How I Plan and Prepare a Canoe Trip Using Paddle Planner

People often ask what features they should focus on when learning Paddle Planner. I think the best answer is to show the process I actually use - from permits (when needed) to building a realistic route, then preparing offline maps and documents for the trip.

Author: Ben Strege, co-founder of Paddle Planner
This page describes my personal trip-planning workflow using Paddle Planner.

Membership legend:

Free Map Enthusiast Expedition Leader See full details on the Membership Levels page.

Quick note: Paddle Planner travel time is actual travel time (paddling + portaging). It does not include breaks, lunch, fishing stops, or time around camp.

1. Permits and entry points (for permit-based areas) 2. Set realistic paddling and portaging speeds 3. Decide how many hours you want to travel per day 4. Use the Travel Time Assistant to plan days 5. Review everything using the Route Details document 6. Adjust routes manually when needed 7. Save routes and reuse them 8. Preparing offline maps and campsite info for the trip Video tutorials (optional)

Feature summary (at a glance)

This is a quick guide to what's included at each membership level in the workflow below. Full details: Membership Levels.

Build a simple A-to-B route (one point to one other point) Free
Build multi-point / multi-day routes (including setting day ends) Map Enthusiast
Travel Time Assistant Map Enthusiast
Save routes and reload them later Map Enthusiast
Export printable PNG maps Map Enthusiast
Export GeoTIFF maps (for Avenza and other GPS apps) Expedition Leader
Route Details document (export/print to PDF) Expedition Leader
GPX campsite downloads (standard database) Free
Customized campsite GPX (filter to your area + include reviews) Expedition Leader
Map Index (shows which commercial paper maps cover an area) Free

Navigation note: I use commercial waterproof paper maps as my primary navigation. Paddle Planner exports are used for context, planning, and backup.

1Permits and entry points (for permit-based areas)

Some areas on Paddle Planner use permits (the Boundary Waters is the most common example). If you're planning an area without permits, you can skip this step and jump right to route planning.

A. Starting with what's available Free

If I'm planning closer to my entry date, I'll often start by seeing what's open. I adjust the permit date using the small calendar icon on the toolbar, click Change Permit Date, and turn on Show Available Permits. Entry points with availability highlight in green, which makes it easy to see options for a specific day.

If I'm on a combined map (like the Quetico-Superior map), I'll also adjust settings so I'm only seeing the permit types I care about. The goal is to reduce clutter and make it obvious what's actually available.

B. Starting with a specific entry point in mind (Permit Alerts) Map Enthusiast

Other times, I already know the entry point I want. If it's taken, I'll set up a Permit Alert by clicking on the entry point, opening the small calendar at the bottom of the screen, and enabling the alert. I'll get an email or text if that permit becomes available.

Permits open up all the time due to cancellations - often within a week of the permit date, and sometimes even the day before or the day of. If someone is flexible, a good strategy is to secure a backup permit and watch for the one they really want.

Once I know my entry point and date, I start planning the actual route.

2Set realistic paddling and portaging speeds

The first thing I do is set paddling and portaging speeds so travel times are realistic. Paddle Planner has presets (beginner, average, veteran), but I often customize them.

For example, beginner paddling speed is around 2.5 mph. If I'm planning a trip with scouts or a slower group, I'll drop that to around 1.5 or 2.0 mph. I'll also adjust portaging style (single vs. double portaging) depending on the group. Getting these settings right upfront makes everything else more accurate.

3Decide how many hours I actually want to travel per day

I plan by time, not distance. Most people are comfortable with about 3-4 hours of actual travel time per day.

One thing people often miss is that Paddle Planner's travel time is only travel time. It doesn't include lunch breaks, water breaks, fishing stops, or time around camp. It also uses mostly straight-line distances, so real-world travel can take a bit longer. Because of that, most people are traveling less than they think.

A helpful trick is to input a route you've already done and know you were comfortable with. Using your current settings, you can see how much actual travel time that trip took and use that as a benchmark.

4Use the Travel Time Assistant to plan days Map Enthusiast

Once speeds and daily travel time are set, I turn on the Travel Time Assistant and set the hours to what I determined I am comfortable with (again, usually 3-4 hours). It highlights everything reachable within that time from a selected point, which makes it easy to build realistic day-by-day routes.

I also make sure to set proper day ends so the route is divided cleanly by day.

Want this level of control? The Travel Time Assistant, multi-day routes, and saved routes are included with a Map Enthusiast membership.

