Well, I am creating this post sitting in a Walmart parking lot using voice to text so if there are errors, please forgive me in advance.

I have just traveled the entire length of Wisconsin on this Friday just before the weekend. This, of course, being the end of the second week in June, which historically is an enormously busy week in the Boundary Waters. In the entire day, I saw a total of two canoes on top of vehicles in the southbound lane. In my northbound travel, I saw exactly 0. Not one.

My question is, if the Boundary Waters is such a popular place and the last few years almost impossible to get permits, where are all the people traveling to and from? Is no one taking their own canoe anymore and relying on outfitters for all their equipment?

I almost felt out of place driving up the interstate with a canoe on my roof.

I am just curious as to what people might think of this. Happy paddling.

That doesn't seem that out of the ordinary for me. I'm from Michigan and everytime I go to the BW I rarely see a canoe atop a vehicle until I hit the north shore, even thru the UP which is a decent sized paddling destination in its own right.

I’ve been coming since 2007 and many times it look like a parade of Canoes. This is a new development for me.

I dunno. I travel hwy 61 twice a day and there are cars, trucks, trailers and everything in between carrying canoes to and from the wilderness.
On my way to work about 6:30 everyday I pass vehicles heading north and I think, ‘wow they must have left in the middle of the night’ and ‘In a few hours they will be in the BWCA’. It’s fun to imagine their trips.
Tom

We'll be heading north through the entire state of Wisconsin and then up to our entry point with a canoe on our truck this weekend! Perhaps selfishly...I hope we see but a few canoes once we hit the waters. :)

I see few canoes in Northern Minnesota on the road. I see 50x as many of fishing boats. What I do see a lot of are atv/utvs and they are bring big money to a dying area.

My kid and I just did that drive 2 weeks ago. Up and back at gas stations talking to other folks with canoes on vehicles about our trips. The kid said that this really was "My" part of the world. LOL Cant swing a dead cat without hitting 6 outbacks with a canoe on the top between superior and 2 Harbors....

I know the local to me (Indiana) Scout groups and even individuals they all use the outfitter option, and don't bring much more than changes of clothes. That just does not compute with me, why own all this gear and canoes, only to never use it outside of the local area.

I see a lot of canoes as I get closer to the BWCA but for me I just rent one from VNO every year. The canoe I use in the Boundary Waters is not a canoe I would use for paddling in my home waters of Michigan.
Also I don't want to drive 14 hours with an expensive canoe strapped to the truck.

Just got back last weekend and the drive up the north shore north of Two Harbors loaded with canoes. The traffic dropped way off north of Grand Maris.

Eyedocron: "Just got back last weekend and the drive up the north shore north of Two Harbors loaded with canoes. The traffic dropped way off north of Grand Maris."

I understand that. I was referring to Wisconsin.

Duluth resident here. I see at least a dozen canoes on vehicles on any particular day. Get closer to the weekend and it can be a couple dozen a day just from my ride to/from work.

Plenty of canoes on the road between the Twin Cities and Grand Marais.

I travel all the way through WI and am also amazed at the lack of canoes on the road. I seem to see more once duck hunting kicks in. I suspect with more driving ever smaller vehicles with ex. MPG it makes more sense to rent for the long haulers.

We’re on 53 north with a trailer and 4 canoes. Doing our part :)

Just arrived in Ely today. I did notice less canoes on the road, but I did see a boat load of boats on 53.
Big boats, man people drop a lot of cash into their boats.

Just arrived in Ely today. I did notice less canoes on the road, but I did see a boat load of boats on 53.
Big boats, man people drop a lot of cash into their boats.

You’ll see mine tomorrow heading north on 35.

KarlBAndersen1: "I’ve been coming since 2007 and many times it look like a parade of Canoes. This is a new development for me."

I drove from Duluth to the Cities on Friday afternoon and had the same thought.

OTOH, I drove from Omaha to Duluth three weeks ago, and when I saw a northbound Grumman near Albert Lea , I knew I was headed in the right direction.

Perhaps all the folks that bought brand new $4000 kevlar canoes during the pandemic to only use them once a year finally sold them and are renting again... Who knows. But I have seen a ton of newer canoes for sale lately.

With that said, I'm in Duluth and there hasn't been a day in the last few weeks that I haven't seen them all over. Seems the Denfeld Whole Foods and the Super One are popular stopping places for folks to load up on last minute grocery goods because I always see fully loaded vehicles with canoes on top parked there.