We are entering Daniels Lake May 26, exiting May 29 at Clearwater. Plan was to enter and exit Clearwater but that EP 62 permit was gone mighty quickly on 1/26. Anyway, Daniels it is. Original plan was to base camp on Mountain and try our luck with the Lakers.

Question: With entering now at Daniels would we be better served spending a night on Daniels (also good for Lakers) and then make the early morning move to Mountain on Day 2? Permits all around that area are pretty much gone which makes me think campsites could be scarce. While we could make it to Mountain on Day 1 - looks like it would be around noon early afternoon arrival. Will have Clearwater folks drop us at the west end of West Bearskin, so I am guessing 8:00am start on Day 1. We will be double portaging - just me and my son (13 yr old).

Would like your experience on Mountain campsite availability this time of year. We have been on Mountain lake, but never in late May. Your input would help determine if we stay at Daniels night 1 or push through to Mountain. Thank you.

being memorial weekend i think you would want to plan your days to get as early a start as daylight allows. if all the permits are gone, as you say, then it might be tough to get a site on clearwater your last night (if that is your plan).

i would think you'd be able to get one of the sites on mountain. the nicest site isn't so nice anymore. last time i was there the latrine was almost full, lots of trees down and lots of camper over-use. still, a spacious site with a nice landing on the east side and good fishing right from the north side. it would be lake trout fishing, mostly.

if you don't mind meeting people then you could take the site further east down the lake that is at the base of the portage to pemmican. the latrine is also partway up that portage and then off on a side trail.

mountain is a beautiful lake! also, the portage from daniels to rove is rocky, up and down but also quite lovely with stuff to look at. the paddle through rove and watap is one of the most beautiful in the BWCA, imo.

my advice for you, if you plan to make the move to Mountain, is to get up and going early. you don't want to hit mountain at mid-morning when the wind is picking up.

remember that the US/CANADIAN border runs east/west through the border lakes so you need to know where you are!

cliffs on WATAP

Thank you for the response and advice. We will plan to move to Mountain on Day 2 with an early start and very much look forward to scenery on Watap. That is a great pic. Thanks again.

Clearwater EP has many more options, with a total of 22 campsites available within a 7 hour paddle. Daniels on the other hand is much more limited. If there open on Daniels, you could sure take one, but my guess is you will find open sites on Mountain.

You could check every day to see if a Clearwater permit has opened up for your entry date, book it and then cancel your Daniels.

It's been nearly a decade but, I did a mid/late May trip to Mountain and (as far as we knew) we had the lake to ourselves the whole time.

Also, if you haven't seen it already. Here is a trip starting at Daniel's and making it to Mountain. (Didn't see anyone there this trip either but, this was in the fall. Trip report