How to Plan a Canoe Trip to the Boundary Waters (BWCA)

After a friend told me about an upcoming first time trip to the BWCA and asked me for suggestions, I put together a list of considerations, almost like a questionnaire, that once answered, can help narrow down the areas you should be looking at for a route, based on the amount of time you have.
I didn't have time in this video to talk through every consideration - I didn't want to "boil the ocean" so to speak. Below is a link to the list of trip planning considerations I put together. I may add to it as a "living document" but as of now it has most of what I think is important.
LINK: www.dropbox.com/s/5bxvt5lzcp5...
It is a guarantee that I forgot to talk about something important. You will probably find some omission that seems obvious, and for these omissions, I apologize. If I need to do a follow-up video, I will. I might, just because I can do a deeper dive into places you might want to go, depending on the outcome of your answers to the questions.
I'm happy to try to help you in any way that I can! Let me know your questions/comments/feedback below.
Thanks very much for watching!!
-JD
Instagram: / technically_rugged

[@opiumsunrise]

I've been going for 21 years and can confirm your advice is solid. Thanks for putting these up.

[@askdrsullivan]

As a complete noob who is obsessed with the BWCA, this info was perfect! Thank you!

[@TechnicallyRugged]

Happy to help!!

[@missionwilderness208]

Thanks for all the great information!

[@chasetopsecret2018]

Knife is a great 8 day trip can make it in one day it’ll sucks but then you have 6 awesome days to explore

[@viking_fisherman]

Lots of good stuff!

[@2287rna]

Love this! Planning to take a trip from Idaho Falls to the Pacific ocean in two years with a buddy when we graduate pharmacy school. Trying to get an idea on how to do this!

[@nervousstranger]

Great attention to detail.

[@TechnicallyRugged]

Thank you! I know there are still things I left out but I intend to make a follow-up video soon to address those things.

[@phish311420]

Thank you so much! My dog and I are trying to plan our first trip to bwca next week and this has been the most useful information Ive found so far. Very much appreciated!

[@TechnicallyRugged]

Very happy to help! Let me know if you have any questions and I can do my best to answer.

[@kurtbraasch4200]

Thanks so much for sharing this info. Planning my first trip to BW and gathering as much info as I can.

[@TechnicallyRugged]

You're very welcome! I am glad it is helpful.

[@blackdogbite]

THANK YOU SO MUCH! What valuable information!

[@TechnicallyRugged]

You're very welcome!! I'm glad it was helpful.

[@cashdingo6386]

Awesome info bruh, thanks for making it.

[@TechnicallyRugged]

My pleasure!!

[@jbutzi]

This video is really helpful! Thanks!

[@nickbush9458]

Awesome video man

[@TechnicallyRugged]

Thanks!! Glad you liked it :)

[@dueygolf]

Awesome video

[@TechnicallyRugged]

Thanks! Glad it was helpful!

[@tor2753]

SUPER video, thank you so very much, alot of good pointers,

[@TechnicallyRugged]

So glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching and let me know if you have any questions.

[@dk79085]

Hey great job! if you intermittently ran a bit of a slide show of your photos or something while you talked this video would be even better. Thanks for the great tips!!!

[@TechnicallyRugged]

Thank you! I agree, a more constant visual aid so you don't have to stare at my face would have been a good call for this one. In the future I'll make sure to incorporate it as much as possible. Thank you for watching!!

[@keargee]

Greetings form Colorado, I am planning a trip to BWCA fall of 2021. I had the great joy in experiencing the wonders of the Superior National Forest last summer/fall 2020 for just over 3 weeks. Mostly in hiking, and a lot in the state parks. I did not do any canoe or kayaking while I was there, but I am going to be more planned out so that I can change that and do some fishing this time. I will be going in a Kayak probably with my dog. I would love to have a 7-8 day trip in the BWCA this time. As an out of state person it is vary challenging to just pick a spot on a map and hope it all works out. My main goals are to get remote and do some fishing every day. I am thinking about doing a changing camp every other day sort of trip. It may sound odd to say this, because I am coming from Colorado but I also want to go do places with more hills, cliffs, and over looks to have more scenery to look at on my expedition. But I also want to balance this with me wish to be remote and not be disturbed with lots of other people. What would be your input on trying to get back to Alice Lake? or some place like that? What are some key attractions that you would tell someone like me to make sure they visited?

