I'm looking to get a permit for my third annual brotherly bonding trip and don't have maps handy. Is there a reasonable three night loop from Angleworm that gets us back to within a few mile of our car? I know the entry portage is long, but we've had mile plus portages the last few years and it's been just fine given we're only out for three nights. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

There's also a slim permit available, so I'd be curious about thee night options there as well. In the meantime, I'll dig out my overview map for the west side (all of my trips have been up the Gunflint in the last several years).

Hi Tomo,

Once you get into Angleworm you have the Mudro groups - not a dealbreaker, but with three nights total looking for campsites can get interesting IMHO. It is an awesome area with some of everything.

I've never been to Slim so I can't say there.

When you get to your maps, I'd recommend you check out Crab Lake as an entry point. Take the tow, make the long entry - not difficult except for the length. You can then go up to Cummings, fish, explore side lakes, and head back. In my experience, there are not nearly as many people on this route but I'm not sure if that is a factor for you or not.

Enjoy the trip!

It's about 10 miles from Angleworm to Mudro. You could drive your car over to Mudro and ride a bike back over to Angleworm. Loop from Angleworm, Home, Gull, Gun, Fairy, Boot, Fourtown, Mudro.

You might look at Homer entry to Brule. That's about 2 miles between entry points. Put in at Homer, Vern, Juno, and Brule.

tomo: "There's also a slim permit available, so I'd be curious about thee night options there as well. In the meantime, I'll dig out my overview map for the west side (all of my trips have been up the Gunflint in the last several years)."

Here's a trip that ended at Slim and started at Big lake. Big Slim

What date? Might help others look for permits still open

June 10 entry. The last two years we went off of Poplar (Gaskin, Winchell, Brule, Cherokee, etc.) and this year my brother wants to explore a different area.

I spent 4 nights on a loop out of Angleworm a few years ago. We camped on Angleworm, Beartrap, Crooked and Home, taking the Beartrap River north to the border and then coming back south through Friday Bay of Crooked. For me, it was my most grueling trip to date inside the BWCA with portages making up nearly half of our miles traveled. If you're single portaging and looking for a workout, I recommend it. If you're not single portaging I recommend finding a different EP. Instead of staying at a bunkhouse/motel/campground the night before entering we decided to knock out that first portage on what was, effectively, our day 0. There are seven campsites on Angleworm Lake and I'd be surprised if they have ever all filled up given the low quotas for OP/OH permits. Our next day was easy, ending at Beartrap Lake. If I did this trip again I would enter in the same manner but then push on to Sunday (with PMA permit), Iron or Crooked (with a very early start) on day 2 and spend more time fishing along the border.

I don't like crowds and have avoided the Horse/Fourtown/Boot area for this reason. I have done the Homer/Brule loop as HRD described and second his recommendation of it as an alternative with much smaller crowds.

Did a three nighter that went through Angleworm. Day 1: S. Hegman to Trease to Angleworm to Home and camped on Gull for night 1. Day 2: Gull to Gun to Fairy and camped on Boot for night 2. Day 3: Boot to Fourtown to Horse and camped on Tim Can Mike for night 3. Then went out the next morning... Tin Can Mike to Sandpit to Mudro and out.

Day one was a butt kicker with the Trease portage and alot of paddling. But still had plenty of fishing and relaxing time on the rest of the trip.

Mudro to the S. Hegman was a short hike. It is a bit farther to go to Angleworm parking lot--but no biggie if you are taking 2 vehicles or drop a bike at Mudro.

As you are comfortable with portaging you might as well go from Angleworm to Beartrap and follow Beartrap river to Sunday lake (Sundila PMA), then to Stuart lake to Stuart river. Not an easy trip, but worth the effort.

You're not going to want a loop. Entered Angleworm last June, as it was our only option to get to Crooked on a last minute trip. Man, that portaging is BRUTAL. I'm young, in shape, do most of my trips solo and have no issue with most portages but that was too much. We dreaded the pack out knowing what was waiting for us.

If anything, I'd recommend driving separate and parking one rig at Angleworm and the other at Mudro. Plenty of options in there, can travel big distance or make it a leisure trip. Good fishing too.