Not how many total nights but how many different trips did you camp on a particular site.

I’ve stayed at many 2 times but the big island site in the northern narrows of McIntyre Lake in Quetico I’ve stayed there 3 times in 3 different decades. All on solos in 1988, 2001, and then with my dog in 2016.

Anyone else with a favorite site?

I stayed on that McIntyre Lake site on my very first trip in 2010. It is a nice one. It has taken me 12 years and my 7th trip just a few weeks ago before I revisited any site I had used before. It is a good one too, the island site on Burntside in Quetico.

Favorite site #1 - 12 times
Favorite site #2 - 10 times
Favorite site #3 - 4 times

We go on "fishing trips" rather than "canoe trips", so the campsites tend to be the same each year. All in Quetico.

Castaway: "I stayed on that McIntyre Lake site on my very first trip in 2010. It is a nice one. It has taken me 12 years and my 7th trip just a few weeks ago before I revisited any site I had used before. It is a good one too, the island site on Burntside in Quetico. "

Is that the Burntside island with the high rock wall for the back of the fireplace? Also excellent flat rocks at the shore?

TomT: "

Castaway: "I stayed on that McIntyre Lake site on my very first trip in 2010. It is a nice one. It has taken me 12 years and my 7th trip just a few weeks ago before I revisited any site I had used before. It is a good one too, the island site on Burntside in Quetico. "

Is that the Burntside island with the high rock wall for the back of the fireplace? Also excellent flat rocks at the shore?"

Yes, that's the one! I initially wanted to search for a site on Albert but my son convinced me to revisit that great site rather than risk having to bush wack a site on Albert. Coincidentally, my original trip plan for this year was to revisit McIntyre Lake but the RABC permits didn't open back up soon enough.

I’ve stayed at the northeast site at Frost 5 times.

On trip 4 I drug my brother along and the site was taken. Took a site on the west side and barely unpacked. The next morning when the people at the northeast site left I collapsed the tent, tossed everything into the canoe, and booked it over there.

The island site on Ima, the east side, has been home on at least three occasions and shore lunch or break spot at least twice. The first site entering Lake Three from Lake Two has two stays. Both have given me a northern light display. Otherwise, no repeats.

The site just north of Peterson Bay on Iron Lake. Some people call it turtle island. I’ve stayed there on at least 4 occasions and it’s a great spot. I haven’t been back to it in a few years though, because the last time we were there, someone had recently cut down many live trees and left the site a mess.

Tony

I can think of 5 sites that I'd love to stay at again, but have only repeated a trip once so far and we found a better site that trip. Heading into Seagull tomorrow and hoping for same site we were at 2 years ago on Ogish.

I have stayed a second time at the same campsite only once that I can remember- the site on the narrows on Good Lake. It's a great site, but the reason I stayed was more for nostalgia as it was the site our group used with my oldest son on his first BW trip. I though it would be perfect to take my younger son to the same site on his first trip several years later and it worked out quite well.

However, in my 16 trips, there are only a handful of lakes in total that I have ever stayed on during a 2nd trip- I like finding new water to paddle. Someday soon enough I'll run out and that list will get longer I'm sure.

GopherAdventure: "The site just north of Peterson Bay on Iron Lake. Some people call it turtle island. I’ve stayed there on at least 4 occasions and it’s a great spot. I haven’t been back to it in a few years though, because the last time we were there, someone had recently cut down many live trees and left the site a mess.


Tony"

When I visited Iron for my 2nd time a few years ago, we were hoping for that site. Both my trip partner and I had stayed on the site separately in previous visits to Iron, but it was taken when we arrived. I would gladly stay there again when (NOT IF!) I visit Iron Lake again someday.

Off the top of my head, I can think of two sites that we've frequented multiple times. One site we've visited 3 times and the other 4, with the time between being 5-10 years.

What's stood out to me was how the sites have changed over the years. One site in particular - We visited in 2000 and then again in maybe 2003 and again in maybe 2006? At that point there were minimal changes...came back about 10 years later and the site was had grown up with shrubbery (sp?) quite a bit. It was originally fairly open, providing 3 good tent pads and one marginal. Had great views of the lake and nice bedrock for relaxing on. Last time we were there, the trail to the latrine needed to be brushed out, the views from the fire grate to the lake were largely blocked by overhanging branches and undergrowth and a couple of the tent pads were non-existant.