[@TechnicallyRugged]

Hey Daniel!! There are tons of route options for sure so I'm happy to point you in the right direction. One thing I will say is that kayaks tend to be heavy and a major PITA to portage, and I don't think your dog will fit either. If you have a sit-on-top kayak you might be able to fit your dog and all of your gear, but most kayaks like that in my experience are quite heavy. You're not allowed to use wheels in the BWCA, so it all has to be carried over your head (or if it's light enough, over your shoulder). So, I would encourage you to consider a Kevlar canoe, between 13 and 16 feet long. Given your desire to be remote and move every other day, you'll be doing a lot of portaging and a kayak will be (IMO) a burden. You can still use a kayak paddle to move quickly and fight wind, though! It'll just need to bit a bit longer than a typical sit-inside kayak paddle as your stroke angle will be higher sitting higher up in the canoe. As for destination, Alice Lake is definitely fairly remote, though you won't be completely alone as if you made it to Boulder/Adams (just a bit to the northeast of Alice). The route to Alice from Lake One or from Snowbank or Moose isn't the most hilly, though of course beautiful. It also depends on what you want to fish for. Alice is known for good walleye fishing, Adams for walleye, Makwa for lake trout. That entire area around Boulder/Adams/Makwa (a good loop up from Kawishiwi Lake) is pretty remote and you can expect pretty good fishing and some beautiful scenery as well (rapids into Malberg, cliffs on Makwa, portage from Beaver to Adams, pictographs on Fishdance). If you go in at Kawishiwi Lake you can do a "lollipop" route, staying on Malberg, Adams, Makwa, Malberg, and then exiting. Of course you can play with it a bit; maybe you start on Polly/Koma and end on Malberg, or start on Malberg but end on Koma/Polly. If you truly want hills, the east side of Gunflint Trail is your best option, and it can feel remote, but it can also be busy, as it's not that large of an area. A lot of people seem to like base camping on Caribou, Duncan, Pine, Alder, and Canoe. You could make a sweet 8 day trip and do almost the entire area, starting at Bearskin Lake and through Duncan to stay on Rose, then east to Mountain, then south through N/S Fowl Lakes, up through John to stay on East Pike, south/west through Pine, Canoe, to stay around Alder, then finish by heading up through East Bearskin, Moon, Deer, Caribou, and Clearwater. You can have someone drive you from Clearwater back to your car at Bearskin (or start off by having someone drive you to Bearskin and leave your car at Clearwater). This area feels rugged and wild to me and I love it, but the hills can channel the wind and make for some rough paddling, so you need to be wary of that. The water is incredibly clear though and it is a great area for lake trout fishing. There are stocked trout lakes scattered throughout this route as well. Around Canoe/Pike you have Johnson Falls, big cliffs on Rose, giant cliffs/palisades on Clearwater... it's just a super cool area. Let me know if you have any other questions and I'd be happy to answer in even more detail! I hope this helps Daniel!

[@saltyw1]

Thank you

[@TechnicallyRugged]

You're very welcome! I'm glad it was helpful.

[@ScottyD0578]

Thanks

[@1969darr]

Bear Island area is the best are to hang around for a 7 day trip.

[@TechnicallyRugged]

I haven't read anything about Bear Island Lake. Looks to be a decent size!

[@steveg5382]

Nice video. Very informative especially for newbies. Do you ever solo trip? I've done many trips but never solo. Next year though...for my 60th birthday!

[@TechnicallyRugged]

Thank you! I have not done a solo trip yet but it's on my list. I was going to do a 3 day camp in the spring with my fishing kayak trying to target giant lake trout, but due to the pandemic I called it off. I don't think a solo will happen this year, but probably a 2-3 day hike next year. Where are you looking to go for your birthday?

