Just starting to plan for a September trip. What are good resources to orient myself to the options?

Welcome to BWCA.com! There are two times of the year for canoeing folks - planning for a canoe trip... and taking a canoe trip! Repeat as needed. :)

This website is a great place to start. As you can see, all the messageboard forums are broken down into topics to help narrow down each segment of a canoe trip. Feel free to ask as many questions as you like, and don't feel like you're asking questions that have been asked before. They've ALL been asked before, but by different people at different times. There are lots of helpful and experienced paddlers here who love to talk canoeing and discuss all aspects of taking a canoe trip.

At the top of the page, you will see "Maps & Entry Points". If you click on that, you will get a drop-down with several options. Click on Entry Points or Lake Maps and start exploring. You'll get trip reports for each given entry point, map suggestions, etc., and if you go to Lake Maps, you can find the lakes you plan on visiting with campsite and portage locations, along with some reviews. Just click on the dots that represent campsites and the information box will pop up. Spend some time exploring and familiarizing yourself with that information. It can be very helpful as you mark your maps for your trip.

Will this be your first trip to the BWCA? Will you be tripping with other people or will you be solo? Do you have an idea of how many nights you're looking to camp? Any thoughts of which area you'd like to go, or is that part of what you're hoping to learn from all of us? Will you be looking to use an outfitter or will you have your own gear? Or maybe partially outfit, like only rent a canoe, for example. I can tell you the options are nearly endless.

Let us know your thoughts and the replies will most likely come rapid-fire. :) Again, welcome to BWCA.com!

More questions:

An outfitter is likely to ask you these questions too.

What is the Purpose of the Trip? Fishing? Sightseeing? Other?
Fishing? - What species? - Walleye? Small Mouth Bass? Trout? Other?
Sightseeing? - What would you like to see? Waterfalls? Pictographs? Cliffs? Wildlife?
Other - Photography? Scientific? Mushrooming? Fall Leaf-peeping? etc.

What style of trip? Base Camping? Travel most days? Hybrid?
Basecamping - Traveling in 0-4 portages and staying put for the entire trip. Some locations are better for having multiple day trips available. Others locations not so much.
Travel - You are looking for a paddling route that matches your interests.
Hybrid - Plan to travel every couple days with sightseeing/fishing/etc time in between.

What is your experience in a canoe? - Beginner? Some experience - but not comfortable in all wind/current situations? Experienced - comfortable in most wind/current situations? Pro.

The BW is a big place. Do you have a place you would like to start?
West/West Central - Ely
East Central - Up the Sawbill Trail (off the North Shore of Lake Superior)
East - Up the Gunflint Trail - North out of Grand Marais.

You can't go wrong with any of these. Pick one and then the fun begins to try to match your interests with places in those areas!

After answering Michwall2's questions to yourself, look through some of the trip reports for matches to your intended trip purpose. You'll find lots of detail on routes, lakes, campsites, etc, with some reports including route maps, fishing hot spots, food ideas, equipment comments, and other pertinent info.

TZ

I really don't know the BWCA at all so I'd like to get an overview of the different areas and what they offer. What is the best book for that sort of thing?

Robert Beymers books.....east and west versions.....

Beymer books

I like Daniel Pauly's "Exploring the Boundary Waters". He is also the man behind the Voyageur Maps. These maps and books are available on the forum.

The first thing to understand when planning a trip is the permit system and rules and regulations. Second is other factors that can impact your trip - fire bans, closures, weather, etc.

Jackfish, Michwall2, and Trail Zen have mentioned various resources and questions to consider. There is a wealth of knowledge and experience available on the forum. There are a lot of different kinds of trips and ways of doing things. There are also specialized forums such as solo tripping and canoeing with kids among many others that you can join. Outfitter websites are another source.

Do not hesitate to ask or answer questions and you will get tons of good focused advice.

I've done all my 20+ trips in September and have sent information to family/friends and many people like you. Email me and I will share it with you.