I personally like an open site with minimal undergrowth and branches trimmed back. We debated doing some maintenance, but never did. The only maintenance we've ever done is clearing the trail to the latrine if there's branches blocking your path.

It begs the question - without some level of user maintenance (trimming back undergrowth and branches) would the sites become completely overgrown. I think so. At our home in the Knife River Valley, we have acreage and maintained trails for snowshoeing, grouse hunting and summer hiking. The trails need to be trimmed back and brushed every year. If not they become grown in. I get why the rules are in place in regards to this for the BW, but it's clear it happens and I'd argue mostly to the benefit of the users, provided it's done with common sense.

GopherAdventure: "The site just north of Peterson Bay on Iron Lake. Some people call it turtle island. I’ve stayed there on at least 4 occasions and it’s a great spot. I haven’t been back to it in a few years though, because the last time we were there, someone had recently cut down many live trees and left the site a mess.


Tony"

We've got a "turtle island" on LLC.

Site on Insula (NE, near narrows- site not on many maps) 4 times. Sand beach site on Insula just S of the above 3 times.
3 island W on Iron 7 times.
All over or just after fishing opener. My luck is running out.

Wow, this one's going to make me think. Everyone has their "thing" when it comes to BWCA/Quetico trips. Mine has historically been trying to see as much of the place as I can which extends from routes to campsites. Even the handful of lakes that I've been to numerous times, I really haven't repeated my campsites often, and I think that comes down to a travel mentality rather than a basecamp mentality where the quality of site matters a little less than it would. My sheet says that I have spent the night in 110 different campsites in the Boundary Waters/Quetico. There's only four sites that I have stayed at on more than one trip. Daniels Lake Campsite 667 was our traditional site of choice on childhood trips. We took 668 for the first one and then moved over to "Camp Maugrim" (as we called it) Site 667 for all previous. Rose Lake site 551 I stayed at on two personal trips and one guided trip. Ogish Site 785 I stayed at the first night of my first "unsupervised trip" that I planned and was in charge of. Then I brought a guided group there on an October trip. And Snowbank Site 1477 I haven't intentionally stayed at twice, but both times (with guide groups) the earlier options were full and the better sites on Snowbank were taken.

Now the harder question is which lake have I stayed at the most different sites on? That's hard because I visit a lot of sites between lunches/breaks, but staying is a different story. Three different sites on Clearwater (Gunflint side), four sites on Saganaga, four sites on Knife, and five sites on Basswood (which is funny because most of those were on one guided trip with a group who couldn't portage much.)

Lower Pauness 44: the one on the point. Stayed there with my wife and a solo.

Clove Lake 439: I've stayed here at least six times. It's just a handy place to stop and not a bad campsite.

Devil's Elbow 1948: same as the Clove Lake site, at least five times...it's a nice overlook site, but it's hashed now.

Winchell 762: the one on the point...a top 10 BWCA campsite. Love that site. Stayed there three times, maybe four.

Mike

I base camped for many years, before finally buying a northwind 17, and started looping the last few years. I did it backwards. I'm 57, I should probably be base camping now. Either way, when I was base camping I went to the same site 48 times, over 46 years. I wouldn't say it was a great site. It's not. But I liked it because we had the lake to ourselves, and it felt like "our lake". It's like going to the cabin, except it's a tent. Lots of memories. Music and smell, can both be powerful memory triggers. I find that campsite and paddling around that lake to be another powerful memory trigger. The boundary waters in general is that way for me. So even though I'd only give the site a 3, it's a very special place for me.

My dad started taking me/us to the boundary waters when I was 6, in 1971, and I have gone every year since. My mother, father, and sister are no longer alive, but I "see" them when I'm in the BWCA.

Offhand there are a few I've stayed at on a couple of different trips, but not many, maybe 4-5 and I wouldn't say most are "favorites", just OK, convenient, available at the time. There's one on Snipe, one on Karl, a couple on Polly, one on Malberg, probably one more somewhere if I dug around the files.

I keep doing trips to new areas, so never really had the chance to repeat campsites. I sure would for a bunch of them if I ever do get back to those areas

I have stayed at the southern site on Vista Lake at least 5 times that I can recall. We have gotten there a few different ways - twice through Lizz Lake entry, twice through the Morgan Lake entry and once from the south and over the dreaded Misquah Hills(never again).