[@steveg5382]

@@TechnicallyRugged My plan is to start with a few nights at Kimball Lake Campground. From there I will head to Seagull Outfitters and grab their head start launch service to Red Rock Bay for a few nights on Red Rock Lake...then portage into Alpine for a few nights there...and hopefully grab a different campsite on Red Rock on the way out. Not lots of portaging involved but just enough!

[@TechnicallyRugged]

@@steveg5382 That sounds like a great trip! Red Rock has a lot of area to explore and I love that area (SAK/NAK/Cherry). Be vigilant with food prep and secure food storage; I read about some bear issues this season in the Red Rock/Alpine area and some sites had to be closed as a result of repeat bear visits.

[@steveg5382]

@@TechnicallyRugged I read about those as well. I'm one of those guys who uses all freeze dried food. I really like Mountain House but they are currently sold out of lots of their popular entrees. Hopefully the blueberries will be more plentiful next year so bears don't go looking for food in campsites. But I think they've figured out that humans= food!

[@TechnicallyRugged]

@@steveg5382 I genuinely look forward to the dehydrated dinners every day. Backpacker's Pantry has won my heart though I still enjoy Mountain House and Alpine Aire. BP seems to have discontinued possibly their best meal which was Kung Pao Chicken. Their Pad Thai and Sweet & Sour Chicken is also pretty great but I miss that Kung Pao.

[@justinanderson1847]

You mentioned Sawbill in your video. My wife and I plus 2 other couples ( girls first trip) will be going thru the Sawbill entry point. Looking to have a basecamp and do mostly day trips. Not going to push it hard for their first trip. What lakes would you recommend?

[@TechnicallyRugged]

A lot of people like to try and get to Cherokee for a base camp, but it's a haul to do it in one day, and even in two, there are some challenging portages that I've read about that would make it a no-go for beginners. Same for South Temperance. Depending on how much you want to travel and how much time you have, I'd see if you can make it to Grace in one day, and then take a day trip to Phoebe/Knight. Another option is to base camp on Alton and day trip to Beth, Wonder, and Kelso. I've seen photos of the Kelso River and it looks really nice. I've also seen good things about going to Smoke/Burnt. You definitely have some options around Sawbill. It's a nice area that is on my list!!

[@dizzanv]

Great info bro! You should just move there with this expertise and use it to make it a living. Not kidding.....

[@TechnicallyRugged]

I'm flattered!! I think I still have a lot to learn and a lot to experience but I'm glad I've been able to share what I have learned so far. I thought about guiding in the BWCA, but I fear I'd turn it into work instead of fun. For now, I think I'll stick to making videos about it... lol

[@jamesonmatthies1111]

Is there parking by where you put the canoes in the water? If so what are costs? Looking to plan a trip with buddies this summer it’s always been on my bucket list to see the boundary waters!

[@TechnicallyRugged]

Yep, most if not every single entry point has a parking lot that's free to park in. The only fee is for your permit to enter the BWCA. Have fun planning your trip!! Let me know if I can help in any way. :)

[@tomlaurell6754]

2024 will be our first time going and what we are looking for is base camp, fish for smallmouth. If you have any suggestions on what lake for smallmouth??

[@TechnicallyRugged]

Hey Tom! Reflecting back on the questions for trip planning... how much time do you have, when are you planning on going, how much effort does your group want to put in getting to the destination? The answers to these questions will make it easy to narrow down your options. Generic responses are going to be big lakes, like Basswood, Crooked, Lac La Croix, and Knife, but some of these places are slightly lacking in interesting day trips so you'd be mostly focused on fishing (which sounds like the goal, but it's fun to go see stuff like waterfalls, pictos, and cliffs).

