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612er
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Never go back to? It's the BWCA and everything is beautiful if you plan things right and keep your eyes peeled. Here are my thoughts on EPs others have mentioned:
Ram - I've been through Ram on a solo trip years ago. It is non-descript but not a hard trip by any means. I like that it seems to get less traffic.
Angleworm - I put my girlfriend through that 712 rod portage on our way to Thunder Lake. By the time she came out of the BWCA she was my fiance. It's a tough portage for sure, but very beautiful and challenging. Isn't that why we go to the BWCA?
Brandt - One of my favorite EPs. I love all of the little lakes and the portages are all unique and different. You can get to so many lakes from the Brandt and Missing Link, from Tuscarora to Gillis and Crooked, down to Little Sag, up to Jap Lake....cool entry
I could go on about many of the others that I've been to and enjoyed, but my point is that there is beauty in all of these. My only reason for not returning to many of these EPs is that I want to eventually try all of them. There aren't just a handful of good EPs in the Boundary Waters, they are all beautiful in their own way. Go off-peak, mid-week, at night (yes - I've night entried), or any time to avoid the crowds if that's your worst indictment of an EP.
Sorry for the rant - the soapbox is open to others
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HansSolo
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It’s not a matter of not wanting to go back; it’s a matter of not being able to go back. That's because EP #2/Phantom Lake was eliminated.
Entry Point #2?
Phantom Lake?
When my girlfriend, now wife, undertook our first BWCA canoe trip in the 70's, we entered at EP#2, Phantom Lake. Entry Point #2 leads to the region of Crab Lake and Cummings Lake, which is now accessed by Crab Lake EP#4, by way of the 320-rod portage from Burntside Lake. Due to the fact the 1978 BWCAW Wilderness legislation eliminated logging in the BWCAW, (and because access to EP#2/Phantom Lake was essentially by way of the now defunct logging road), EP#2 was phased out.
In fact, I was almost run over by a huge logging truck as I portaged my 15’ Alumacraft from our car to Phantom Lake by way of the logging road.
I remember a metal gate that I had to go around in-order to “officially” enter the BWCA. As I was making my way to the gate, a logging company employee was unlocking it and allowing the truck to continue on down the road and into the BWCA. Apparently the gate was there to keep vehicles other than the logging trucks or Forest Service vehicles from entering the BWCA.
I didn’t think much of it then, because I didn’t know that much about the BWCA, the regulations, or its History. That being said, it all seems strange now.
Hans Solo
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wvevans
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quote jwartman59: "crane lake to the loon river. there's an entry point in there somewhere. houseboats lined up as far as you could see. not a single power boater showed any consideration for us being in a canoe. lake minnetonka would have been more relaxing."
This is so true JW. We've done 3 house boat trips and people were always very disrespectful to the people paddling fully loaded canoes. I always wanted to offer a ride but I never did for some reason
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smokechaser
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612er, thanks for the perspective. Like I mentioned in the initial question, each entry point is incredible in it's own way. I just find it fascinating how one person can love a certain entry point and visit it almost exclusively while another person just doesn't get excited about that one more than any other. I think that speaks to the diversity of options that the BWCA provides that we get to be that choosy (how spoiled are we!) and it also speaks to the diversity in values of the visitors to the BWCA.
My dad doesn't have a particular love for Sawbill but goes crazy for Kawishiwi, and those are neighboring EP's. My brother is the opposite. Just fascinates me.
Any good stories of night entries to share?
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caribouluvr
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I haven't been through a spot that I wouldn't ever go back to, it's more just of when I wouldn't go back. 47 Lizz is very highly rated, but it was so busy in August. So, I would only go back there at a quieter time of year or maybe at least mid-week.
I guess I was also disappointed with 69 John Lake. Nice area but the cabin density and ATV/dirtbike noise in the distance was annoying. I also could hear some sort of outdoor concert going on somewhere just outside the BWCA in the middle of the night from my tent!
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Goby
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Ensign. Lots of base campers and scout groups (I went through there with my scout troop!) and just too busy for my taste. Maybe Prarie Portage too entering Quetico. I've gone through there a lot and although it does lead me to places I haven't been, I have to cover a lot of familiar water first.
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mc2mens
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Went into Seagull a couple of years ago and did not like it. Lakes with major burn areas are not for me.
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arctic
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I don't care for the Moose Lake EP, but use it most years to race up to PP and Quetico ASAP.
Fall Lake EP is another I can do without. Come to think of it, most EPs out of the Ely area don't excite me. I'm more of an eastern BWCA person, although I love the country south of Lac La Croix, too.
