Has anyone canoe camped in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Georgia? I have read a little about how it is a neat area.

I have been to Sylvania Wilderness in the UP and have heard Craig Lake State park is also similar but both are pretty small.

Anywhere else? I'm sure there are more.

Define 'pretty small'.

There is a boreal forest area, complete with wild cranberries and blue berries sitting between 3000-4500 feet elevation called Dolly Sods Wilderness, Monongahela National Forest near Davis, WV. It's on the smaller side at about 5 w x 8 h miles. It's a pretty unique area of boreal type forest on a high plateau for being so far south. It's pretty much all primitive with just a few 'front country campsites. There are creeks with waterfalls but no paddling - so SIMILAR in that it's boreal forest. It's a popular backpacking area. Well, it does have beavers too.

Further north - sometimes called the BWCA of Alaska - for a more canoe tripping venue, check out the Swanson River canoe trail on the Kenai peninsula. It connects 40 lakes and 46 miles of the Swanson River. The trails are part of the Kenai Canoe Trail System, one of only three Wilderness canoe systems in the United States and accessible year-round. The Swanson Lake Loop Canoeing and Portaging Route is a popular choice for canoe camping. I've not been there but did some research for a potential Alaskan paddling trip a while back that never materialized. YMMV

Northern Maine has a "sort of" similar canoeing area. Way back in the day, the Boy Scouts used to have a national high adventure base in that area. Now, it's owned by the Scout council in that region.

Here is the link to Maine High Adventure to get you familiar with that area. I'm sure there are private outfitters and other information you can find on the web.

Sylvania is very similar. The UP is also home to the Big Island Lake Wilderness. Voyageurs National Park can be visited via tent and canoe just like the BWCA but there will be houseboats and fishing boats and they don't like dogs. Chippewa, Willow and Turtle-Flambeau Flowages in northern WI have BWCA-like boat-in only camping... and motorboats. The Apostle Islands near Bayfield WI are beautiful with remote boat-in campsites and dispersed camping permits... but Lake Superior can be very dangerous for a canoe and you should probably paddle a sea kayak instead. The Adirondack region of New York is full of wilderness areas with canoe camping opportunities.

I've always wanted to visit the St Regis Canoe Area but haven't made it yet. I've paddled Everglades NP twice and I recommend it but again, you have to be cautious in a canoe and leave your dog at home.

My personal favorite non-MN trip was through the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument in central MT but that's moving water and river tripping is a whole 'nother can of worms. Oh, best not forget, 76% of Canada.

North GA Blue Ridge is nice with the Chattahoochee National Forest, but not at all similar to the BWCA. Zero natural lakes. Quite a few reservoirs, but only one, Tugaloo Lake has any wildness to it and motor size limit.

The largest designated wilderness area in the mountains is only about 36000 acres. It is rugged country for sure, but pretty small compared to the BWCA.

The Okeefenokee Swamp in SE GA is big and quite wild, but bares no resemblance to the BWCA. Great paddling, though.

Lots of good whitewater paddling in north GA, but only a few rivers that you could make a multi-day trip. Maybe 3 days at the most.

I think the places most similar to the BWCA/ Quetico is Algonquin Provincial Park in eastern Ontario and maybe the Temagami region.

Isle Royale has canoe tripping options with portages/canoe in camp sites. The routes are pretty limited relative to the BW, but it is an option for a canoe camping trip with similar wilderness and solitude. Fishing isn't bad and you're about as close to guaranteed to see moose as you can get. One downside is the extra fees on the ferry to transport canoes to and from the mainland.

Paddle and Portage Interior Lakes at Isle Royale

portagerunner: "Isle Royale has canoe tripping options with portages/canoe in camp sites. The routes are pretty limited relative to the BW, but it is an option for a canoe camping trip with similar wilderness and solitude. Fishing isn't bad and you're about as close to guaranteed to see moose as you can get. One downside is the extra fees on the ferry to transport canoes to and from the mainland.

Paddle and Portage Interior Lakes at Isle Royale "

I like this one!

I definitely should have mentioned Isle Royale. That has been on the bucket list for years and ALMOST went last year but the cost for the ferry deterred us. Buddy and I went back to Knife Lake area again and had a great trip on lakes we are familiar with and saved a good chunk of cabbage.

Have to get to the biggest island on the biggest lake on the biggest island on the biggest lake in the United States sometime soon.

MarshallPrime: "Have to get to the biggest island on the biggest lake on the biggest island on the biggest lake in the United States sometime soon."

That would be Ryan Island on Siskiwit Lake!

You could check out the Mooseland River or Gull River access off Hwy 811 down to the Gull River Bridge on Hwy 527 by Gull Bay, Lake Nipigon. Holinshead Lake Outfitters could drop you off and pick you up when you sat phone ready for pick up. Summer: 1-807-982-2171 or winter: 1-218-434-0066.

The Gull River is an underrated, not well travelled & excellent white water route . There are some y-tubes on the trip using the Mooseland River at the Hwy 811 bridge & Kitchen Lake Road access to the Gull River.

See Reddit r/ThunderBay 10 comments one week ago for map details, portage locations and area details like Pantagruel Lake and Devils crater access. Check on Kitchen Lake Road Road Conditions with Holinshead Outfitter and the MNR for the most up to date conditions.