[@tomlaurell6754]

@@TechnicallyRugged it will be 7-8 day trip and looking to have the outfitter plan the trip out for us . We are not in great shape but we do lug our kayaks around when needed, so hopefully this won’t break us to bad. Your video was very helpful, thanks for taking the time to share with us all

[@TechnicallyRugged]

@@tomlaurell6754 That's a great amount of time, enough to really settle in and relax. I would strongly encourage you to use canoes instead of kayaks as they are much lighter and larger for gear, which makes them more suitable for portaging as well. For minimal portaging, I think Basswood or Knife is your best bet, but if you can make it to Lac La Croix (LLC), you have a lot more options and IMO better bass water. LLC can be gotten to with kayaks from Moose River North, but it's a fair bit of portaging over a full day, about 7 hours double portaging. You could also get to it via Little Indian Sioux River North, with overall less portaging, but enter on the west side of LLC instead of the east side. The bonus is that you could fish for lake trout on the west side if it's not in the dead of summer, but they are not really found on the east side past Fish Stake Narrows. There are other paths to LLC but none are as short as these 2 entry points. Let me know if you have any other questions! I'm always happy to provide ideas.

[@mikelooney2994]

Very informative video. I'm planning my first trip to BWCA in 2021. I think I want to base camp and take day trips while fishing for smallmouth and walleye. I'm not looking to make lots of portages to cover a lot of miles; at least not on my first trip into the BWCA. Any suggestions for lakes that would fit my plans? Are there lakes outside the wilderness that would suit my plans? Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences and insight. Planning the first trip is a little overwhelming; so many lakes and such a large area!

[@TechnicallyRugged]

Thanks Mike! There are many options for a smallie/wallie basecamp, but the low miles requirement makes it a little easier, I think. It depends what low miles means to you, but I'd say something like 20mi, made up by a 10mi day in and out. Here are some options, not an exhaustive list but my recommendations. The distances are one-way, double-portaged, according to Paddle Planner estimates. Let me know if you have any questions and I'd be happy to help more! Thanks for watching Mike! -- Option 1: Mudro Lake to Lower Basswood Falls 2205 campsite * Length: 14.2mi * Difficulty: Intermediate, with a fair bit of portaging and river travel (expect beaver dam pull-overs and low water areas that may have to be portaged around) * Fishing Day Trips: UBF, Crooked * Scenic Day Trips: UBF, Crooked * No outfitters on this lake so you'll have to drive 45mins in the morning to get to the entry point * Can be somewhat busy despite difficulty of reaching because the area is very nice * LBF is very scenic and you can visit Upper Basswood Falls (UBF) on a day trip as well * Good walleye, smallmouth, and pike fishing in the entire area * Overall recommendation: Gorgeous waterfalls & great fishing make this a rewarding destination. If you can talk yourself and group partners into doing this route in the spring when water levels are highest, this would be the best trip in terms of overall scenery (Horse River, falls, Crooked) and possibly fishing as well. Option 2: Moose Lake to Knife Lake campsite 1450 (w/ tow to Birch) * Length: 10.4mi * Difficulty: Easy to get to despite the distance; portages are easy and the lake on the way to Knife aren't too big * Fishing Day Trips: Knife, NAK, SAK, Kekekabic * Scenic Day Trips: Thunder Point, Isle of Pines, Eddy Falls, Kek Ponds * Can stay at an outfitter to get on the lake first thing in the morning * Very scenic area, plenty of campsites, decent amount of people * Grand slam trophy potential due to size of the lake, not the best walleye spot but has plenty of them * Overall Recommendation: This route provides the best day trip options for a complete BWCA experience, both for scenery and for fishing, but you'll have to put in 5 to 6 hours to get to a campsite. I think the Knife area is one of the most iconic of the BWCA and it's why I have gone there many times. I always get something new out of it. If you're willing to make the journey, it is a rewarding place to visit. Just make sure to get the tow as early as possible and prioritize finding a good campsite since it can get busy in that area. Option 3: Moose to Basswood campsite 1641 (w/ tow to Prairie Portage) * Length: 7.6mi * Difficulty: Easy-Intermediate, consists entirely of paddling; campsite options means overall paddle distance could vary slightly or significantly. Wind could be a major factor on such a large lake so you must be mindful of that (as you do on any larger lake). * Fishing Day Trips: Indiana * Scenic Day Trips: Basswood? * Can stay at an outfitter to get on the lake first thing in the morning * Grand slam trophy potential due to size of the lake, primary reason I'd go here * Motors are allowed on part of the lake, so you may hear and see motor boats during your trip (may or may not bother you) * Overall Recommendation: If you want to avoid portaging, aren't too afraid to deal with wind, don't mind the sound of motors, and want to catch big fish, this is the route for you. There are plenty of islands to fish around and use as a windbreak, an almost unfathomable amount of shoreline to fish, and the size of this fishery means you can catch giants. Overall this is probably your best bet if trophy hunting is your main goal, it just comes with added wind consideration and motor boats. Option 4: Moose Lake to Ensign Lake campsite 1225 (w/ tow to Splash) * Length: 3.5mi * Difficulty: Easy to get to, no hard portages, just paddling on Ensign basically * Fishing Day Trips: Trident, Ashigan * Scenic Day Trips: Cattyman Falls * Can stay at an outfitter to get on the lake first thing in the morning * Can be busy due to ease of being reached and lots of campsites * Decent walleye and smallmouth fishing, many go here for walleye * Overall Recommendation: This is the most obvious short trip option and is appropriately short, but it means plenty of other people will be there as well. Scenery is nice enough (Cattyman Falls is a must) but doesn't compare to Options 1 and 2. I would push you to a longer route that gives you some more options, but if you're really just trying to get your feet wet and you'd rather go with a safe option, then this is a great safe option. Just make sure to get the tow as early as possible and prioritize finding a good campsite since it can get busy in that area.

