I waited too long to try to get a permit and most all the August permits were gone. I wanted to get a permit for Magnetic Lake and do the Granite Route with my girlfriend. However, a Sag permit became available so I can do the Granite River route in reverse going upstream. What other routes can I consider for an easy four night trip out of Saganaga?

How far do you want to travel each day? Want any layover days?

I’ve been on some great routes starting in Sag.

And are you open to a tow? Sag is a big lake so, obviously, getting a tow to American point can save almost a day.

I’m open to a tow. I don’t want long travel days or hard portages. We’re both in our 60s but we are in good shape.

salukiguy: "I’m open to a tow. I don’t want long travel days or hard portages. We’re both in our 60s but we are in good shape."

If you are open to an out and back route, making your way up ottertrack and into the first part of knife is a very pretty route.
Good fishing too if you are looking for that. Could go 4-5 hours in over two days then come back.

Monument portage is the only real portage and it’s not very difficult.

You’d want a tow to American point to get off the big water part of saganaga

Rg123: "

salukiguy: "I’m open to a tow. I don’t want long travel days or hard portages. We’re both in our 60s but we are in good shape."

If you are open to an out and back route, making your way up ottertrack and into the first part of knife is a very pretty route.
Good fishing too if you are looking for that. Could go 4-5 hours in over two days then come back.


Monument portage is the only real portage and it’s not very difficult.


You’d want a tow to American point to get off the big water part of saganaga "

There are loop options on the Ottertrack / knife route but the portages tend to be difficult (even tho many aren’t long, quite steep)

salukiguy: "I’m open to a tow. I don’t want long travel days or hard portages. We’re both in our 60s but we are in good shape."

You can also be towed to Red Rock Lake on a Sag permit. Lots of options from paddling back to outfitter to being picked up where you were dropped off.

Red Rock

We did this route last year:

Day 1 - Tow to American Point, Saganaga, Swamp, Ottertrack. Camped at the very end of Ottertrack. Ottertrack is a beautiful lake. I hope to get back there soon.

Day 2 - Ottertrack, Knife, South Arm of Knife. We were going to go down to Thunder Point, but the wind changed our plans. We took the first bay after the narrows to head south onto SAK. We chose to get off the water for the day.

Day 3 - SAK, Eddy Lake, Jenny, Annie, Ogishkemuncie, Kingfisher, Jasper. The Portage to Eddy Lake is mostly straight up. But we took time to visit the falls to break up our double portage. This day was longer than we expected. There were no campsites available on Ogishkemuncie and we had heavy wind again this day.

Day 4 Layover on Jasper. Not necessarily the prettiest lake but very interesting watching the beaver working around the lodge

Day 5. Jasper, Alpine, Seagull. We started early today. We wanted to avoid being on Seagull in the later part of the day and wind.

We used Seagull Outfitter for our bunkhouse and tow. So we could finish our trip at their dock. Showers and clean up was quick and easy.

Hope you have a great trip.