Hello,

Last time I did this stretch we got very turned around at the NF campground. The portage has a number of spur trails leading in all directions. Anyone have good advice for finding the actual portage that leads to Gull lake past the rapids.

Thanks!

It depends on your entry point - If you have a Seagull permit, entry #54 at Trail's End, take the south entry at Trail's End boat ramp. We have never had that problem - just be careful.

I think op is talking about portaging from Seagull to Gull along the river. Portage along the back of the campground to bypass the rapids on the Seagull River. I've never done it but I'm sure all the campers have established many trails that make the portage confusing. The boat launch behind the campground is in a bay to the east, the river/portage lies to the west.......marked on the maps as a 35 rod portage right along the river.

quote cowdoc: "I think op is talking about portaging from Seagull to Gull along the river. Portage along the back of the campground to bypass the rapids on the Seagull River. I've never done it but I'm sure all the campers have established many trails that make the portage confusing. The boat launch behind the campground is in a bay to the east, the river/portage lies to the west.......marked on the maps as a 35 rod portage right along the river."

Yeah that's the portage in question.

Last time we tried it we wound up road walking to the boat launch so I'm hoping to stay on the trail this time. Probably just need to stay more west.

The easiest and most common thing to do is just portage from one landing to the next by walking through the parking lot and completely avoiding the campground.

quote walleye_hunter: "The easiest and most common thing to do is just portage from one landing to the next by walking through the parking lot and completely avoiding the campground."

May constitute leaving the re-entering on 1 permit. Versus a portage part of a single trip.


butthead

I'll try to explain this if you are headed north. I've done this route several times.

Just before the falls is the landing to the portage. This climbs up a rocky area and sticks along the river. But right before a tricky rocky spot (along the "real portage") the trail has a turn to the right over a boardwalk. Follow this trail across the boardwalk to the gravel road. Follow the gravel about 50 yards until you see a dumpster along the road. To the left there is a trail back into the woods just before the dumpster. This trail goes up a bit and then descends again along the river just below the rapids at the falls.

Kinda strange you portage along a gravel road, but this way seems the easiest to follow and manage a canoe on.

The "real portage" does indeed follow the river the entire way, but it is rather rocky with several crazy up and downs over steep and slippery rocks and it does do through the backside of a couple campsites.

Some folks do like doing the boat landing to boat landing "portage" instead. This does avoid the minor rapids below the falls altogether. Sometimes those rapids below the falls are a bit shallow and you end up running up rocks and shallow stuff with your canoe. Manageable to paddle the rapids no sweat if your bow paddler pays attention and guides you past the rocks and keeps you down the middle of the main flow.

This past Saturday we found these rapids below the falls on the Seagull river could not be navigated in a canoe. We tried multiple paths and between canoeing against the current and the depth of the water we always got hung up on some rock or another and even got turned sideways once where we came close to snapping a wedged paddle and going over in the current. There looks to be a portage on the campground side of these rapids but it is just a path that leads to a campsite. I was not fond of the option of walking the canoe up the rapids, not knowing water depths we would need to walk through and with observing the swiftness of the current. We were stuck for what to do for a while and finally elected to walk the rapids. This was not easy upstream with very slippery footing and significant current. Indeed, one person of another group attempting the same lost their footing and went under briefly. Thankfully, while we were there all did eventually make it through safely.

On the way back through we did portage our gear from boat landing to boat landing. This is certainly what I would suggest. This avoids the rapids and portages you around the falls as well. This is a bit longer carry than the "official" portage around the falls but is as smooth and easy a path as one could hope for. If you are continuing on to Saganaga (or Seagull, if going the opposite direction) choosing this option over the portage right around the falls would not in itself constitute leaving and re-entering the BWCA on the same permit since either one is actually outside of the wilderness boundary and should not be a problem anyway if you are just passing through and not stopping for a meal at Trail's End Cafe or other re-supply.

I'll be going this way in the opposite direction in about a week from now, from Sag back to Seagull where the car will be parked. The boat ramp to boat ramp portage I guess is easier, yeah?

mirth: "I'll be going this way in the opposite direction in about a week from now, from Sag back to Seagull where the car will be parked. The boat ramp to boat ramp portage I guess is easier, yeah?"

Yes--much easier. From Sag to Seagull you will be going upstream which makes the rapids work against you. Had we known about the ramp-to-ramp option (could have figured it out if we studied the map a bit) we'd have done that the first time through.

I have done this Portage as described by kiporby and did not have any problems. Maybe the water levels were higher at that time than what was experienced by others. Kiporby's description is as I remember it.