I am surprised that no one has mentioned Wabakimi or Woodland Caribou Parks in Canada.

Also, Algonquin, Temagami, and Killarney in Ontario.

Backroad Map Books Northwestern Ontario Outdoor Recreation Guide is a good source for researching canoe routes in Northwestern Ontario other Provinces are also covered in the series. The Outdoor Recreation Guide is the main source which is a good starting point from which to research canoe routes and pick out those of interest, Canoeing Maps, GPS Maps and Topo Graphic Maps fill out the list.

Another Canoe Route off the Hwy# 811 just past Holinshead Lake Outfitters access from North Road to Savage Lake the Ottertooth to Obonga Lake Boat Launch and Shuttle Pick Up. Again checking with the Outfitters from Holinshead Lake or others from Armstrong Station and MNR for Road Condition and Portage Conditions. Should be good fishing in any case.

Kopka River Provincial Park access from Obonga Lake Road to a No Name Lake about 3 miles east of Sandison Lake see the bridge over the Kopka River @ 50 08 05 .57 N 89 36 52. 03 W El: 413m pick up point @ Maggotte Lake Creek Kenakskanis Lake T-Off Obonga Lake Road Maggotte Creek 50 02 55.84 N 89 30 08. 01 W El: 387m.

Wabakimi Provincial Park access from Collins Lake Parking Lot 50 15 14.30 N 89 23 33.10 W El: 380m. Collins Lake to Bath Lake, Tamarack Lake, Boiling Sands River, Smooth Rock Lake, Caribou Lake to Little Caribou for pick up. Check with Clement Quenville or other Outfitters @ Armstrong station for shuttle services.

Whitesand Provincial Park Armstrong Station Pikitigushi River to Cliff Lake Big River Road to Big River Bridge 50 30 28.10 N 88 41 08.84 W El: 316m Cut Road 1.55 miles before Boucher's Bear Camp on the Pikitigushi River. Access: Big River to Gort Lake then head north to Ratte Lake, Bad Medicine Creek/Lake, & Cliff Lake. Return: Cliff Lake, Bad Medicine Lake/Creek, Ratte Lake, Gort Lake, Wash Lake, Deraugh Lake, Pikitigushi Lake to Pikitigushi River Boucher's Bear Camp for shuttle run pick up.

Clement Quenville should be able to make a shuttle run up the Big River road to Big River Bridge which would shave a considerable distance off the way into Cliff Lake check on Road Conditions and details with him.
Otherwise a flight to Cliff Lake and pick up at Boucher's Bear Camp by Mattice Lake Outfitter's Don Eliot or Wilderness North Outfitter's Alan Cheeseman may be in order.

I am surprised no one has mentioned the White Otter Wilderness just north of Rainy Lake. It is much like the BW with interconnected lakes, great fishing (some good trout lakes). There is also the famous log castle. Ted Wynn, who once headed the Ely Chamber of Commerce, bought a lodge on Clearwater West which has since been sold. It is a one of my favorite places.

OldGuide2: "I am surprised no one has mentioned the White Otter Wilderness just north of Rainy Lake. It is much like the BW with interconnected lakes, great fishing (some good trout lakes). There is also the famous log castle. Ted Wynn, who once headed the Ely Chamber of Commerce, bought a lodge on Clearwater West which has since been sold. It is a one of my favorite places."

Good suggestion. And since White Otter has a delayed fishing opener (mid-June), you effectively have the run of the place in the early season.

For a simple, easy out-and-back trip of a few days, I'm going to suggest the Caddy Lake route on the south side of Whiteshell Provincial Park in Manitoba.

Put-in is on Caddy Lake at either the campground on the east side or at the resort on Green Bay on the west side. The route takes you through some really cool tunnels and with decent conditions and with ZERO portages, the numerous campsites on North Cross Lake are an easy paddle to get to less than 10 miles in. If you do not feel your canoe trip is complete without at least some portaging, a short portage of less than 15 rods and another hour or so of paddling will get you to Sailing Lake on which you can also camp or from which you could push on even further for several miles to Mallard Lake or, as yet another option, do another hour or two of paddling and portaging that includes a 135-rod carry between Sailing and Granite lakes.

It's not quite as "remote" as the Quetico or, even the BWCA, as you often will see a motor or two along the way but I really don't think any more so than the motors-legal lakes in the Boundary Waters. The campsites are much like the BWCA with a fire place and a pit-toilet latrine. At least most of the sites will have an old wooden picnic table too. The fire places are an above-ground, metal box and not all of them that I've seen have their "flip-off' grate intact so not a bad idea that you'd bring along some kind of cooking grate as one would probably do in the Quetico.

If you have more time and ambition, starting and ending at Caddy Lake also offers a choice of much bigger loops that can be done that involve more paddling and portaging.

For staying a night, or longer, before and/or after your canoe trip, there is the campground on Caddy Lake along with numerous others in the area. Cabins and even a motel are also availble in the area if you want something a bit more "comfy".

Again, it's certainly not Quetico or BWCA but enough about Whiteshell/Caddy Lake route is similar to them that I think it's worth mentioning.