Hi all,
We've been going to the Gunflint/Saganaga area for several years with our dads, typically canoeing several lakes for 30-50 mile roundtrips. This year is different. My dad has recently recovered from a brain tumor and has some weakness on one side and balance issues. My friend's father has a bad ankle and struggles to get into/out of the canoe although he's great otherwise.
We're excited to return this year together but are thinking a basecamp would be best from which we could easily day paddle or do small trips. I'm wondering if anyone has any campsite recommendations that come to mind. A couple stipulations:
1. needs to be able to camp 6-8
2. fairly easy access, no crazy steep portages or longer than 1 mile
3. Fishing! I'm always looking for lake trout and had some luck on Esther last year but no luck on Saganaga.

A possibility is the group of campsites near American/Rocky Point on Saganaga, we stayed there for a night last summer and it was great. Only issue I had was the fishing wasn't great and it would require almost no paddling if we get a tow.

If it was just me and my buddy, we'd probably do 60 miles and kill ourselves lol. Times are changing.

Thanks!

Put in on Seagull Lake. You can use one of the two outfitters that service that lake. There are several camp sites that are very easy to put in on. One site on the west side of Seagull has a sandy beach, and a "barrier" style entrance that blocks the waves when pulling in to the site. Would be perfect. Site 469. Link is attached Site 469

Sawbill has great access and some really nice sights right on the entry lake.
One very short portage over is Alton for lake trout.

Wherever you decide to go, I hope it's a great trip! I wish I'd taken my dad and brother to Canoe Country years ago.

TZ

Clearwater Lake #684

LaTourells offers a deluxe boat camp package where they'll take you in via motor boat tow, setup a nice camp for you and then do all the same on the way out. For a group like this that might just be the ticket.

http://www.latourells.com/deluxe_boat_tent_camps1.html

Good options so far, here are some ideas focusing on smaller lakes compared to Sag or Seagull or even Clearwater.

Enter at Slim Lake near Ely, or Baker Lake off the Sawbill Trail, or Homer Lake from the Sawbill, or the number lakes (1,2,3,4 and possibly to Hudson) near Ely or Crocodile Lake from East Bearskin (Gunflint, with a #66 permit) or Lizz Lake from Poplar off the Gunflint.

All of these basically meet your criteria. I could talk about each of them but this would be a long post. If any interest you let me know and I can elaborate much more on those particular spots. But all offer few/moderate portages, daytrip opportunities and opportunities for some decent fishing. Some are better for fishing, some less portaging, some more daytrip options, some are less busy than others.

I am particularly partial to the Homer Lake entry(easy entry, fishing and a cool daytrip exploring a small wilderness river) and the Lizz Lake entry(classic area with Horseshoe Lake being a very unique lake and known probably better than any other lake in the BWCA for moose sightings, great daytrip options), as well as the Crocodile option if you are willing to stay on that lake the entire trip. But there is a cool river to explore at the east end and the walleye fishing is so good that you might not feel the need to go anywhere:)

After re-reading your OP I realize that none of these areas have Lake Trout so if you can be content with Walleyes, Pike and SMB(large Perch in Crocodile too) they would work. Also realized I left out East Bearskin to Alder or the small lakes to the east of there. Nice area, super easy entry and Alder has Lake Trout.

Ask away if you have any interest or questions.

Here is the link for AceAceAce's post. Gotta admit that would be a bit of a dream trip but it's pricey.


LaTourell's base camp trips

lindylair: "Here is the link for AceAceAce's post. Gotta admit that would be a bit of a dream trip but it's pricey.



LaTourell's base camp trips "

Looks like fun!

If you like American point…you should be able to catch all the Lakers you want around there. Just troll from the opening of Cache Bay…deep cranks such as minnow rap 11 deep tail dancer, yo zuri or the like…back and forth to Hook Island…near the border. If you can’t rack up the lakers…well, not sure what to say :)

T

Another vote for Seagull, since there is a tow available if you wanted it, and there are a some really amazing sites on the west end of the lake.

Sawbill would be my second choice, since Alton portage is short and flat, and there's some great sites on Alton.. also close to outfitter should you need it.

Entering EP47 (Lizz via Poplar) and heading to Horseshoe would not be difficult. You have a relatively short and easy portage from Poplar to Lizz, then another from Lizz to Caribou, then one more from Caribou to Horseshoe. Each of these three portages is relatively flat and short and the landings aren't bad. Lots of day trip possibilities. Rockwood has bunkhouses and showers. You can leave the outfitter or the EP and be on Horseshoe in 2-3 hours at the most. If you feel up to it there is a medium length portage that puts you farther in and gets you to Gaskin.

Permits have been on sale for 8 days now, which is one more day than there are days in June July and August combined with available permits for Lizz/Swamp. In that same time span, Clearwater shows a cribbage 19.

Seagull, Saganaga and Sawbill have plenty of permits still available. Brule also has plenty of permits available and at least a dozen no-portage sites big enough for your group. It would be a big day trip to find a laker, with Davis and Winchell (4/5 portages north) being the closest, but there is a great little brookie lake named Wench just one portage west of Brule.

