Hi all,
My 17 year old and I are heading out for a trip July 1st from Fall lake. We are targeting 7-10 days on the water and are looking to end somewhere on the Gunflint. I imagine we'll have a layover in there. Likely, we'll be able to really cover ground pretty efficiently.

Any route suggestions from the BWCA brain trust?

Thanks in advance!

-tomo

Nice that sounds like a fun trip. Have your shuttle lined up? That seems like it would be the hardest part is the running around before or after the trip unless you've got it hired done.

As for the actual paddle route....what do you guys like to do? Fish? Hike/explore? Waterfalls? Pictographs?

We'll be paddling, primarily. We don't fish. I'm intrigued by the border route, but am also equally interested in getting off the beaten path into some smaller lakes....
My wife is the shuttle driver :)
I have an in-reach, so we can be somewhat flexible on end point....

-tom

The main routes I tend to think of are border routes going either west or East. That kind of puts you on bigger lakes though. I’m doing Basswood, Basswood River, Crooked, Iron, La La Croix, Agnes and out entry point 16 Nina Moose this summer on the family trip. We’re getting towed to Basswood. Car shuttled over to the exit.

You could go east and hit big lakes as well along the border. You could go through Ensign, Vera and then do the small lakes over to Kekekabic. Missionary, Skoota, Dix. Have your picked up be over off the Gunflint on Saganaga, or Seagull.

Ryan

When you don't fish, paddling is your goal, and your end point is flexible... I'd say you've got it made! You can have an idea for your route and change it daily. Do a bit of the border route and turn off whenever/wherever you want. Calm days head for big water and mileage, windy days turn off on to smaller lakes and a new route. The BWCA is yours to explore.

bobbernumber3: "When you don't fish, paddling is your goal, and your end point is flexible... I'd say you've got it made! You can have an idea for your route and change it daily. Do a bit of the border route and turn off whenever/wherever you want. Calm days head for big water and mileage, windy days turn off on to smaller lakes and a new route. The BWCA is yours to explore."

That's what I'm thinking :)

tomo: "

bobbernumber3: "When you don't fish, paddling is your goal, and your end point is flexible... I'd say you've got it made! You can have an idea for your route and change it daily. Do a bit of the border route and turn off whenever/wherever you want. Calm days head for big water and mileage, windy days turn off on to smaller lakes and a new route. The BWCA is yours to explore."

That's what I'm thinking :)"

I love how different people enjoy the Boundary Waters differently!

For me, I'm a basecamp fisherman. My canoe is just transportation and something to fish out of. If it wasn't for fishing, I'd have gone the BWCA a couple times and moved on to another hobby.

I'm sure you will have a great time!

No fishing? I understand if that is not your priority, but fishing is one of the things that my sons and daughter share on canoe trips and definitely adds to our bonding. I'd suggest you bring an inexpensive 2-piece rod/reel and a few topwater lures. Buy your son a 7-day conservation license and let him fish from camp at dusk....you might be surprised by what happens....and the stories to be told later....

If you like paddling and moving camp, I'd avoid the border route....you'll make too good of time :) At least beyond Knife.

From Fall your only real options to head East are either up to the border and past Prairie Portage (kinda busy) or through Wind to Moose (quite busy). If you take the border route to start and all the way to Knife you'll see some bigger water and some very easy portages. Once on Knife, check out Thunder Point...very cool viewpoint from up on the hill. Then head down the south arm of Knife to Eddy Falls and turn south into Kek and to Frasier/Thomas area. Can head south to Alice and Fishdance area for the pictographs and sandy beaches. Turn NE and go through Pan, Makwa (very cool cliffs), and once to Little Sag you can debate your exit point.

For a slightly more direct but fun route, from Knife you could check out the smaller lakes between the two arms like Amoeber, Cherry (very cool cliffs), Gijikiki, etc. Ottertrack is cool and historic w/ a plaque on the cliff face. From there you could head south into Ester/Hanson and then into Ogish and out via Seagull.

Ha. I just realized that I forgot that I switched my permit from Fall to Moose.
So...looking for route advice for a Moose to Gunflint trip :)
No fishing. Lots of paddling. Interested in getting off the beaten path to a degree....
Have a week to 10 days.

I would go up from Moose through sucker, carp and into Knife. From Knife, down to Kekekabic to Ogish - from Ogish, pick a route over towards Long Island, kiskidinna and to Winchell. From there gaskin and up and out at Poplar. Layover days will fit in anywhere. There's some really great lakes on that route; Knife, Kekekabic, Ogish and then depending on route from there tuscarora or Little Sag are nice. Winchell, Kiskidinna and Long Island are super nice and have some really great sites.

Off the beaten path early in your trip would be those smaller lakes between the arms of Knife like Gigikiki, Lake of the Clouds, etc.

Mid trip could be the Boulder, Cap, Vee area. The Louse River also would be very off the beaten path between Malberg and Wine or wherever on the east end.

End of the trip could be the Long Island Lake to Meeds or Skipper etc via Banadad to Poplar for exit.

If you link some of those areas which is pretty easy you'd have a hell of a trip and not see many people other than maybe the travel days between those areas.

Just to report back. The lad and I had a good trip. Moose to knife to kek, ogish to gabi, little sag to mora, a long but good day on the frost river (saw a moose in close quarters), frost lake to long island and up to karl, rib, snipe and out at round lake.
We were out for 7 nights, had two days of rain, plenty of sunshine, buggy portages and pretty good campsites all around. Thanks all for suggestions.

tomo: "Just to report back. The lad and I had a good trip. Moose to knife to kek, ogish to gabi, little sag to mora, a long but good day on the frost river (saw a moose in close quarters), frost lake to long island and up to karl, rib, snipe and out at round lake.
We were out for 7 nights, had two days of rain, plenty of sunshine, buggy portages and pretty good campsites all around. Thanks all for suggestions."

Huzzah! Glad you had a good trip. You certainly covered some beautiful areas. Hope to see a few pics. :)

bobbernumber3: "

tomo: "

bobbernumber3: "When you don't fish, paddling is your goal, and your end point is flexible... I'd say you've got it made! You can have an idea for your route and change it daily. Do a bit of the border route and turn off whenever/wherever you want. Calm days head for big water and mileage, windy days turn off on to smaller lakes and a new route. The BWCA is yours to explore."

That's what I'm thinking :)"

I love how different people enjoy the Boundary Waters differently!


For me, I'm a basecamp fisherman. My canoe is just transportation and something to fish out of. If it wasn't for fishing, I'd have gone the BWCA a couple times and moved on to another hobby.

I'm sure you will have a great time! "

+1 We are base camp guys. Half want to fish, the others want to explore. All of us hate portages.

If you have 10 days and you don't fish and like traveling I'd recommend ending at Grand Portage. If you pack well you can be single portaging by the end of the trip. It would be great challenge for a father and son team. You could bail out at the Arrowhead Trail if you not feeling like doing the portage.

Lots of big lakes so plan simple breakfast and get on the water early to get miles in before the wind starts.