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BananaHammock
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Stuart river, the first portage is like the batton death march. And the last portage into stuart, felt like i broke by back on the first day. But soo beautiful, tons of beaver damns! On the plus side we didnt see anyone else at all the first day.
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jwartman59
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because i never planned things like getting a permit until i got to ely, entry point #17, portage river, used to be my main route. for some reason portage river and the angleworm portage always had an open permit. portage river is no longer an entry point so it's doubtful i'll ever use it again.
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PortageKeeper
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Mudro for me as well. Never liked that entry point for some reason. It just takes too long and too much work to 'get away from it all'. Might go towards Horse but not to Fourtown.
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SaganagaJoe
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quote analyzer: "If I had to paddle it, I would not be especially fond of Sag entry. Even paddling once I drop the motor is boring until I get to first bay.
I'd rather start on small lakes with character, than big water."
Ahem....I beg to differ with you. Paddling Saganaga is not boring if you take the scenic route. It arguably has more character than, say, Hanson. Yeah everyone heads for Munker Narrows. What you have to do is take the channel to the end and then follow the south and east shorelines down to Devil's Walk Bay, then cross to Gold, Long, and Englishman Islands, and then up the west shoreline to American Point (approx. 3.5 hours in good weather). The one campsite between American Point and First Bay is fantastic with good bass fishing from shore. You get the protective intimate feeling of being near a shore and yet the wild feeling of seeing a huge lake in front of you. I love it....
I don't call myself Saganaga Joe for nothing. (And yeah, she got a little mean at times, windy and stormy too.)
I've only taken trips through EP 55 so far. And I'm going back this year too, yep to EP 55. I love Sag!!!!
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Mocha
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the trip in through brant.
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carmike
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I would be surprised if I ever chose Perent Lake again. I've been there a few times, and there were loud groups each time. Might've been bad luck, but pair that with the fact that it's a long haul into Isabella probably means I won't go back.
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amhacker22
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There aren't really any I'd completely cross off the list for any reason other than massive crowds. Even those if be happy to hit off the peak season. Tough circumstances can change and fish can start biting again. There are plenty of days I may not repeat, but no place I'd just never go to again.
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ozarkpaddler
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quote nctry: "Hegman is much less attractive to me since it has become such a daytripping deal. I took some friends there and left early because it was so bad. We're talking large groups well above the nine allowed gathering around the pictographs. "
Darn, that's a shame. Used to be quiet there.
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wb4syth
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#75 - Little Isabella River.
Maybe it was because of the time of year (mid summer and plenty of bugs), but this is one long, windy, annoying entry. I felt like Humphrey Bogart in the African Queen. It seemed endless.
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OneMatch
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Morgan on the Gunflint.
I enjoyed the area (of course) but that is one hellish EP portage.
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kanoes
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Hog creek, beaten that entry to death way back when.
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analyzer
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If I had to paddle it, I would not be especially fond of Sag entry. Even paddling once I drop the motor is boring until I get to first bay.
I'd rather start on small lakes with character, than big water.
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smokechaser
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So this is a question that has no good answer, because by definition, any entry point in the BWCA is a slice of heaven on earth. But I'm curious to hear stories about the entry points you visited that left you feeling a bit "meh" about ever returning to that entry point. It could be the lack of good fishing, terrible portages, poor scenery, or just overcrowded lakes. Share a story if there's a good one for why you won't go back!
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jwartman59
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crane lake to the loon river. there's an entry point in there somewhere. houseboats lined up as far as you could see. not a single power boater showed any consideration for us being in a canoe. lake minnetonka would have been more relaxing.
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spottedowl
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Ram Lake. I am trying to cross EPs off my list. I won't go back to that one I know that.
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spottedowl
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Ram EP is like a big gravel parking lot. Not too picturesque if you will. The lake is as uninteresting as the put in. If you like a challenge, hump over to Little Trout Lake. The portage to Misquah is one to remember. When I was putting in there some guys were coming out. They had extra whiskey and gave me some. I'm not sure I needed it. Go for it. Been there, done that.
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rtallent
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You will have some uphill to get to Ram from the parking lot, but I think you will have some nice options from there. Been through there once. Go for it.
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spottedowl
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I liked going into Bald Eagle via EP 75. We came out the Snake River. When we came out I remember I ran to my truck uphill, walked downhill, dry heaved a couple times, and made it back to the Snake River EP from 75 before our last guy straggled out of the bush. Good stuff. We had been to the Bald Eagle area a handful of times before. This was a new way in, and I thought it was fun. We camped on Quadga one night, nothing special. Everything else was cool though. I just remembered. At the put in EP 75, I am last in a solo, and my footwork was one step too lazy, and I got in the boat awkwardly and flipped over my head right off shore. Like I said, Great Trip!
