I will be taking a trip out of Little Vermillion Lake in August. I intend on exploring the areas around Loon, Shell, Lynx, or the Pauneses.

1. How long would it take average paddlers to paddle from Little Vermillion Lake to Loon?

I already need to pay for a shuttle to drop my vehicle at e.p. 14. We want to explore some of the lakes and then head south out of BWCA.

2. Is the tow boat ride worth the time savings and money?

3. What lakes in that area are the most scenic, any pictographs, etc.

Thanks,
Sandman

I’ve taken the tow about 4 times, but we usually go all the way to Bottle portage, except for during Covid when LLC was closed to motors. We ended at Snow Bay that year. For me it’s worth it, mainly as I’m getting older and it saves quite a bit of time, and that matters to my partners who needed to limit their vacation time. A couple things I’d note. Crane Lake is large and you could be fighting wind, which would definitely impact travel time. And you will be impacted by motorboats. That long narrows to Loon Lake is really narrow and the motor boats don’t slow down much. In my opinion the tow gets you to where you want to explore much much quicker and you’re not missing much along the way. Think of it this way. Would you bike on city streets to get to a dedicated bike trail, or would you load up your bike and drive there? People certainly make the long paddle but I value getting to the area I came to enjoy over investing another day in an area I’m not really interested in. For me the BWCA experience doesn’t start until you hit Loon Lake. As far as tows go, Anderson’s does a great job.

As mentioned the Little Vermillion EP includes a paddle across Crane Lake which will take awhile in the best conditions then you have Little Vermillion and then the Loon River to paddle with quite a bit of boat traffic and in many places not a lot of space to be out of the way of the boats. I measure around 18 miles from the public dock in Crane Lake to the first campsite on Loon Lake you would get to. In my opinion unless done in the fall with low motor traffic this is a tow only route for me and my group.
I just cant imagine paddling this entry point from Crane Lake. The tow is expensive but its a fun ride and gets you in the park fast and without dealing with boats. Save your pennies up and enjoy sipping coffee as you speed into the BWCA!
We stay at Pine Ridge Motel across from Andersons and use them for tows. We supported Zups during COVID figuring they were in a worse way for business and both places are top notch. Ive not been able to afford it but my ideal start to a trip in this area would be to actually stay at Zups in Canada then enter Quetico or BWCA.
If you've not been before Crane Lake has a different vibe than Ely not better not worse. If you get up with plenty of time go fish the Vermillion River by the VRT its a fantastic fishery.
As far as lakes in the area you mentioned, I like Lynx and Heritage as they have fairly clear water and Shell is great fishing. If you are taking a tow you have lots of options as to where to begin. Ive started at many spots from Loon Lake to Snow Bay to Bottle Portage.
If you have questions or just want to discuss this in more detail shoot me an email. marcomd456@gmail.com

Thanks Aluminum barge. I had not thought about crossing Crane Lake. Great advice!

How long do you think shuttle ride is to Loon, over an hour?

Fairmatt,

Thanks for the info I appreciate it. Do I just call Pine Ridge Motel directly to get tow setup?

Thanks!

Call them for lodging call Andersons for tow. Mark Anderson owns the outfitter and Beth Bak owns Pine Ridge. They work closely with each other but are separate businesses.

Matt

I think it’s 45 mins to an hour if I recall correctly. Anderson’s will be able to tell you for certain. You’ll only need to go over one of the mechanical portages which is what slips you down. The tow is spendy but if you can swing it, it’s worth it in my opinion. As others have mentioned, the Pine Ridge motel is a good option for the night before entry as it’s right across the road from Anderson’s.

Thanks Aluminumbarge!

The distance is about 16 miles starting from Crane Lake. Two portages maybe 3. Should take about 6 hours if you keep at it steady. Add to that if you take breaks along the way. It's an interesting stretch to paddle with a variety of water- lakes, wilds rice water, slow moving river.

If you paddle, pay attention to the sound of oncoming motor boats while on the Loon River. It's not very wide and is twisty. Motor boats may not slow down as they pass you. This may upset you a little but if they did slow down, their wake would be bigger. I just make sure I get out of the navigable channel and be prepared to turn my bow into the oncoming wake as they pass.