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We would appreciate suggestions of routes into the BWCA from the Gunflint Trail. Last year our family canoed in to Brandt Lake (from Round Lake), set up camp and did day trips from there. We would like to do something similar to that (but not in a burn area). Our 3 kids are ages 12, 13, and 14. This will be our 2nd family trip in to the BWCA. We are looking at going in over Memorial Day weekend (yes - lots of mucky portages!) We want to avoid large lakes and long portages. Thank you!
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Gunflint offers a whole lot of cool areas. I've done quite a few trips off the end of the Gunflint using Voyageur Canoe Outfitters on Saganaga Lake.
If you head over Monument Portage, you could get to the Ester, Hanson lakes within a few hours if you get a quick start tow and drop off at American Point.
Checkout my website www.geofisher.com for a bunch of trip reports and routes throgh the area.
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You could also go in through Lizz Lake. There are a few outfitters right on Poplar Lake that you can start from, Rockwood and Nor'Wester being two. Once you are past Lizz Lake, you have many options. The portages in the area are short, and the lakes are small. Map of the Lizz Lake area
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My favorite short trip off the Gunflint Trail is to Rose Lake, accessed through Duncan. The easiet way into Duncan is from a parking lot in the middle of the portage between Hungry Jack and Bearskin. It's a quick trip in, and Rose is really beautiful, with high cliffs, vistas, waterfalls, and the ghosts of the Voyageurs on their way to Grand Portage. Plus the Border Route trail intersects the portage into Rose, so there are some really scenic day trip options for going on a hike. A day trip to South Lake is pretty doable, too.
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You might look into entering through East Bearskin EP #64. Head back to the Canoe, Crystal or Pierz lake area. All are smaller lakes with multiple average or above campsites & accessed by very easy portages. You could even hike to Johnson Falls with out having to paddle on enormous Pine lake.
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The burn areas aren't all devastated. Paddling through a burned section can be a good look for kids into the restorative power of nature.
I've taken a few trips out of Sea Gull and plan to go back there at least once more. On my maps, I've laid out the boundaries of the burned areas as well as controlled burns. Perhaps you'd like to have a look. They're the more recent trip reports here:
http://codabone.net/canoe.htm Here's a link to one of the maps: http://codabone.net/canoeing/bwca/images/BW1209/SagSeagullAreaVgr72dpi.jpg Edited by user Wednesday, June 4, 2014 12:02:45 AM(UTC)
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Thanks to all for the ideas for canoe routes for a family of 5 heading in from the Gunflint Trail. We enjoyed an incredible trip into the BWCAW - going in on Friday and coming out on Memorial day - beautiful weather. We followed advice and did the entry on Lizz Lake and ended up camping on Horseshoe Lake and doing day trips from there. The trek across Poplar into the wind on the way out was a bit challenging for the younger ones in our group, but they did it! I appreciate your suggestions and now have more routes to try for our next visit.
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The best result would be if the kids want to go back. What a great way to pass on a wonderful tradition.
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Originally Posted by: mom2bap  Thanks to all for the ideas for canoe routes for a family of 5 heading in from the Gunflint Trail. We enjoyed an incredible trip into the BWCAW - going in on Friday and coming out on Memorial day - beautiful weather. We followed advice and did the entry on Lizz Lake and ended up camping on Horseshoe Lake and doing day trips from there. The trek across Poplar into the wind on the way out was a bit challenging for the younger ones in our group, but they did it! I appreciate your suggestions and now have more routes to try for our next visit. Glad everything turned out well! Couldn't ask for better weather over that weekend. We took our 4-year-old and 6-month-old on their first BWCA trip that weekend, too. Perfect trip. I echo what Gavia said - we're all glad that you are passing on the tradition and creating a lifelong love of the outdoors.
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