Eilmcg: "I really don't know the BWCA at all so I'd like to get an overview of the different areas and what they offer. What is the best book for that sort of thing?"

I can tell that you are little overwhelmed. Each of the areas of the BW can function for any of your intended activities (see questions above). Do I have a favorite? Yup. But, that is my preference for my style of tripping developed after 20+ years of tripping.

You can't "make a mistake" here. All of the BWCAW has lakes to paddle, fish to catch, rocks to walk over, trees to admire, and amazing wilderness to explore. The only mistake will be not going.

Pick a general location (West, west central, east central, east) and research that for your first trip. Go, have a good time, learn, and then adjust. We all did that. We do it every time we trip.

Once you have chosen an area you want to focus on - Pick an outfitter. There are great outfitters on this website. All are reputable and offer help planning your first trip. (Their websites often have suggested routes!) They offer services that range from complete outfitting (you drive up to their door and they provide almost everything - gear, food, maps, etc.) to renting/purchasing many of the smallest necessities for your trip. Don't know who to go with? Pick a couple and ask here. We all have opinions on our favorite outfitter. Outfitters can also help you procure that all important entry permit.

The BWCAW is a sub-division of and administered by the Superior National Forest. Your first stop should be at their website for the BWCAW. Here you will find the official planning guide with rules, updates, leave no trace principals, and other planning suggestions for your trip.

Superior National Forest - BWCAW Website

If you plan on getting your own permit you can do it at this website:

Recreation.gov - Permit website

As for other places to research -

As already suggested, the books by Louis Dzierzak (originally by Robert Beymer) are great, but another place you can look is on the Voyageur Maps and their website. Each map has a section that describes the geology, human history, etc. of that section of the BW the map covers. It also has a listing of the lakes on the map with fish species. It is just a great summary of the characteristics of each area. Each map has the boundaries of where large fires have left impacts you might encounter. These maps are great resources.

Voyageur Maps

Also as already mentioned, this website has a vast store of knowledge. It can be a little intimidating, but, mostly the specific trip information is organized around each entry point. There are Route Guides (see link in Community Links menu) that give basic info on routes from each entry. So again, to be able to narrow down your search will require that you choose a general region. There are packing lists. There are maps with information on most portages and information on most campsites. The trip reports will give you routes that others have made.

As mentioned previously, your outfitter is your best source for planning your first route. But here are a few routes that come up all the time for first timers that you might start researching today:

Out of Ely:
West:
Entry 14 Little Indian Sioux North - Head toward Shell/Lynx Lakes
Entry 16 Moose River North - Out and back to several popular lakes.

West Central
Entry 30 Lake One - One of the most popular "first timer" entries.

Up the North Shore - Sawbill Trail
East Central
Entry 37 - Kawishiwi Lake (Start here and take the Lady Lakes Chain back to Sawbill)
Entry 38 - Sawbill Lake - The Cherokee Loop will give you a introduction to BW
Entry 39 - Baker Lake - Another point to access the Cherokee Loop

Up the North Shore - Gunflint Trail
East
Entry 47 - Lizz Lake - Make a nice lollipop out to Winchell Lake and up north to Ogema/Henson
Entry 64 - East Bearskin Lake - A couple of easy out and back routes and one loop with a big portage.

I hope all this helps you get started.

Eilmcg: "I really don't know the BWCA at all so I'd like to get an overview of the different areas and what they offer. What is the best book for that sort of thing?"

I would recommend starting off by just asking questions. What's your expectation? Skill level? Outfitting needs?

Do you like the idea of going to Ely, which is basically surrounded by the BWCA with many resorts and outfitters, or would you rather drive through the Superior National Forest to get to your entry point directly? Are you ok with portaging or do you want a lake that you can camp on without hauling everything?

When you think about a BWCA trip, what comes to mind for you? There are a lot of different options for entry points, routes, and types of trips.

edit: Just want to point out that an outfitter is not required. I never use one myself since I own my own gear and pick up my permit in Duluth.

