Moose River permit opened last week so we pulled it to take a friend on his first canoe camping trip. I have 30+ BWCA trips under my belt along with other lakes and rivers both solo and tandem in other areas outside the BWCA. My buddy has never been on a canoe camping trip and has been asking for me to take him out for the past few years. I have never been up the Moose River before. I am 60+ years old and while I can still keep up with the best of them, I now tend to take my time enjoying the views while I paddle and mind my step when I double portage.

My other trips normally have the benefit of planning from the end of January to entry day, but this one is a a permit I got last week. We are heading in on July 15, so I don't have the benefit of 6 months of planning. I have read a ton of trip reports and threads here so that has helped.

I'm hoping to give him a good all around experience. We are not going to be fishing at all, just exploring and camping.

We have 4 nights. I'm kicking around 2 different routes

Route 1 a loop into the Oyster/Rocky area on night 1. Then spending night 2 around Pocket Creek or Gebe. Then paddling past the pictographs and camping around Boulder Bay on night 3. Then night 4 paddling to Nina Moose for a short paddle out on exit day.

Route 2 is to head to Agnes or LLon day 1. Paddle to Pictographs and then back track toward iron lake on night 2. Visit Curtain falls and paddle back towards Boulder Bay or Agnes on night 3 and head to Nina Moose for a short paddle out on night 4.

A couple of questions for those of you who've been in this neck of the woods. Is finding an exit night site on Nina Moose doable? Because it is an exit night, we'll be a little later in arriving. Is Nina Moose usually filled up with basecampers?

Do you think the paddling/portage daily plan is decent for a newbie? I really want newbies to enjoy the trip rather than having their butts handed to them and never want to come back. I've done so many trips I don't know what's excessive or not anymore :)

Finally, any other thoughts about a route that I may be missing? You all are normally such a help, so thanks in advance!

Route one is a great choice. I have done it a few times and is quite doable in your time frame. Nina Moose can fill up in the early after noon. I have got there a couple times around 1 and it was empty and by 3 or 4 it was full with folks leaving the next day or just starting there trip. If I get a late start I stop at Agnes rather than take chance.

Seeing as you won't be fishing, I'd choose route one. And if you go to Pocket, go over to Finger while you are there.

Great areas, especially for a first-time trip to see the sights. I did your route one option last month (and have several other times). You will likely get plenty of advice as this is a popular area. Since you are not fishing and will have more time to travel, I would also say route one. If you had fishing or layover day plans, I would say this is a couple days too short for this loop.

Nina Moose last month on our exit day was close to full and this was the only time I have stayed there and have seen it this full. My other trips through Nina Moose there have typically been around 3ish sites occupied including us. There's a couple of rough sites but there are 8 to choose from.

Regarding your milage question for a newbie, having that shorter day 2 to Ge-Be or Pocket is a good plan as the first day to Oyster is plenty long especially if double portaging.

A few noteworthy sites to catch along route 1: Pictos on Rocky, Stone chairs on Ge-Be, Pictos on LLC, Warrior Hill on LLC, Top of the World/Moose River Overlook short hike on Moose River.

I really enjoy the whole stretch from Oyster up to Pocket/Finger. Usually pretty quiet and some old growth pine to travel through. Agnes is more of a pass-through lake for me due to how busy it can be and it's big enough for the waves to get rolling.

Either option is great, have a great time!

We are doing your Route 2 next week. Some comments:

Day 1 EP16 to LLC is very doable, especially for just two of you. Get an early start at sunrise to leapfrog the crowds.

Suggest you find a LLC Tiger/Boulder Bay campsite immediately when you arrive in LLC. Those campsites go fast in the afternoon.

Day 2 do a day trip across Iron to Curtain Falls, and then back to your campsite. The Bottle Portage is much easier if you aren't hauling all your gear. At the portage to Curtain, just leave your canoe well out of the way at the landing and hike to the falls. You can easily get there for lunch and back to your LLC campsite by mid afternoon.

Day 3 visit Pictos, go through the Narrows, camp on Pocket or GeBe.

Day 4 Green, Rocky, Oyster, take the portage back to Agnes and start immediately looking for a site. I would not recommend paddling into Nina Moose in the late PM. Very good chance that it will be full.

If you are dead set on camping on Nina Moose the last night, I would skip the GeBe and Oyster route and just base camp on LLC nights 1-3, then get a very early start back to Nina on your last day.

Have a great trip, maybe we will see you at one of the portages!

For those suggesting Route 1, I am doing this in September.

With starting at Moose River EP, is it preferrable to head up to LLC first or go through Oyster/Rock first?

Originally I planned to go up through LLC first but the comments are making me think I should reverse it.

bnics: "For those suggesting Route 1, I am doing this in September.
With starting at Moose River EP, is it preferrable to head up to LLC first or go through Oyster/Rock first?
Originally I planned to go up through LLC first but the comments are making me think I should reverse it. "

It's more preference but I prefer to go through Oyster first. On this area of LLC, I prefer to stay around Lady Boot/Coleman/Fish Stake/maybe near the pictos and that's a bit of a haul for day 1 from the EP if done in reverse. If you're staying around Boulder Bay or even Tiger Bay, it's a more manageable distance but depends on your group.

