BWCA Portage 840 (Hanson to Knife)

One of my top 10 favorite portages in the BW. it is very special. You'll see

Heading toward SAK, this was a dry and easy portage. I wish I wasn't the person with the canoe since there were some scenic spots I would have enjoyed pausing to admire. Still, I got a lot of joy out of reaching Knife Lake and finding a beautiful sandy, gradual landing after the Hanson side was a little more rocky and full of roots.

Possibly the most scenic portage I have been on! It's not short, but the scenery kept me occupied for most of the way. Some absolutely GIANT cedars here near the waterfall. Would make a nice midday lunch/rest spot! Landing on the SAK side is absolutely idyllic. Would love to do this one again just for the views.

Scenic portage that ends with a nice waterfall and incredible old grove of cedar trees.

Not a nice landing on the Hanson side. A steep climb in spots. But I'll take this portage again because in the middle is a pretty waterfall, and at the base of the falls is a large cedar tree. I found it more scenic than Eddy falls to the south. The Knife landing is a nice sandy beach.

This portage was incredibly pretty, but I only got to enjoy it because I walked back. First trip through with the canoe was tough. The recent storms had made the hills on this one a bunch of slip and slides and the length compounded it. Ended up running the last 50 yards to get this one over with. A bit of a drop on the Hanson side, beware. So many cool things to see along this portage though. Awesome spot!

Every portage should be like this one, good trail, great landing area on both ends, running water and plenty to see.

Love this portage for the creek the flows from Hanson to Knife. A very nice sandy landing on the Knife Lake side. Took too many pictures on this portage one day and wound up stumbling in the dark later that evening because of spending too much time here. Was not as much fun going up from Knife to Hanson

More of a walk through an enchanted forest than a portage trail. There is a significant drop/climb where there is a pretty little waterfall alongside the trail. But it is a well worn trail that gets easier towards the South Arm side where there is a nice landing.

Long portage, but well maintained. Watch out for many roots and rocks. Some small ups and downs, but overall fairly level terrain. A pretty landing on the Hanson Lake end - on a large tree/root cluster jutting out into the water. Some very beautiful stopping points along the path, good opportunities for photos along the rapids and small falls as the water descends from Hanson down to S. Arm Knife. Easy landing on S. Arm Knife end, but you will have to navigate the cluster of logs that choke in this end of the lake a little bit.