[@mikelooney2994]

@@TechnicallyRugged Thanks JD. Great info, I really appreciate your willingness to help.

[@TechnicallyRugged]

@@mikelooney2994 You are very welcome Mike!

[@Tnapvrvideo]

Fantastic share! Thank you! My wife and I took notes throughout your presentation. We have being reading the Rec.gov site, the Paddle Planner site, and other resources, yet we are still confused about the permits. We're experienced kayak campers and backpackers, however the BWCA permit structure is unfamiliar territory. We could sure use some help wrapping our head around this system. As an example itinerary, let's say that we used Moose Lake Entry #25 as our start and finish point. We paddle up Moose Lake (camp for 1 night near the Splash Lake portage), we portage into Splash Lake, we portage into Ensign Lake (camp for 2 nights), we portage into Boot Lake, we portage into Snowbank lake (camp 2 nights), we portage into Flash Lake, and we conclude with a portage back into Moose Lake. Moose Lake to Moose Lake loop trip - 6 days total. Can you please explain the permit(s) needed and where we pick up the permit(s) for a husband and wife. MANY THANKS!!!

[@TechnicallyRugged]

Glad the video was useful for you! You need an Overnight Paddle permit for Moose Lake (your entry), X number of watercraft, and two people. The cost increases per person; it should be somewhere around $30 for two of you. When you reserve the permit you'll choose where to pick up your permit - I'd advise picking it up from an outfitter on the lake, like Williams & Hall or LaTourell's (you don't need to outfit with them to pick up a permit from them, but if you are going through an outfitter, might as well pick up through them). If not through an outfitter, you could also pick up your permit at the Kawishiwi Ranger Station on your way up to Moose Lake, if they'll be open when you're planning on being up there. If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask! I hope this helps, and thanks for watching!

[@Tnapvrvideo]

Thank you so very much. Does this "Overnight Paddle Permit" allows us to portage and camp on any lake while we're inside the BWCA? And, is this all we require to create a trip? Do we state the number of days we'll be out on the water? Does the cost increase with the number of days?