I feel like it used to be a well kept secret but unfortunately the word is out and it has become a busy place. The site itself is a 4 plus but I have no problem rating it better because Vista is such a beautiful lake and the fishing has always been very good for us.

On a late fall trip many years ago we went in on a beautiful sunny 60 degree day and found the southern site taken so we stayed at the "campsite" in the NW corner of the lake at the end of the long narrow finger - gotta be the worst site in the BWCA. Got up early the next morning to find the folks in the southern site leaving so we grabbed it. It was sunny and 60 on the way out but the days in between were 40s to 50 with rain and wind. I brought a newbie with and he was a trooper. We got out one day fishing in a lull in the rain and caught a dozen walleyes, had a great fish dinner which boosted our spirits.

I doubt that I will get back to Vista but it holds some of my fondest BWCA memories and I am glad I spent some time there.

There are some great sites that would stay at again but I hardly go back to the same area on trips.

carbon1: "There are some great sites that would stay at again but I hardly go back to the same area on trips."

I have never done the same route twice in 21 week or longer trips but there are gateway routes to the interior especially in Quetico with many fewer entry points.

I went through Prairie Portage into Quetico on trips from 1988 to 2019. 2017 and '18 I entered from the north. My point is I would travel up through the same water on many trips to the interior odf Quetico. My first time to the park was 1988 and I was on my second solo and for my 2nd night sayed on the northern island in the narrows. It's easy to spot the site as it has a great mound of granite out front.

The landing is flat rock that drops off nicely for a canoe or swimming. Anyway, in 1988 I can remember sitting on top of this giant rock overlooking a big stretch of lake to the south. It was one of those perfect sunsets and I watched the whole thing go down (literally) and was blown away by the beauty.

So I made a point to stop by and stay again in 2001 and then I took my dog and stayed in 2016. These pics are from that last time. The site didn't have that magical moment because the weather was different but it's still a site in my top 5.

I may or may not get back here but if I do I'd like to show someone that rock in the evening and just maybe capture that magic I saw in 1988.

island site on gaskin-2x
Warrior hill view island site LLC-2x
basswood sheltered bay sandy beach site-2x
LBF area below the falls site-2x
Horse peninsula site-3x
Crooked site-werdsday bay-7x (7-12 days per trip :D)


We've repeated a handful of sites (probably more than I can recall here)...but lately we really only stay in the same site :D It's become our "home" :D While some trips we stay a night or two in or out, primarily we've stopped splitting our longer trips between two sites. We're pretty much all about Crooked anymore :D

Like bobbernumber3, we go on fishing trips...and we go to Crooked.

I always like to see new country but some of my routes have overlapped slightly and I have camped at sites I previously stayed at...
Not many and only if they were good sites. The island site on Adams, mid lake on north shore of Hustler, west end of Gaskin...just a few that come to mind. I like to see new stuff.

naturboy12: "

GopherAdventure: "The site just north of Peterson Bay on Iron Lake. Some people call it turtle island. I’ve stayed there on at least 4 occasions and it’s a great spot. I haven’t been back to it in a few years though, because the last time we were there, someone had recently cut down many live trees and left the site a mess.



Tony"

When I visited Iron for my 2nd time a few years ago, we were hoping for that site. Both my trip partner and I had stayed on the site separately in previous visits to Iron, but it was taken when we arrived. I would gladly stay there again when (NOT IF!) I visit Iron Lake again someday. "

Yeah, I don’t know why I like that site so much, I think the western site on Three Island is actually a better csmpsite, but the Turtle Island site gets minimal traffic, has great access to Peterson Bay and I’ve always caught fish right from the site. Tough to beat that.

Tony

The one campsite I have stayed at more then once is in Wabakimi.
It is located at Lat 50.391583 Lon -90.192583.I stayed there in 2015, 2016, and 2022.
It has 2 good tent pads and an excellent spot for my hammock. Flindt Lake Campsite

Oh Yeah! My group and I have definitely found some sites over the years that we have returned to multiple times on multiple different trips. A few of our favorites are the cliff site on Wisini, the peninsula site on Ottertrack, this awesome site we found on Knife South Arm, and a site just off Munker Island on Big Sag.

We are base campers. We really don't like setting up and tearing down camp sites multiple times. As such we typically base camp on Seagull, Alpine or Red Rock. We have preferred sites on each lake we go to time and again.