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DeanL
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I'm not ready to rule out an entry completely but Snake River is one that I'm not too excited about ever seeing again. It was about 6 years ago, lots of people, lots of bugs and very few fish. Nothing really bad but there are a lot nicer places in my opinion.
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Knoozer
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A few years ago we entered at Brant Lake off the Gunflint. It was with low water levels so I remember a couple of portages to begin in muck about a hundred yards from the regular landing. It also came just a year or so after one of the recent fires that closed many campsites along the way. We ended up going to Gillis, after I think 9 portages, before we found suitable open campsites.
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nctry
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Although I agree the big lakes have big drawbacks, I rule out nothing. Moose, Snowbank, Sag, and Bule have all given me a run for my money more than once. But the opportunities are pretty good from these ep's and paddling big water can build character. I've done the Crane Lake thing too and know to well about the boat issues. Even in our spring fishing trips we go in with small fishing boats loaded down it gets dicey. But it also gets you to some good paddling. So I rule none out. I can usually beat the boats going out as far as time. But a tow coming back is getting more attractive if using Crane/Sandpoint.
Hegman is much less attractive to me since it has become such a daytripping deal. I took some friends there and left early because it was so bad. We're talking large groups well above the nine allowed gathering around the pictographs.
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Cedarboy
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Most any entry out of Ely area, way too busy.
CB
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gsfisher13
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Mudro. Done it 3 times now and 2 of the 3 times ran into multiple boy scout groups that had no adult leadership. By multiple I mean 3-4 canoes of one group traveling with another group of 3-4 canoes. By no adult leadership, I mean the leaders either (a) doing all the work while the kids walk back and forth carrying nothing and getting in the way or (b) kids sitting in canoes on shore waiting for the other 28 people and 7 canoes to be ready to move or (c) groups sitting at the portages eating like it's a picnic spot.
I know I may be just as likely to find the same problem elsewhere, but 2 out of 3 trips has soured that entry point for me and soured my faith in leadership of the boy scouts.
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IceColdGold
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I agree with wb4syth: #75 Little Isabella River
We were there in mid June and we have lots of bugs the whole way down the river until we got to Bald Eagle lake. It was not a bad paddle down a small river, but I have enjoyed all other entry point more.
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smokechaser
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I've been interested in checking out Ram. What is your reason for not going back there?
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fishnfreak
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Crab lake #4....A really bad trip...bear in camp, hungover on the first portage, lost our canoe between otter and cummings. Fishing kinda sucked....broken canoe seat.
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fishnfreak
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Crab lake #4....A really bad trip...bear in camp, hungover on the first portage, lost our canoe between otter and cummings. Fishing kinda sucked....broken canoe seat.
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boonie
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I have usually tried not to repeat entry points, and when I have I've usually done different trips. There was also some overlap on two trips through different entries.
I'll be doing my 11th trip this fall. I've used 9 entry points - 16, 14, 4, 34, 75, 23, 64, 50, and 37. I don't think there are any I wouldn't go back to, although many I'm sure I never will. Time's short. I won't hurry back to the ones burned in the Pagami Creek fire.
There are however some I've avoided, but that doesn't mean they are out of the question.
Some of the ones others didn't like because of bugs or crowds weren't like that after mid-Sept.
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ILcdr
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There's a few EPS (Mudro,LISN, Moose R. N.) that I probably wouldn't have gone back to a few years ago at least during the busy season. Now that I'm taking my 12 year on trips, I'm reconsidering them because I know what's there and am trying to ensure a pleasant trip for her.
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lindylair
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Enering at Brule Lake on a cold, rainy and foggy mornng and going up the Cone chain was oe of the most uninspiring trips I have taken. Also, canoeing up Moose Lake is tedious and boring and can be lots of motor traffic. The only way I would go back to Moose would be with a tow.
Contrary to above, I think the Mudro entry is great but we went west and north and most folks go the other way. Morgan Lake entry is one of my favorites, a long portage for sure but not bad considering its length. Lake one, well I went there last year and it is a pretty area but would only go in extreme shoulder seasons to avoid the crowds.
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shock
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for me it would be Mcfarland, alot of homes, we only went to pine, campsites/ground were well worn.fishing on pine slow. the brook trout lakes were nice to visit and brought back a meal.
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