This is one of the many things I love about this site and the members! When I started looking at planning my first trip, back in 2016 or 2017, I received so much great input and guidance here, just like you are and will.

I found both books sets referenced very valuable and worth spending time exploring. The questions offered are great for someone new that may not even know the specifics they hope to experience. It helped me to realize it was likely going to take multiple trips to truly understand what I most wanted to experience. The good news is….after that first trip you will definitely want to come back!

As mentioned earlier, the planning process should be an enjoyable part of the trip. You have a great head start.

Enjoy, and welcome!

cowdoc: "Robert Beymers books.....east and west versions.....

Beymer books"

+1 There are routes described for each entry point ranging from easy to expert, both loops and one way routes of varying length. Makes for great winter reading.
But don't worry too much about figuring out the perfect first place to go. Every EP has some treasure to reveal so you can't really go wrong.
However, it is useful to decide if you want big lakes or smaller lakes, whether you want to avoid lakes with motorboats or whether you don't care. Plus Michwall2's questions are an excellent starting point.

Once you narrow down to a region of the BWCA, stay a little flexible in terms of EP because not everyone gets their 1st choice. Once you have a permit, feel free to ome back and ask more specific questions about that area.

If you haven't done so already? Poke around on the maps section on this site. You can scroll around & click on the red campsite dots & yellow portage lines for more detailed info.

It’s a lot to wrap your head around the first time! But you’re in the right place.

First and most important piece of advice is to JUST GO! Make it happen. Know that it won’t be perfect and that’s part of what will make it awesome. Many people talk about trips like this, but most get overwhelmed in the planning stage and never take the leap. GO!

Michwall’s suggestions above are a great place to start indeed. The key to planning is to determine your priorities. A fishing-centric trip looks different from a travel-centric trip, and affects the lakes you want to spend the most time on. How important is seclusion? Bugs or lack thereof? Swimming? This link is a great place to start brainstorming.

A huge resource for me for my first trip (and still today, though it’s moreso for entertainment) was the Tumblehome podcast. Easy to listen to while you go about your day doing what you have to do, and you’ll learn a lot! The lakes will sound like gibberish at first without a map in front of you, but over time, you’ll figure it out. Episode 1 is a great one covering the basics of trip planning, as is a short episode simply called “BWCA Route Planning Advice.” Episode 61 “What’s in the Bag?” Covers every single item they brought along for a 5 day trip. Go check it out!

You can research various routes on the Friends of the Boundary Waters website, filtering by the time you have available and difficulty level right here.

Order of operations
1) Figure out a basic route/entry point based on your priorities. I personally prefer smaller lakes but my first trip entered on Saganaga which is one of the biggest and it still turned out great.

2) Call a nearby outfitter for advice and to make equipment rental/outfitting/bunkhouse bookings. I prefer to use an outfitter right at the entry point if at all possible, but most do shuttles to nearby entry points.

3) Have the outfitter book your permit. You can do this yourself but I just have them do it, it’s easier. Permit day is the end of this month, so this is the most pressing need in your planning right now!

4) Dream about it all summer while you prep your clothing, gear, and food. You’re about to go on an incredible adventure!

You've received some great info so far. One thing I'll add that hasn't been mentioned so far is to search BWCA trip planning on YouTube. There are lots of great videos out there with people explaining the process of getting ready for a trip, plus getting a visual of the maps and gear, etc. will help immensely for a first timer. I would highly recommend an outfitter for your first trip as well. They will be able to cover lots of the questions, as well as rent you the necessary gear. Enjoy!

cowdoc: "Robert Beymers books.....east and west versions.....

Beymer books"

+1

Planning is often half the fun and developed together a BWCA trip will establish a huge bonding experience that will last years. I can still feel the stories of my first trip in 79.
But no amount of preparing will get you ready for the cleanliness, the total shift in what you see, smell, hear and feel. It takes a day or two to adjust but then something happens. I think you will like it.

You can get the Beymer books for $6-7 each free shipping on Amazon. Might want to start there, pretty much all you need to plan a trip.