Ely, MN 55731
(218) 365-7561
La Croix Ranger Station
320 N. Hwy 53
Cook, MN 55723
(218) 666-0020
Laurentian Ranger Station
318 Forestry Road
Aurora, MN 55705
(218) 229-8800
Tofte Ranger Station
Box 2159
Tofte, MN 55615
(218) 663-8060
If you have not reserved a permit in advance, you may pick it up at any district ranger office or cooperating business. It is advisable, however, to visit one that is closest to your entry point. The personnel there are likely to be more familiar with your proposed route. They can alert you to high water or low-water conditions, bear problem areas, suitable campsites, road conditions, and other particulars.
A Final Word
Believe it or not, these age-old routes do change from year to year. In fact, they may change several times each year. A deep navigable channel between lakes in early June may be shallow, rock-strewn rapids that require a portage in August. A creek-side portage indicated as 35 rods on the map may turn out to be 135 rods when the creek dries up during a drought. Sometimes portages that were dry in June are flooded in August after beavers dam a stream adjacent to the trail. When a portage becomes too eroded from over-use, the Forest Service sometimes constructs a new trail, which is usually longer than the original. Likewise, when funds are available for trail maintenance, trails through wet and muddy bogs may be elevated on boardwalks or bypasses may be routed to higher and dryer ground. Rare events, such as the 1999 windstorm, or recent forest fires, such as those that ravaged Turtle Lake, Cavity Lake, and Ham Lake, may significantly change the landscape through which you will pass.
Be aware that occasionally the author’s memory and notes fail him and a mistake is made. Sometimes a typographical error occurs during publication that is overlooked during the proofing process. If you find inaccuracies in this book, or if you have any comments or suggestions to improve subsequent editions, please write to the author at [email protected]. Thank you!
IMPORTANT: The descriptions in this guidebook are necessarily cast in general terms. Neither the descriptions nor the maps can be assumed to be exact or to guarantee your arrival at any given point. You must undertake only those trips and trip segments that you know are within your competence. Given these cautions, you can have a wonderful time in the BWCA Wilderness.
Sunrise on Wagosh Lake
3
Entry from the Echo Trail South and Highway 169
The Southwestern Area
The southwestern part of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is isolated from the rest of the Boundary Waters by the Echo Trail corridor. Perhaps for that reason, it is often overlooked by visitors. This area contains six entry points. Five are easily accessible from the Echo Trail. A sixth is reached from State Highway 1-169, but because of its proximity to the other entry points in the southwestern area, it is included here.
Ely is one of the special small northern Minnesota towns that serve visiting canoeists in the BWCAW’s Western Region. Originally the commercial center for iron mining and logging operations, Ely gradually evolved into the Canoe Capital of America. It is a modern, bustling community with supermarkets, motels, and automotive service stations, a variety of restaurants, a plethora of bars, a laundromat, a hospital, and surely the most canoe trip outfitters per capita in the world.
Located near the east edge of town, at the intersection of highways 1 and 169, is the Ely Chamber of Commerce. It occupies an attractive log building and is staffed by knowledgeable and friendly folks who can supply you with up-to-date information about Ely and the surrounding attractions, including nearby resorts and campgrounds.
The place to pick up your permit for most of the entry points is the USFS Kawishiwi Ranger District. On your way, stop at the International Wolf Center, which is located on Highway 169 5.5 miles west of town. Opened in 1993, the extraordinary “Wolves and Humans” exhibit found its home in Ely after attracting more than 2.5 million people during a multi-year tour across North America. In addition to the exhibit, a captive pack of timber wolves lives here in a relatively natural environment where you can observe their interactions. You should definitely allow time (at least a couple of hours) either before or after your canoe trip to visit this fascinating and informative center. It is located right next to the USFS Kawishiwi Ranger District office where the BWCAW permits are issued.
A tranquil moment
BWCAW entry points near the far west end of the region lie in the La Croix Ranger District and are closer to the town of Cook, where the USFS headquarters is located. Unless you are using an outfitter in Ely, you can save driving time for some entry points by picking up your permit at the visitors’ center in Cook. Though much smaller than Ely, Cook does offer visitors all the essentials, including two modern supermarkets, several restaurants and gas stations, and a hospital. The USFS visitors’ center is adjacent to Highway 53 in the middle of town.
The Echo Trail is a winding, hilly, scenic road that most people find delightful to drive, if they don’t have to drive it every day. To get to it from the International Wolf Center, drive a half mile east on State Highway 169. Turn left onto CR 88 (Grant McMahan Blvd.) and follow this good highway for 2.5 miles to its junction with CR 116, which is most often referred to as the Echo Trail. (For directions from Cook to the northwest end of the Echo Trail, see Entry Point 12, Location.)
The Echo Trail winds its way north and west 46.5 miles to CR 24 near Echo Lake. The road surface is blacktop for the first 10 miles, but gravel the rest of the way. The curves do straighten out near the Moose River entry points and, from there on, you can make better driving time.
Entry Point
1 Trout Lake
DAILY QUOTA: 14 CLOSEST RANGER STATION: LaCroix Ranger District in Cook
LOCATION Trout Lake is accessible from Vermilion Lake. From Ely, follow State Highway 1-169 west through Tower to its junction with County Road (CR) 77, about 4.5 miles west of Tower. Turn right on CR 77 and continue for 12 more miles until you reach the public landing on Moccasin Point. There you will find a large private parking lot operated by Moccasin Point Resort, with gasoline pumps, telephone booth, snack bar and store. A fee is charged to park there.
DESCRIPTION Public campgrounds on or near Vermilion Lake’s south shore are located at Tower-Soudan State Park, McKinley Park, and Tower Park, all just north of Highway 1-169, just outside of Tower. There is also a National Forest campground at Pfeifer Lake, 10 miles southwest of Tower. Any of these will provide you with a convenient place to spend the night prior to the canoe trip. All are less than 20 miles from the public access to Vermilion Lake. Camping fees are charged at all of them.
At the end of a long day
Trout is the largest lake within in the boundaries of the BWCAW. More than 40 campsites can be found on the lake’s 78 miles of shoreline. Throughout these route descriptions, words on a page often are challenged to give a true sense of scale and scope. Keep a current map at hand since the distances between some of these campsites can be significant.
To access Trout Lake, you must first cross part of Vermilion Lake. Located near the southwestern corner of the BWCA, Vermilion is a very popular lake, dotted with private cabins and resorts. It is particularly attractive to boaters, many of whom travel into Trout Lake, where there is a 25-horsepower