A Beginner's Guide to the BWCA

Heading into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA) can be intimidating, especially if you’ve never been there before. Many experienced visitors to the BWCA plan epic, weeks long trips involving many portages and several lakes, catching fish for food, and embracing the full disconnect from society. Hearing of their travels, many wonder if a trip into the BWCA is something they can do without hiring a guide or delving into a world way outside of their comfort zone. I’m here to tell you that the BWCA can be accessible for first time visitors who want to dip a toe into the BWCA without having to dedicate themselves to a long trek into this beautiful wilderness area. In this, A Beginner’s Guide to the BWCA, we will offer helpful tips and tricks to getting you and your family into the BWCA so you can experience it. Maybe after your first trip in you will realize that the BWCA is not that intimidating and can do a longer trip in the future.

This guide will pertain to overnight, summertime use of the BWCA and assumes you are paddling into the BWCA sometime between May 1st through September 30th. This is the “quota season” for the BWCA when permits are required. For now, we will also only cover the Gunflint Trail and Sawbill Trail areas. Someday we hope to travel over to Ely to become more familiar with that part of the BWCA.

Feel you already know enough about the BWCA and planning a trip? Skip down to the second part of this guide to see our suggested routes and outfitters.

For day use, check out our article on taking a Day Trip to Rose Lake. For wintertime use, check out episode 19 of the podcast when we go ice fishing in the BWCA.

Common Terminology

As you start planning your BWCA trip, you’ll come across some terms that may be confusing at first. Here’s a basic list of these common words and terms you will come across in this guide.

BWCA or BWCAW: Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness 
Quetico: A separate wilderness provincial park located north/northwest of the BWCA in Canada- many BWCA travelers also travel into Quetico during their trips.
Outfitters: A business that supplies those traveling into the BWCA with gear rentals, food plans, boats, PDFs, etc.
Entry Points (EP): Permitted areas where you can enter the BWCA. EPs are numbered (EP 1, EP 2, etc.).
Portage: The act of carrying a boat between two waterways. In this case, usually a trail on land that connects one lake to another lake. 
Rods: The distance used to measure a portage. 1 Rod = 16.5 feet, 5.5 yards, or 5 meters.

What is the BWCA

The BWCA is is 1-million-acre wilderness area that is found within the Superior National Forest in northeastern Minnesota. As a designated wilderness area, the BWCA is void of motorized vehicles (except in the event of an emergency) and modern comforts like electricity and plumbing since the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Act was passed in 1978. No one can live in the BWCA, and entry to the area requires a permit for both day use and overnight use.

The most common way to get around the BWCA is by non-motorized boat like a canoe or a kayak. Hence the “C” in BWCA. There are also areas that are accessible by hiking, but most visitors plan to get around via boat. You can visit the BWCA year round, but the area receives the most visitors in the summer months. Because of it’s designation as a wilderness area, low-impact (leave no trace) visiting is required. In fact, visitors to the BWCA are asked to watch a series of videos on how to visit and enjoy the BWCA without leaving any trace of their visit. 

The BWCA can be accessed from several places around Northern Minnesota. Entry Points (EP), which are numbered and marked on overnight entry permits, can be found in Cook, Lake, and Saint Louis Counties, with the most popular entry points located near Ely and on the Gunflint Trail in Grand Marais.

In a nutshell, the BWCA is a large wilderness area full of lakes, rivers, streams, wild animals, plants, trees, and some people in canoes. It’s a great destination for those wanting to reconnect with nature and get away from modern conveniences. There are many ways that one can enjoy the BWCA, and in our Beginner’s Guide we will offer some suggestions for how you can experience it for the first time, based on personal experience.

Work with an Outfitter

It’s normal to be a little nervous about taking a trip into the BWCA. There are a lot of rules and regulations involved, and even an experienced camper may not be aware of all of the gear you may need. Luckily, a large part of the area’s economy is centered around preparing for BWCA trips. These businesses are called “Outfitters” and there are a few dozen of them located all along the BWCA border from Grand Marais to Ely.

All outfitters offer package deals that will supply you with almost everything you need for your trip. This may include tents, sleeping bags, packs, canoes, food, cooking gear, and more. The easiest way to experience the BWCA is to get a complete package from an outfitter. Then, all you need to bring is your clothing, personal care items, water bottles, etc. Take the guesswork out of what you will need and let the experts set you up. They can even help you reserve your permit. Package deals vary in price based on outfitters, but you can expect to spend $85-150 per person per day. Prices vary based on the outfitter you choose, length of stay, and package selected. Refer to your chosen outfitter for exact pricing.

If you’re an avid camper and already have a lot of the gear that an outfitter will provide, you can do an a la carte package and only rent or purchase the items you will need that you do not currently own. This can cut down on the cost dramatically.

