Did anyone do the portage between Lower Pauness to Shell lakes last year. I have a trip planed for this year and wanted to know how bad the beaver pond has affected the portage.

Hi All,

I am planning a 7-10ish day trip to the Boundary Waters this summer and am wondering how many miles a day to account for. I will be going late June or late July, so it looks like there will be around 15 hours of day light. Figure in time for eating, stopping, and setting up/down camp call it 10-12 hrs of actual paddling.

I am a pretty fit person, have run several half marathons, do rock climbing regularly, biked 100mile races a few times before, so I would have no problem physically paddling all day long. I have been backpacking several times before, but have not travelled by canoe before. How many miles a day could a fairly fit person go in 10-12 hours? I like being able to cover long miles if time allows for it so am just wondering how to plan a route.

I might bring a friend with me, (he is pretty fit too,) so how would our daily mileage change if it was to of us together? It seems like I could probably single portage since I have minimal gear, but might have to double portage.

Edit: If we get a few days into the backcountry, maybe 30 miles away from any entry points, will it be less busy? Or will it all be pretty busy with people around. Just wondering thinking how hard it may be to find an empty campsite.

Thanks for your help.

Scouts require mid hiking boot that drains. They say to either bring Solomon x ultra aero or merrel Moab mid.

It doesn't look like Solomon has that line of boot anymore. I am a big fan of Solomon. Is there a replacement for the Aero line?

Hey everyone,

I'm having such a hard time planning a trip. Online maps aren't showing me what I want and research hasn't pulled up any easy to interpret results. Hopefully you can help. I do not have a specific entry point or trail in mind. The trails need to be easy to medium difficulty.

My groups' goal is to have either one of these two types of trips for 3 nights-

1. Use a campground as a base. Hike out from the camp each day and return at night. Repeat the following day on a different trail. (I don't know the area, so I'm not sure if any campgrounds are near multiple trails)
2. Start at an entry point to a trail. Hike a trail and camp along it each night, eventually returning back to the entry point on the last day.

Do you have any suggestions on a campground or a trailhead to start at?

Thanks!

First timer here going into the Bwca this August. Heading in on EP 70. Suggestions of an outfitter that serves this area? I see there are outfitters a little more to the west around Clearwater, but struggling to find any further east. Looking for a full outfitters setup of possible (gear and food). Is there anything in Grand Marais?

Are wind powered boats allowed? Sailboats? Canoes with add on sails? Row/sailing dingy? Does it ever happen?

After a successful permit pull this morning, my group is looking to start talking with an outfitter about canoe rentals, other equipment rentals, bunkhouse, etc. We will be on entry point 24 off Fall Lake, just northeast of Ely. Anyone willing to share their experience with any of the outfitters in that area?

I’ve been trying to go through websites and reviews for a bit today, and it seems there isn’t a “wrong choice”. Most have similar pricing, great reviews, etc. so looking for something to help narrow the search. Thanks in advance!

It

I have two trips up planned and will edit here once I have the permits. Kawishiwi Lake aurora from last fall.

Planning a trip this summer, hopefully 5-6 nights. I have sleep apnea and have used a CPAP for many years. It is very difficult for me to sleep without it at this point.

I’m wondering if anyone has any insight into more portable units and also other options for powering the unit. I’m thinking of power banks, possibly solar charging.

Of course weight and packability are major considerations, would like to keep the gear as minimal as possible.

If anyone has any experience or expertise with this I’d love to hear your thoughts .

For those (like me) hitting refresh this morning to grab a permit, remember that you need to designate a cooperator to print out your permit and take you through the video and rules on the day of your entry (or the day before).

If you go with an outfitter, it’s helpful if they are nearby your entry point or where you’re staying the night before going in. If you choose a Forestry Service office, double check their days/hours as they may not line up with your plans (I made this mistake once and had to sit outside the office for an hour while my friends gave me the death stare).

Good luck everyone, I hope you get what you need today 😀

My 75 yr old Dad would like to experience walleye fishing and knows I’ve been to the BWCA. We were wondering if there are any guide services that are recommended for a 3-4 day fishing trip on a powered boat, not canoe. Ideally we’d find a budget friendly lodge but we could also rent an Airbnb and go out with a guide each day. Is such an experience available in or near the BWCA? I’ve used Andersons before and thought that area was beautiful but do want the best fishing.

What would you do with your Dad who doesn’t paddle?

Ive been to the BWCA dozens of times but have avoided the middle central section (from Lake one over to Sawbill-- because I have the idea that this zone is packed full of large groups. I imagine it infested with (lovely) boy scout and girl scout groups etc. I have no idea where I got this idea. Tell me if this is based in reality. I'm looking for a new EP this year (and hoping to avoid busier areas) and wondering if I should reconsider this area! Thanks!

Is it still acceptable/lawful to hang your food bag in Quetico without a certified bear container or Ursack? Just cant see spending $100+ on a Ursack when we’ve successfully hung food in the tree before.

Anyone do their permit pickups here? Any issues? I usually do it at my outfitter but this seems like a better fit for my schedule this year.

Thanks in advance.

