Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Trip Planning Forum :: BWCA - East vs. West
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thegildedgopher |
bobbernumber3: "Lawnchair107: "I’d say crowds and fishing. Seems as though you’ll see more people on the Ely side, but oh the fishing is so much better overall, imo." Bingo! Trout is what brought me to the Bwca in the first place, so the gunflint trail is where I started about 5 years ago. I’ve been up to Ely a few times since then but only once in the wilderness (basswood). The challenge for me is balancing my desire to see the entire Bwca and my desire to fish the same couple lakes hard every year to really learn the nuances in different seasons, water levels, etc. Since I’m an angler at heart the latter is winning the battle so far. |
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GopherAdventure |
I like both, but prefer Ely side simply because I’m more familiar. Tony |
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straighthairedcurly |
This summer I am planning 3 trips out of the Ely area, and 2 out of the Gunflint area. But that is just because of some time limits...shorter drive to Ely...and we are trying to try the entry point that got canceled on us last summer due to wildfires. |
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TomP |
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PeaceFrog |
PF |
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ockycamper |
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mschi772 |
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TomT |
I then went out of Ely and just fell in love with the town. All the shops and stores, it was so fun to just walk and explore Ely. These days there’s a noticeable difference in the towns. I’m way overdue for a trip off the Gunflint again and this thread just might get me there in 2022. So, thanks! |
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salukiguy |
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schweady |
salukiguy: "Ok another factor not considered yet: West side some cell phone service on the lakes. East side no cell service that I know about. " Soon changing. |
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schweady |
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lindylair |
In general I am speaking of the entries at Brule, Baker, Sawbill itself, Homer, Hog Creek and Kawishiwi Lakes. I have had multiple trips from all of these entries with the exception of Sawbill. They have been some of my favorite trips. Not saying they have anything over either the east or west portions of the BWCA, just saying they are a viable option to consider and I believe they are often overlooked, especially with folks newer to the experience. Worth checking out. sand beach campsites plenty of rocks/formations awesome scenery and frequent small river/creek paddling which is a nice break from typical lake paddling and an intimate and wild feeling |
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JWilder |
lindylair: "I think the southern entries accessed via the Sawbill trail are all too often off the radar and left out of the conversation. These entries offer great trip experiences including wildlife, fishing, scenery, nice campsites, sand beaches and if you are willing to work for it some pretty remote areas. Granted, they do not offer the dramatic topography of the east end for the most part...but there's plenty of rocks and cliffs. Thanks lindylair. Great addition to the thread! |
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PeaceFrog |
schweady: "salukiguy: "Ok another factor not considered yet: West side some cell phone service on the lakes. East side no cell service that I know about. " Shhh! Please don't tell my wife. Lol |
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ockycamper |
We tripped in Ely are for 3 years. Got tired of the crowds, seeing people everywhere we went, never seeing any animals, etc. Once we moved to the Gunflint area we never went back. We rarely if ever see any other people (we also go late September). We see moose every year, and never tire of climbing the rock cliffs in that area to see for miles. |
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bottomtothetap |
I like to compare the two major towns that are jumping-off points to the BWCA and describe it as Grand Marais being more like New England and Ely being more like Alaska. |
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TuscaroraBorealis |
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CanoeViking |
TuscaroraBorealis: "Of course you can find most things on both sides but, I prefer the Gunflint because of: |
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ockycamper |
Once you get on the Gunflint Trail and get past Trail Center Lodge you are already in the wilderness. |
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Lawnchair107 |
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bobbernumber3 |
Lawnchair107: "I’d say crowds and fishing. Seems as though you’ll see more people on the Ely side, but oh the fishing is so much better overall, imo." Interesting your view on fishing. I'd have said the Gunflint side is better. Probably because I go there more. Fewer lake trout lakes around Ely it seems. |
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JWilder |
