Boundary Waters

In October of 2007, I took an old camping buddy of mine Ben Cantlon up on his offer to guide me through the Boundary Waters Canoe Area ( BWCA ) of northern Minnesota. Ben had asked me every year for a decade and boy was I dumb to decline for so long. The trip was a miracle of the North woods, cold nights, warm days, long portages and some of the most fun I have ever crammed into a 96 hour period in my life.

The BWCA - Boundary Waters Canoe Area is a 1.09 million acre wilderness area located within the Superior National Forest in Northern Minnesota.  The BWCA is renowned as a destination for both canoeing and fishing on its many lakes, and is the most visited wilderness in the United States.  

The BWCA is located on the U.S. - Canadian border, and along with Voyageurs National Park to the west and the Canadian Quetico they make up a large area of contiguous wilderness lakes and forests called the "Quetico-Superior country", or simply the Boundary Waters.  Lake Superior lies to the east of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.  The two main communities with visitor services near the BWCA are Ely and Grand Marais, Minnesota.  The smaller town of Tofte is another gateway community to the BWCA.

Several historic roads, such as the Gunflint Trail, the Echo Trail, and Fernberg Road allow access to the many wilderness entry points of the BWCA.  The BWCA contains over a thousand lakes and Permits are required for all overnight visits to the BWCA wilderness area. The BWCA is one of Minnesota's top tourist attractions, drawing visitors from all over the United States as well as abroad.  Fishing in the BWCA can be some of the best in Minnesota. Game species include walleye, northern pike, largemouth and smallmouth bass, yellow perch, whitefish and lake trout, among others. Popular lures include rapalas, jigs, and spoons, while live bait such as leeches are also used. When fishing in the BWCA, a multiple-sectioned or collapsable fishing rod is easiest to carry while portaging.

The famous Boundary Waters Canoe Area is the ultimate wilderness adventure experience. Hundreds of lakes, dot this vast Boundary Waters canoe trip wilderness travel area, so many, that some are yet to be named. This magnificent area, created during the last glacial period, and abundant with numerous species of wildlife, birds, game fish, and a great variety of wildflowers challenges the senses and urges one to explore and experience as only the canoeist can.

Boundary Waters Minnesota Canoe Trips: Paddling through this same vast wilderness first inhabited by the Indians, the Voyageurs, settlers in search of new homes, and finally the mineral prospectors and loggers, one senses a bonding with the past. Because there are literally hundreds of routes joined together by waterways and portages in the Boundary Waters, the paddler searching for wilderness adventure travel can canoe those same routes used by the early people that populated this rugged wilderness.

One can still view the ancient Indian pictographs, or pictures, on the sheer granite cliffs connecting the unending bodies of water. The images depict life long ago, and let the viewer imagine what life was like then and marvel at the wonder of it.

This and more awaits those who wish to experience a wilderness adventure overnight in the Boundary Waters of Minnesota. To insure the beauty of this place, there are no homes or roads allowed and motorized watercraft is not allowed in the interior lakes. There are hundreds of designated campsites for overnight stays, offering privacy and solitude during this wilderness canoe trip adventure.

The backpacker, birdwatcher, wildlife adventurer, and photographer all can find peaceful tranquility in this wonderful wilderness travel area. Hearing the mournful call of a loon in the evening when the lake is as calm as glass or watching a soaring bald eagle high above the tree line is a special experience.

Throughout the Boundary Waters fishing is excellent and there are a number of outfitters available in the area. Golden walleye, northern pike, smallmouth bass, or huge lake trout, there are many to choose from. If you are an avid angler, the possibility of enjoying these and other species, such as crappies, bluegills, stream trout, and largemouth bass, await the BWCA wilderness adventurer.

Whether the season is spring, summer, or fall, the changing forest wilderness will offer you a full spectrum of experiences to sample. Plants offer succulent berries for the picking, and the tall splendor of the stately conifer trees offer shade and an opportunity to view the many creatures and birds that make these magnificent trees their home. Consider, too, a spring or fall camping trip adventure when the solitude of the wilderness is even more intense.

Canoe trip season begins in May and ends in late September. June through September is an excellent time for family canoe trips because of the fair weather, and is an overall good time for walleye, northern pike, and smallmouth bass fishing. May, June, late August, and September are the best walleye and bass fishing times, have far fewer people along the canoe trip routes, and have cooler temperatures.

Trophy northern pike are more active from mid-May to mid-June and mid-September, and fall colors are spectacular. The last two weeks of June and first two weeks of July typically have as pleasant weather as later in July and into early August, and have far less people using the Boundary Waters BWCA wilderness. Consider this time as a good option for your wilderness adventure, as well as September when the forest turns to crimson-and-gold. See you out there…