Me and my family have been going to the boundary waters every year for the past 10 or so years. This year, some other more important stuff has come up that limits our ability to take our normal week long trip. Instead, we are only going for a two night stay, just to maintain the tradition. We have decided that it would be a good opportunity to go to an entry point that we normally wouldn't pick.

I'm thinking something like not many lakes connected, or the camp sites aren't the greatest. Let me know which area we should pick!

I hope the RABC doesn't end up going this route:
https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voyage/pecpct-eng.html
The Pacific Crest Trail had a remote access permit so people doing the trail could continue into Canada and finish their hike across the border. They have ended that program, so anyone wanting to do so needs to travel the 45 miles to the nearest POE.

A week or so ago, someone received an official email from Canadian border authorities stating anyone with an RABC would be extended until Dec. 31 2025. When the media got hold of that info, Canada walked it back saying they "might" do so, but haven't yet and would decide in a few weeks - obviously past the time (today) a lot of people are trying to get BW permits to plan their trips.
https://paddleandportage.com/2025/01/21/canada-walks-back-news-that-most-rabc-permits-are-valid/

I wonder how much of what they decide to do hinges on Trump's tariff war. If we tariff the crap out of Canada, it seems they are less likely to be cooperative with making things easier for US visitors.

We came across the Friends of the Boundary Waters route: Minnesota Mountains. https://www.friends-bwca.org/route/minnesota-mountains/

Thinking about starting in Daniels rather than Duncan and returning through the Pikes.

Anyone paddled this route - either the original from the Friends or the one we’re considering?

Wondering about getting from Bearskin to Mountain in a day, likelihood of getting windbound in June/July, and campsite desirability along the route. (One outfitter was ranking the sites in the C - F range.) And looking for any other reflections on the route.

Thank you!

For reference: been doing 2 - 4 trips to BW each summer since 2011. Plenty of experience. Generally single portage. Not fishing.

I know people don’t like to share their fishing holes - but what is a good entry or lake you’d recommend for a guys fishing trip in August?

We’ve gone the last 15 years, but tend to stay in busier areas. Been to Duncan, Rose, Daniels, Burnt, Kelly, etc… we’re hoping to go somewhere a little less busy - but with good August fishing. Anyone willing to share their secrets? Thanks!

The Boundary Waters is a sacred place, a refuge from the chaos of the world. It’s a space for everyone—regardless of who you are or who you love—to connect with nature and find peace. So why are we allowing links from X (formerly Twitter) to contaminate our subreddit with the same bigotry and hate its owner Elon Musk promotes?

Let’s be clear: Musk has openly platformed Nazis, spread hate speech, and even did a Nazi salute on camera. X is a breeding ground for the kind of toxic ideologies that undermine LGBTQIA+ rights, environmental protections, and everything else this community values. It’s no coincidence that people like Musk align themselves with the same kind of politics that tried to turn the Boundary Waters into a toxic mining pit during Trump’s administration. These people don’t care about the wilderness—or about creating an inclusive, respectful world.

Other subreddits have already taken action by banning X links, and it’s time we follow their lead. There’s no reason to give traffic to a platform like that when better alternatives like BlueSky exist. BlueSky is growing fast, free from Musk’s toxic influence, and it’s the kind of social media we should be supporting as a community committed to inclusion and respect.

Let’s keep this subreddit focused on the BWCA and the values we all share: protecting wild spaces and creating a welcoming environment for everyone who loves them. Ban X links here—it’s the right move.

If you’re with me, let’s push this forward. Our Boundary Waters and this community deserve better.

Me and my older brother want to visit the boundary waters before their potential impending doom. We're not the super outdoorsy types, I've gone camping exactly 0 times and he has gone once. We may or may not have a gaggle of other mildly athletic to unathletic nerds with us, albeit potentially with more camping experience. We're in the very early stages of planning this, so any recommendations for entry points and hiking routes would be fantastic. We would probably be going in late summer to early fall.

Edited to add: I know this is probably a stupid question this subreddit gets every few months, but I'm having an awful time researching locations

(crosspost from BWCA forums)

Planning our annual trip again, but before permits are available for the first time so every option is available! I imagine finding a 4-5 star campsite that fits 9 people (probably 4-5 tent pads) is the main limiting factor so I wanted to ask for recommendations.

The trip is 3 nights, 4 days and will be Memorial Day weekend this year. Ideally the longest portages would be around 100 rods. Total journey to the campsite could be up to 5 hours (all guys in our late 30s, no double portages for the most part). We just pick one site and stay around there. Half of us would like to fish. We don't really like the biggest lakes since it's just endless paddling and the wind can be no joke. If it's just a portion of one and is well shielded by islands, that's probably ok.

We need to rent canoes and usually stay at an outfitter's bunkhouse the night before going in so we'll need access to that in some form. We've only gone up the Gunflint so I wouldn't mind trying something on the Ely side.

Any advice? Thanks!

Was looking into a new portage pack, and the superior one is over $100 off right now. Snagged one and a food barrel holder from them for $110.

https://www.granitegear.com/outdoor/canoe-gear

Planning a trip for 2026 and my friend is big on foraging. What time of year would be best if we were hoping to forage for Blueberries on the trip? We live in the south so I’m not sure when things ripen that far north. Thanks!