Not often do I repeat sites. But I remember in 2012 I camped at the site in Iron nearest Curtain Falls twice. In the spring was there I saw the last frost of that season and in the fall on my forty day trip had my first hard frost of the next season.
There are sites I revisited in WCPP a few times. Joey Lake I stayed like four times. Never set up the same any two times. Some of the best walleye I ever had!
Sometimes I’d stay on that island on Finger to avoid being seen by TomT. Haha!

I've had the luck of being empty nest, single, living outside Ely, solo canoe and a job where the schedule was work 21.5 days straight followed by 20.5 days off (subtract basically a travel day to and from work) for about ten years. I took about 4 to 6 8-10 day Quetico trips a season. Add to it another 30 years of more normal work while living near Ely means a lot of time in the park. I've been to most areas in the park so my trips tend to involve revisiting territory and for much of the past decade I tend to conceive trips by which camps I hope to visit. I have loads of favorites scattered through out the park, and some special favorites that I visit year after year and sometimes trip after trip.

I know the McIntyre island site- have lunched there a few times though never stayed (a bit too well developed for my liking- though to its credit it has been so well used and for so long that it seems to have developed its own vegetative adaptation to the traffic and is quite "healthy" feeling). I have another favored site to the south end of McIntyre. A real recent favorite on a near by unnamed lake, a wonderful site on Ted that is more than likely torched to unusability, sites on Marj, Louisa, McNeice, Kahshahpiwi, Earl, Robinson, Emerald and multiple unnamed lakes round out the list. Most of the favs I've visited at least six or more times. Some are well into double digits. I was out for nine nights last week and can't wait to get back

There have been nemerous sites that I have stopped at countless times but, I kind of surprised myself as I couldn't think of too many where I actually CAMPED at the same site multiple times.

The 2 that came to mind are both phenomenal base camps for their respective areas. Clearwater Lake site #684 at the far eastern end near the portage into West Pike.



...and the Oyster Lake peninsula pinch point site #1773.

After about 40ish trips…

The Northern Darky Lake island site 2 trips. probably been used for 200-300 years as a camp site. Awesome.
Ted Lake Peninsula 2 trips
Tiny Island in the middle of Brent 2 trips…this site sucks but both times we had bad weather and it was the closest site available.

I’ve seen lots of awesome sites…bypassed many…but I just always have to see what’s around the corner or over the next portage. I am compiling a list for when I hit old age I can settle on one :)

T

Banksiana: "I've had the luck of being empty nest, single, living outside Ely, solo canoe and a job where the schedule was work 21.5 days straight followed by 20.5 days off (subtract basically a travel day to and from work) for about ten years. I took about 4 to 6 8-10 day Quetico trips a season. Add to it another 30 years of more normal work while living near Ely means a lot of time in the park. I've been to most areas in the park so my trips tend to involve revisiting territory and for much of the past decade I tend to conceive trips by which camps I hope to visit. I have loads of favorites scattered through out the park, and some special favorites that I visit year after year and sometimes trip after trip.


I know the McIntyre island site- have lunched there a few times though never stayed (a bit too well developed for my liking- though to its credit it has been so well used and for so long that it seems to have developed its own vegetative adaptation to the traffic and is quite "healthy" feeling). I have another favored site to the south end of McIntyre. A real recent favorite on a near by unnamed lake, a wonderful site on Ted that is more than likely torched to unusability, sites on Marj, Louisa, McNeice, Kahshahpiwi, Earl, Robinson, Emerald and multiple unnamed lakes round out the list. Most of the favs I've visited at least six or more times. Some are well into double digits. I was out for nine nights last week and can't wait to get back"

You have been lucky indeed! And you have been a wealth of information over the years! Thanks!

GopherAdventure: "The site just north of Peterson Bay on Iron Lake. Some people call it turtle island. I’ve stayed there on at least 4 occasions and it’s a great spot. I haven’t been back to it in a few years though, because the last time we were there, someone had recently cut down many live trees and left the site a mess.


Tony"

Isn't that the site some one met a scary dude that said the site was his and there had better not be anyone camped there?
We stayed there once. It would have been one of our favorite sites if the strong wind had that was blowing straight into it had ever died down. We followed the trail to the other side of the island to get out of the wind for a while and there was a nice opening overlooking Iron lake to relax in.

The only site we stayed twice in was the east one on Emerald in Quetico. Usually I like to go to different sites to see new stuff, but that one feels like home.