There’s another perk to using an outfitter, besides getting the gear you need. A good outfitter will also help you select the best route for your group, help you identify camping areas, and give you suggestions on how to handle portages. Basically, they can act as a personal trip planner and give expert advice. You can also purchase your permit through the outfitter. These are usually small businesses with owners and employees who really care about the BWCA and creating the best experience for all visitors. They may also be the first to realize if something has gone wrong with your journey if you do not show up on your scheduled return day. Many expert BWCA travelers opt to use an outfitter for basic needs, like a canoe rental, just so they have that assurance that someone will notice pretty quickly if they do not return on time.

Finally, one more perk to using an outfitter, is that many offer cabins or have nearby campsites for rent where you can stay before and after your BWCA journey. Not all outfitters offer this, but most do and it’s a great way to start and end your BWCA trip.

So we recommend working with an outfitter, even if it’s just for a few items you need, help planning your trip, or a place to stay before and after.

Do It Yourself | Reserving Your Own Permit

Even though we recommend going through an outfitter, it is possible to venture into the BWCA without the assistance of an outfitter. If you have all the gear you think you’ll need, have a boat, and have researched your route well, you can definitely go into the BWCA on your own. You will need to secure a permit via Recreation.gov and learn where you need to go to obtain your permit. They can usually be collected at a ranger’s station or outfitter. Note that due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, visitors coming in 2020 are allowed to print their permits out and do not need to stop anywhere to pick it up.

An overnight permit has a fee attached and it’s recommended you book your permit far in advance. The number of overnight permits issued for each EP is limited. For instance, as I am writing this in June 2020, Overnight Paddle Permits at EP 38: Sawbill Lake is limited to 14 permits per day. Looking at available permits over the next ten days, only one permit is available and it’s on a Tuesday. EP limits range from 1 to 27 permits per day, with most having under 5 permits per day. If you have a specific EP you want to enter on a specific day and the permits are sold out you cannot enter the BWCA from that EP on that day. So, plan early. If you find yourself planning a last-minute trip, go to Recreation.gov and see what permits are available and where and plan your trip based on that.

You need to provide a lot of information when you book your permit. Not only do you need to know where and when you plan to enter the BWCA, but also how long you plan to stay in, how many people will be in your group, and how many boats your group will have. There is a limit of nine people and four watercraft per group. You cannot exceed this limit any time or anywhere in the BWCA, including at campsites and portages. This is why it’s important to plan ahead and be prepared if you are going into the BWCA without the assistance of an outfitter.

Note that you can also book your own permit even if you are working with an outfitter. Just make sure you are purchasing the correct permit for the correct EP.

Do It Yourself | Plan Ahead “Be Like Barb”

If you are doing everything on your own- plan ahead! Your actual journey will likely vary a bit from you planned route, ours certainly did. But, having an idea of the route you want to take and the length of time it will take to complete that route is essential. Remember that your permit only covers you for a certain length of time. You need to be sure you can enter and exit the BWCA on the permitted days (leaving early is permitted).

There are many great resources for finding the best route for your paddling level and length of trip. BWCA.com is probably the best, most informative planning tool on the internet today. Although note that old information is not cleared off of the website so you may be reading route plans and reviews that are a decade old. Even with low-impact travel within the BWCA, things change often. Sometimes campsites and portages are closed and areas are no longer accessible. Specific events may also affect where you can go and when. For instance, they can close a series of campsites if enough campers report encountering a bear. During the COVID-19 pandemic, some areas that bring paddlers into Canadian waters were closed since the border closure happened. So do your research to ensure the route you want to take is available for your trip.

Then do your research on what to bring with you. Even an avid camper may not have everything they need in order to take a trip into the BWCA. There is no access to drinkable water within the BWCA, so you will need to find a way to filter water, either through iodine tablets or a water filtration system. You will want to prepare to hang your food bag at night to avoid attracting bears to your campsite. And, you will want to make sure you have the appropriate items in a first aid kit in case of emergency. A good way to know what you’ll need to pack for your trip is to check out what’s included in an outfitter’s package. Like this list from Sawbill Canoe Outfitters.

Just plan to plan and plan a lot. You should not “wing it” on a BWCA trip. That being said, you also want to remain flexible with your time. Give yourself more time you need in case you encounter inclement weather, heavy winds, forest fires, wild animal encounters, or busy portages.

Picking an EP | Outfitter and Resort Entry Points

When choosing your EP for your first BWCA trip, we recommend choosing an EP near an outfitter or resort. Even if you don’t plan to use that outfitter. These EP’s usually experience heavier travel and gives you the most opportunity for getting help, if needed. Entering in an isolated EP may sound like a great way to do a BWCA trip, and probably is, but for your first trip in we’d recommend not going too far off the beaten path. 

Here is a list of our preferred beginner EPs located near an outfitter in Cook County. Scroll down to the second part of this guide for details on each EP.