Fore those who primarily trip on the East side; why? Why is it you prefer this area vs. the other? For those who trip on the West side; why? Why is it you prefer this area vs. the other? Maybe you enjoy both and balance out your trips between the two. I am curious to hear your thoughts and experiences and how this topic fits into your trip planning. JW |
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papalambeau |
I've asked my boys if they want to make a change and head east to a different entry point but their reply says it all - "if it ain't broke don't fix it". |
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Speckled |
In my opinion, the lakes on the west side are more Meso and Eutrophic, which really means more fertile and in theory hold more fish, but if it's trout you're after, the east side will give you more opportunity. |
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Ohiopikeman |
As it is northern pike that has lured our group to the BWCA since the early 1990's, we spend much time fishing weedbeds; nice cabbage beds in 6' to 10' of water with deeper water nearby is the type of water we seek for success with pike. Finding this type of water is no problem fishing the Western side of the BWCA. Lakes like Basswood and Crooked are loaded with this type of water (and huge pike!). We struggled finding this type of water to fish on the Eastern side. Many of the lakes are deep and rocky with little to no weed cover. If you are after lake trout, this water looks perfect! I'm sure that there are plenty of big pike to be had in the Eastern side of the park, but finding them in deep weedless lakes is much more challenging. |
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A1t2o |
I've never been to the west side of the boundary waters, but really, I don't see the appeal. Grand Marais is just another town on Superior. It's touristy and caters to people heading towards the boundary waters, but that's only a small part of the town. From what I've seen and heard about Ely, it wouldn't be there if it weren't for the boundary waters. The amount of people that go through Ely each week during the summer is a big repellant for me. I get that there are a bunch of different entry points for those people to spread out to, but they are close together and many lead to the same lakes. I feel like the east side is a little more spread out and even with the same number of people per EP, you can spread out more. Plus who doesn't like those views that the elevation changes give you? |
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RedLakePaddler |
Another reason was that Ely is only 283 miles from us. I know this is nothing compared to what a lot of people have to travel to get there, but when you have 2 kids and a wife with a lot of medical expenses Ely was more affordable. Since Barbara passed away in 2019 I am more open to trying the Gunflint. But I would miss all the friend I have made in Ely. They are great people! See YAA on the water this summer. This summer should be better with all the snow we are getting in northern Minnesota. Carl |
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ockycamper |
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ockycamper |
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Spartan2 |
But while we were canoe-tripping, every once in awhile Spartan1 would say, "I think sometime we should try a trip off the Gunflint." Back then, it meant nothing to me. I was happy with what we were doing, and didn't care about trying anything new. I didn't even know what he meant by "the Gunflint". In 1992 he convinced me that we should, indeed, start at the Gunflint for our "long trip" of 22 days, and it was a very different experience. We found that we loved it there. 1992 was significant in another way, as it was the year that Spartan1 learned that he had kidney disease. As we were adjusting to the differences that made in our lives over the next year or so, we made a pact that once we returned to the canoe country for a wilderness trip, we would do a yearly trip for a long as we were able. I don't think in 1992 we thought it would be as long as it turned out to be. Yearly trips from 1994-2013. (One year was missing but it isn't significant to this story.) Not all of them on the east side. We tried Sawbill. We returned to Crane Lake and Lac La Croix--actually not by choice the year of the Romance Fire when the only permit we could get was "LLC only". We did a trip out of Lake One in 2006. But I think, without checking my list of entry points, the majority of the trips have been on the east side, and probably the favorite ones. But we loved it all. For me, at least, there isn't enough difference to be a deal-breaker--and the variety of mixing it up has been an important part of my enjoyment of the years of canoe tripping. Early on, we even mixed in a couple of Quetico trips and one each to Algonquin and Temagami. It's all good. And while we have repeated an entry point in 32 trips, we have never repeated a route exactly. After we decided in 2014 that we would move from wilderness tripping to a cabin week with day trips, it seemed natural to make our cabin week location be on the Gunflint. We have enjoyed stays at Rockwood Lodge, Clearwater, and Trail Center, and hope to continue this tradition for--you guessed it--as long as we are able. |