Hey All!

I am thinking about doing a trip with my family this summer. This would be our first family trip. I have done a bunch of trips myself with buddies to many different places including BWCA. My wife and I think this is the year my kiddos are ready to tackle a trip. Pretty excited about that! Nothing better than passing down traditions and the love of the outdoors! My kids are 7 and 4 and will be 8 and 5 this summer. I guess my question would be-What is your favorite weekend route? I am wanting this to go as positively as possible for them to get their feet wet. I was thinking three days and two nights. Any thoughts/recommendations? Thanks in advance for your consideration!

-Chross16

Although Isabella had the fire so there isn't many pretty trees this means there is NO ONE on this entry point lake. You go to the west of the put in and there is an outstanding beach camp site. You can have fun and hike the pow wow trail or at least check out the bridge. Below the rapids past the bridge is an outstanding fishing hole with lots of walleye. If you do a day trip to the west of that there is a closed campsite with a great jumping rock for the kids.

Our favorite weekend route so far has been to Alton Lake just west of Sawbill. We went to the southern end of the lake, and there was surprisingly little traffic, even though it was Labor Day weekend and the weather was perfect.

There's not really anything that stands out in this spot, it just all is good for a well-rounded experience. This is a great first time option, because the one portage is so easy, but yet you still get the experience of hauling your gear.

My kids were ages 6 and 4 that summer - it was their second overnight weekend trip to the BWCA. Here's a link to our trip report if you want to check it out.

Trips with kids are priceless! Wherever you go have fun!!!! Here are the trips that I've done with my kids in order of preference for location.

Lizz #47 to Caribou with my older daughter and I at age 7. I would have preferred to camp on Horseshoe but she really liked the awesome site across from the Lizz portage on Caribou.

Baker #39 to Jack with my older daughter and I at age 9. Amazing fishing but the 2 sites on Jack were not very good for swimming.

Cross Bay #50 with my younger daughter and I at age 5. We ended up coming back out to camp on Ham because Cross Bay was full and people we passed said Rib and Snipe were also full. I decided to go back for the sure thing of open sites we passed on Ham.

Hog Creek #36 to Perent with my wife and older daughter at age 5. Some nice island campsites w/ good swimming and we had very good walleye fishing. It's a long paddle on Hog Creek to get to the lake without places for a little one to get out of the canoe.

It's my younger daughters turn for her 2nd trip this year at age 7 and we are looking at doing Sawbill #38 to Smoke.

We are doing a whole family trip this year and we are looking at East Bearskin #64 to Alder or Canoe and doing a daytrip to see Johnson Falls.

quote ducks:
We are doing a whole family trip this year and we are looking at East Bearskin #64 to Alder or Canoe and doing a daytrip to see Johnson Falls."

The three of us are looking at exactly the same trip this year.

Easy in, easy out with lots of opportunities to explore while you're there.

quote JJ47: "

quote ducks:
We are doing a whole family trip this year and we are looking at East Bearskin #64 to Alder or Canoe and doing a daytrip to see Johnson Falls."

The three of us are looking at exactly the same trip this year.


Easy in, easy out with lots of opportunities to explore while you're there."

We did that trip 3 years ago and found a great sandy beach camp site. We had a lot of fun, but bring good hiking shoes for falls hike. I wore sports sandals and got blisters- granted I was carrying a 3 year old on my shoulders

Thank you all for the great ideas so far!!

We did Saganaga for our first trip. I think our kids were 6 and 8 at the time. If you park at one of the outfitters ( I think it was Voyageurs), you can cut the paddle time up the Seagull river to a 1/2hr - 45 minutes. Hugging the east shoreline (burned over) you can cross over a little ways up to Horseshoe Island with at least two very nice sights. Definitely boat traffic but my kids liked the "civilization" and being able to see for example, an entire scout troop go paddling by! Made them feel as though they weren't completely alone!

Another option would be to go in Wood. Good walleye/bass fishing. Only one portage from the parking lot (althought a bit long at about 180 rods) but fairly easy trail and then you are on the lake. Couple of good sites on the north end but I also didn't check out all of the southern end sites.

Just a couple of other places to consider....

Another vote for the Lizz Lake EP to Horshoe/Caribou area. That was our first family trip and we have gone back several times since. Beautiful area.

Another option out of the Sawbill EP is to head over through the Kelso River to Kelso Lake. One very short portage and pretty easy paddling as long as Sawbill isn't too windy. More campsites on Alton so if you found yourself shut out of the 3 sites on Kelso you could still head south and portage over to Alton.

quote luft: "Another vote for the Lizz Lake EP to Horshoe/Caribou area. That was our first family trip and we have gone back several times since. Beautiful area.


Another option out of the Sawbill EP is to head over through the Kelso River to Kelso Lake. One very short portage and pretty easy paddling as long as Sawbill isn't too windy. More campsites on Alton so if you found yourself shut out of the 3 sites on Kelso you could still head south and portage over to Alton. "

Thumbs up for luft's suggestion on the Lizz Lake EP. We haven't done it but it one we are planning to do this summer. There are campsites on just about every lake of this route and if (and it's a big if) we have the steam to make it all the way to Winchell, that would be our destination. However it we make it as far as Horseshoe for example and everyone decides 'that's it' --- that's where we will camp --- and I'm sure that we won't be dissappointed. There are some good fishing options along this route that I've read from my research as well. Kelso is on our list as well...