• EP 38 | Sawbill Lake | Sawbill Canoe Outfitters
• EP 64 | East Bearskin Lake | Bearskin Wilderness Outfitters
• EP 60 | Duncan Lake | Hungry Jack Lodge and Hungry Jack Outfitters (both located on Hungry Jack Lake nearby)
• EP 47 | Lizz and Swamp Lakes | Rockwood Outfitters, Blackbear Lodge, Poplar Hus, Trail Center (all located on Poplar Lake)
• EP 57 | Magnetic Lake | Gunflint Outfitters, Gunflint Lodge, Gunflint Pines
• EP 51 | Missing Link Lake | Tuscarora Outfitters (located on Round Lake)
• EP 54/EP 54 A | Seagull Lake and Seagull Lake Only | Seagull Outfitters
• EP 55/EP 55A | Saganaga Lake and Saganaga Lake Only | Voyageur Canoe Outfitters

One Lake & Short Portage Trips

Now that you know how to get into the BWCA, it’s time to figure out where you want to go. If it’s your first trip in, you may want to take it easy and start slow with one-lake or short-portage trips. Of course, you can go all out and do an epic 2-week trip covering many lakes during your travels. If that’s the case, plan ahead and have a great time! But, if you’re looking to just get into the BWCA on a short trip or take it easy on your first time in, we recommend short-portage trips. If you are traveling with very young children or someone with mobility issues, consider a one-lake trip. Many avid-BWCA fans will tell you that you cannot do a trip without experiencing at least one portage, but it is possible, if needed, to stay on one lake your entire journey and still have a lot to see and do.

Lakes worthy of one-lake trips include Sawbill Lake, Seagull Lake, and Saganaga Lake. In fact, as you can see from our list above, Seagull Lake and Saganaga Lake have permits specifically for travelers that do not plan to leave those lakes during their trips, so this is pretty common. If choosing a one-lake trip based on how easy the lake is to navigate, choose Sawbill or Seagull. Saganaga is a massive, deep lake filled with dozens of islands that can be tricky for a beginner to navigate.

When we talk about short portages, we are referring to lakes that are closer together and can be accessed by a portage that is 100-rods or less. 100 yards is the length of five and a half football fields. I also have Extremely-Short-Portage Trips in the list below. Those are routes that have portages all around or under 50-rods. Scroll down to the second part of the Beginner’s Guide to see some suggested routes.

Big Lakes Versus Small Lakes

Another thing to consider when planning your BWCA trip is the type of lake you want to travel on. There are big lakes, medium lakes, and small lakes. Many people, especially beginners, like to travel on smaller lakes. They tend to be affected less my severe weather (waves) and get warmer sooner. Smaller lakes also tend to be better for fishing. But, smaller lakes also have fewer available campsites and require more portages.

On the flip side, traveling on big lakes provides more camping opportunities, which is great for busy weekends where finding a campsite can be a challenge. Big lakes also provide for opportunities to not do any portages at all, as mentioned above. 

Of course, there are routes that will bring you to a variety of lakes, both big and small. We think the perfect trip for a beginner is a combination of the two, so you can experience both and decide for future trips where you want to go.

Basecamp Versus Moving Campsites

If you are going into the BWCA on a busy weekend (which is pretty much every weekend in the summer months), you may find that campsites are very limited. On the day we entered Sawbill Lake for our first BWCA trip, we were warned by Dan Shirley, one of the owners of Sawbill Outfitters, that a couple of groups had returned a day earlier the previous evening due to not being able to find a campsite. His suggested was to go in and find a campsite first, and then explore. Luckily, we found a campsite almost right away that was open, so we grabbed it and then stayed there for the rest of our trip. This is called a Basecamp- when you claim a campsite right away and stay there for your entire trip. Then you can explore other areas and lakes during the day, returning to your basecamp at night. This does limit you to how far you can travel each day. And remember, you need to get back to your camp at the end of the day!

Alternatively, you can move to a different campsite each day of your trip or every couple of days. This way you can travel a longer distance. With this style of traveling, you will have to carefully pack up your campsite each time you move. Remember, you are to leave no trace at your campsite! This means taking the time and effort to check your campsite before you leave to ensure you didn’t leave behind any trash, gear, or food. Because packing up a campsite can be time consuming, you may want to use a Basecamp for your first trip in.

2-Night, 3-Night, 4-Night Trips

As a first time traveler into the BWCA, you may want to consider a shorter trip. This way you aren’t spending as much money and time on a trip only to find out it’s not the type of trip for you. Shorter trips also means less gear to carry across portages. All of the trips we have listed below can be done during 2-, 3-, and 4-night trips. 

If you want to jump into the BWCA with an epic 2-week long trip, by all means do! We love your enthusiasm. We personally chose to do a 2-night trip to start, with longer trips planned after we get familiar with how a BWCA trip will go and precisely what our paddling skill levels are (spoiler alert… not great!).