There are a handful of permits still available for East Bearskin, which has easy portages to bigger campsites on Alder, Pierz and Canoe. Lake trout can be found in Alder, Pierz and Crystal, and then there are brookies in Bench. Day trip opportunities abound with an old silver mine just to the east of Spaulding and Johnson Falls off the west end of Pine.

If you'd be willing to go over to the Ely side, there are still plenty of Moose permits available. You'll find a couple bigger campsites on just about every lake within 2 portages but you'll only find lakers along the border. I'd recommend Windy for a basecamp, or Birch if lakers are a deal-breaker.

Hope this helps!

Zac

The problem with planning this is expecting one of these preferred sites to be unoccupied when you arrive there. If the site is not available will you be able to deal with a more difficult site?

My suggestion would be a campground site on the edge of the BWCAW. Sawbill is ideal. You can reserve a site, so you know you will have an easy place to camp. The lake is non-motor and there are easy portages into adjacent lakes and an easy launch area.

You get to spend your days in the wilderness. Pack lunches, stay out all day. You just have to share your camp time with neighbors.

Lakes that would work
Basswood, Big Saganaga, Seagull, Moose, Lac La Croix, Trout, Snowbank, and Clearwater, Bearskin have tows.
Lake One, Sawbill, East Bearskin
Fall Lake, Basswood, Alton, Hog Creek, and the numbers chain have easy portages that are fairly level and road like.
We use these lakes for our old man trips.
That's just my experience, I'm sure I'm missing some.

sedges: "The problem with planning this is expecting one of these preferred sites to be unoccupied when you arrive there. If the site is not available will you be able to deal with a more difficult site?


My suggestion would be a campground site on the edge of the BWCAW. Sawbill is ideal. You can reserve a site, so you know you will have an easy place to camp. The lake is non-motor and there are easy portages into adjacent lakes and an easy launch area.


You get to spend your days in the wilderness. Pack lunches, stay out all day. You just have to share your camp time with neighbors."

+1

My first suggestion was going to be #469 on Seagull for the reasons already stated.

My second suggestion is use Trails End campground as a basecamp cum jumping-off point. Both the Seagull landings are suitable for your needs (Blankenburg Landing even has a dock.)

You could camp at Trails End, scout the available Seagull campsites and snag a permit at Way of the Wilderness or another outfitter if the stars come into alignment. If they don’t, you’re still camped at a location suitable for daytrips into Seagull and Saganaga.

I would do whatever it takes to make sure that these folks with issues don't carry ANYTHING. They are going to want to try but your asking for trouble. I'm in my late 50's and I can't trip anymore because of balance issues from a medical incident. I can barely walk on flat ground let alone on a portage trail just because of balance issues. I can't even walk up or down steps carrying a bottle of water because it throws me off. If you want them to enjoy the trip steady the canoe while they get in and out. Make sure you have solid footing and allow them to hold onto you. If they carry something they will probably tire very easily and when that happens they may get light-headed, lose concentration, and could very likely fall. I'm speaking from experience. I thought I had another 10 - 15 years of tripping but things can change quickly.

If you're going to stay on Sag, here is a good site for researching various campsites...

https://clearwaterhistoriclodge.com/campsites/saganaga-lake/

Brule would bee good.

Another possibility would be one of the reservable, accessible sites in Voyagers National Park. There’s definitely one that fits your criteria on Namakon Lake just a couple hours paddle from the Ash River landing. You will know for sure you have the site because of the reservation system.

This may be crazy, but even though I am a lifelong BWCA canoer, you may want to consider Voyageurs as an alternative. They have some really nice boat and houseboat camping sites and the fishing can be really good. One year my wife and I tried a Voyageurs houseboat and enjoyed it. Houseboats at Ebels come in all sizes but all have bathrooms and kitchens. The Ebels are nice people and can set you up. If you are still set on the BWCA via the Gunflint I would second the Seagull recommendations. On the Ely side you can camp on the chain or take a tow into Basswood (better fishing than Ensign). The issue with Basswood is wind which can get pretty feisty on some days but no more than Sag. When planning for a party like yours you need to consider the what-if alternatives: what if the weather is bad, what if the campsite you want is taken, what if the fish don't bite, what if someone has a problem? Even the best campsites can be an issue when the rocks are slick and the ground is muddy.

Campsite: 1289 (Sucker Lake)

If I recall the correct site, this one is nice & open (if not this one, it was the one a bit north of the one mentioned). The path to the latrine is up a slight hill, though the rest of the site is nice & flat, very open with a great deal of space. It's pretty too, nice cedars. When I stayed the night there I noted to myself that it could be a good site for folks with mobility issues. If not for the hill to the latrine, it would be dang near wheelchair accessible. Sucker is also accessible without portaging & you could get a tow directly to/from the site of needed (I had food delivered to me there & it felt like wilderness doordash haha).