[@TechnicallyRugged]

Yep, you can camp at any campsite (up to 14 days at a single site), for up to a year, on a single permit. Cost is fixed regardless of the length of your stay. If you exit the wilderness for a resupply or anything though, you have to get a new permit to re-enter. You will specify the number of days you intend to be there, but it does not have any effect on the cost of your permit or anything. You can stay in longer, they just like to know to have an estimate of how many people are in the wilderness at any given time (or so I've read). And yes, all you truly need to enter the BWCA is the permit. If you have all the gear, just pick up your permit and you can head in. Oh, and you can pick up your permit either on the day of entry OR one day beforehand. There are some entry points with an additional "Only" entry point (like "Snowbank Lake Only"), which you would get if you intend to stay on a specific lake. These exist for Snowbank, Seagull, Saganaga, Lac La Croix, and "Moose Lake Chain" (which I believe is Moose/Newfound/Sucker). There is a "restricted" entry point at Mudro which prevents you from camping on Horse Lake (to improve campsite availability there for regular entry point permit holders) but this is the only one of its kind that I know of. Since you will be moving around the Moose area, you don't want the Moose Lake Chain Only (EP#F) permit, you'll want a regular (EP#25) permit. Let me know if you have any more questions!

[@Tnapvrvideo]

Your in-depth answer could not be better! My wife and I Thank you!!! You are a giving soul, and we really appreciate all of your help. We so look forward to our first visit to the BWCA. It may be this coming summer depending on Covid, and its unpredictable restrictions for travel with in-state quarantines. We have watched many videos on KZbin, and the BWCA looks magnificent - - we are equally impressed with the many people who share their videos. It's a significant effort. Again, thank you for your extremely helpful video!

[@TechnicallyRugged]

You are very welcome and I'm glad I could be helpful. It is an incredible place so I really hope you get to see it for yourself! One more thing... permits go live on January 27th at 9am Central, and they can go quickly for some entry points. Moose probably won't get "sold out" any time soon but I wouldn't wait too long to grab your permit if you have your route figured out by then. You can also get refunded, minus a $6(?) reservation fee, if you have to cancel. So, if you're not sure about when you're going in, and have multiple dates, you can grab an extra weekend or something for only an extra $6. I don't advise doing this on entry points with very limited permits (kind of a jerk move) but it is an option. Just make sure to cancel as soon as you know when you will be going in, to free up that permit for someone else.

[@samhalbach5633]

Can I take my kayak? I would much rather use my personal kayak then a canoe

[@TechnicallyRugged]

You definitely can! Kayaks are just harder to portage and usually don't hold as much gear as a canoe of the same size. Since you can't use portage wheels in the BWCA, you will want to choose your route carefully to ensure you're not trying to drag a kayak for a couple cumulative miles over rugged terrain. This will push you to the larger lakes like Saganaga, Seagull, Knife, Basswood, and Lac La Croix, where you have a ton of water to fish without requiring much portaging to get there.

[@michelleosborne8951]

Are you renting canoes?

[@TechnicallyRugged]

Haha sorry, not me! But there are dozens of outfitters for the BWCA that will rent them to you.

[@MamasBasecamp]

I agree, there is much to be said for getting further away from entry points, and there is much to be said for trying to keep packs 50 lbs and under 🙂 but....Ursaks are not Teflon, which would actually be easy for a bear to tear open.

[@TechnicallyRugged]

Right, Ursacks are made of a Kevlar weave. Super tough stuff... my Ursack AllMitey is really stiff, stiffer than my Major XL.

[@noahc.matteson2578]

Hey Man! New sub here. Great informative video. looking to go to the boundary waters next year with my dad and planning it now. Would love more content on how to do this kind of stuff. Check out my channel. It's all really camping in the midwest so nothing as extreme as the BWCA wilderness. Good content thanks again

[@TechnicallyRugged]

Thanks for subbing!! I definitely plan on doing a follow-up video where I address some things I forgot (as I knew I would) and go over some sample routes and talk about the characteristics/expectations for each one, to talk through the thinking of each one. I also want to do a full gear overview for everything I bring on a trip and a video about food as well. I may not get to all of it before the end of the season but I'll do my best! Thanks again!