Done all of it...couple times, both routes seem good. I'll just add 2 tips. One: If you're just looking at map and thinking you can paddle up the Oyster River, I'd recommend going to Agnes and taking the portage to Oyster. It can be tricky and sloppy to try and go up the river. Two: Research and learn the back door portage out of Iron to get to bottom of Curtain Falls. Paddling the channel can be tricky right before entering the bottom pool by Curtain Falls portage.

cowdoc: "Done all of it...couple times, both routes seem good. I'll just add 2 tips. One: If you're just looking at map and thinking you can paddle up the Oyster River, I'd recommend going to Agnes and taking the portage to Oyster. It can be tricky and sloppy to try and go up the river. Two: Research and learn the back door portage out of Iron to get to bottom of Curtain Falls. Paddling the channel can be tricky right before entering the bottom pool by Curtain F
alls portage."

I done it many times to recommend what cowdoc said

cowdoc: "Done all of it...couple times, both routes seem good. I'll just add 2 tips. One: If you're just looking at map and thinking you can paddle up the Oyster River, I'd recommend going to Agnes and taking the portage to Oyster. It can be tricky and sloppy to try and go up the river. Two: Research and learn the back door portage out of Iron to get to bottom of Curtain Falls. Paddling the channel can be tricky right before entering the bottom pool by Curtain Falls portage."

I went down the Oyster River a few weeks ago—I crossed over 10 beaver damns. The river this year(as it seems to change every year) is difficult to navigate as you approach Nina Moose River. My 17ft canoe could barely get through the narrow and windy creek. I definitely wouldn’t want to travel up this creek—especially without a paddle.

soundguy0918: "We are doing your Route 2 next week. Some comments:


Day 1 EP16 to LLC is very doable, especially for just two of you. Get an early start at sunrise to leapfrog the crowds.


Suggest you find a LLC Tiger/Boulder Bay campsite immediately when you arrive in LLC. Those campsites go fast in the afternoon.


Day 2 do a day trip across Iron to Curtain Falls, and then back to your campsite. The Bottle Portage is much easier if you aren't hauling all your gear. At the portage to Curtain, just leave your canoe well out of the way at the landing and hike to the falls. You can easily get there for lunch and back to your LLC campsite by mid afternoon.


Day 3 visit Pictos, go through the Narrows, camp on Pocket or GeBe.


Day 4 Green, Rocky, Oyster, take the portage back to Agnes and start immediately looking for a site. I would not recommend paddling into Nina Moose in the late PM. Very good chance that it will be full.


If you are dead set on camping on Nina Moose the last night, I would skip the GeBe and Oyster route and just base camp on LLC nights 1-3, then get a very early start back to Nina on your last day.


Have a great trip, maybe we will see you at one of the portages!"

This is some great information. Along with everybody else. For the two of us with a flying moose sticker on my Northstar!

cowdoc: "Done all of it...couple times, both routes seem good. I'll just add 2 tips. One: If you're just looking at map and thinking you can paddle up the Oyster River, I'd recommend going to Agnes and taking the portage to Oyster. It can be tricky and sloppy to try and go up the river. Two: Research and learn the back door portage out of Iron to get to bottom of Curtain Falls. Paddling the channel can be tricky right before entering the bottom pool by Curtain Falls portage."

Is it possible just to stash your canoe out of the way at the Portage and walk across to curtain falls? p

egknuti: "

cowdoc: "Done all of it...couple times, both routes seem good. I'll just add 2 tips. One: If you're just looking at map and thinking you can paddle up the Oyster River, I'd recommend going to Agnes and taking the portage to Oyster. It can be tricky and sloppy to try and go up the river. Two: Research and learn the back door portage out of Iron to get to bottom of Curtain Falls. Paddling the channel can be tricky right before entering the bottom pool by Curtain Falls portage."

I went down the Oyster River a few weeks ago—I crossed over 10 beaver damns. The river this year(as it seems to change every year) is difficult to navigate as you approach Nina Moose River. My 17ft canoe could barely get through the narrow and windy creek. I definitely wouldn’t want to travel up this creek—especially without a paddle. "

Yeah portages don't scare me, so I would rather walk than fight the dams.

wxce1260: "Is it possible just to stash your canoe out of the way at the Portage and walk across to curtain falls? p"

Absolutely. See what cowdoc says about the alternate landings at the base of the portage up to Curtain Falls. There are photo comments on the online maps here. Pull your canoe completely out of the water and stash it away from the landing (so other paddlers have the entire area for their own use). Nobody will bother it as long as you've left it up out of the way. If memory serves, the trees aren't super thick and you can just carry it up and stash it on the other side of the path.