake 2-Lake 3 narrows. Great people watching, my cell phone works well there (if that is for you) and I always see a BWCA.com member or two.

If you can get to the site in one day, so can many others. Your choices then are to paddle in more than one day, choose a route nobody else takes, or take the main route but camp off the route many take. We've paddled in from Lake One and stayed on Hudson but up in the north arm a bit. Very few people seem to go that way and we had it mostly to ourselves. Fishing was good, catching was not. Maybe the time of year, maybe poor technique.

Alice is a popular overnight lake as many groups will make that a stop. During the day it can be mostly empty. Choosing a sand beach campsite will put you on the most traveled part of the lake. There is one campsite on the west shore that is remote and my wife and I spent 4 nights there without seeing another canoe.

Easy portages and no traffic?? Unicorn there....

But in reality...plenty of options. Head to LLC from either EP 14 or 16. Easy well traveled portages (meaning other people) but once you hit the main sections and bays of LLC you won't see many at all.