5Review everything using the Route Details document Expedition Leader

After the route is built, I use the Route Details document. This includes portages, portage comments, campsite information, lake data (and depth charts where available), and more.

One quick heads-up: depending on the length of the route, this document can be very large and slow to load. I strongly recommend using it on Wi-Fi and not on mobile data.

6Build and adjust your route

A. Simple point-to-point route Free

Creating a route from one point to one other point is a free feature. If you just want a quick A-to-B travel time, this is often all you need.

B. Multi-point routes + setting day ends Map Enthusiast

When I'm planning a real trip, I usually need more than a single A-to-B line. Multi-point route building is what lets you:

Build an actual day-by-day route (not just a single segment)
Set day ends so the plan is split cleanly by day
Make the route match how you actually plan to travel

C. Manual adjustments (commonly missed)

Paddle Planner defaults to shortest time, which isn't always the route you want. A feature people often miss is that you can click directly on the route line to add a point, then drag it wherever you want to force a different route.

Another commonly missed feature is the Go Home button, which jumps back to the starting point. Clicking directly on the start usually just selects the existing route point, so this makes it much easier.

7Save routes and reuse them Map Enthusiast

I save routes frequently. When reloading a route, you can either:

Load it with all original settings (paddling speed, portaging style, etc.), or
Load just the route points to experiment with different settings or group abilities.

Saving routes is most useful when you're comparing options (different entry points, different daily-mileage goals, different group speeds, etc.).

8Preparing offline maps and campsite info for the trip

As my trip date gets closer, I shift from planning to preparation.

A. Route Details PDF (my "trip guidebook") Expedition Leader

Before anything else, I make sure I have a Route Details PDF saved to my phone. These documents can easily be 100+ pages, so I don't print them. Instead, I print the Route Details to a PDF and send it to my phone. That gives me a fully searchable reference in the field, which is incredibly useful for campsite reviews, fishing info, and especially portage comments.

This actually saved me last year when portage locations were off on maps - reading the comments helped confirm where the portage actually was. Many people also like that it can include lake info (and depth charts where available), and there's an option to focus on depth charts so you don't have to hunt them down one-by-one.

Since it's a PDF, I can search for keywords like "portage" or "walleye" even without service.

B. Maps: commercial paper first, Paddle Planner as backup

For maps, it's important to note that my primary navigation is always commercial waterproof paper maps. Paddle Planner maps are not waterproof, so I use them as a backup and reference, especially for campsite and portage locations.

Paddle Planner maps can also be set up to show helpful labels like campsite ratings and tent pad counts, which makes them great for quick decisions (where to aim for at the end of the day, what to check first, etc.).

Print a PNG map Map Enthusiast+
I export a PNG and print it. This lets me choose the exact area, size, and labels I want (including ratings and tent pads). These prints are a nice camp-planning reference, but they are not my primary navigation map.
Load a GeoTIFF into Avenza Expedition Leader
I also export a GeoTIFF and load it into Avenza so it shows my location on the map. I don't run Avenza as my main navigation, but I like it as a backup for verifying campsite/portage locations.

Bottom line: paper maps for navigation; Paddle Planner exports for context and backup.

C. Campsite GPX (free) vs. customized campsite GPX with reviews (Expedition Leader)

GPX downloads are free, and they're great for having campsite locations available offline.

The upgraded option I use most often is the customized campsite download: Expedition Leader

Limit the file to just the area I'm traveling in, and
Include campsite reviews directly in the GPX description field.

I load the GPX into Avenza as a layer. The pins aren't pretty, but they're useful: I can tap a pin and read the campsite review, and toggle the layer on/off as needed.

The "Map Index" (a lesser-known feature) Free

If you want to know which commercial paper maps cover a specific area, switch Paddle Planner into Explore mode and click the small Map Info button in the lower-right corner. It opens a panel showing information about the last place you clicked on the map, including which commercial maps cover that area. Click around the map to see how coverage changes.

Those map names are also links. Clicking them shows the approximate coverage area of that map, which makes it easier to decide which McKenzie or Fisher maps you should bring. The boundaries are not exact - I use this as a general reference, not a precise boundary - but it's very helpful when figuring out which paper maps to purchase or pack.

In practice, I rely on commercial paper maps for navigation and use Paddle Planner materials to add context - campsite quality, portage notes, fishing info, and confirmation when something doesn't quite line up on the map.

My "ready to go" checklist: commercial paper maps, Route Details PDF on my phone, printed Paddle Planner PNG map for reference, and an Avenza map with campsite info as backup.

Video tutorials (optional)

If you'd rather watch than read, here are a few tutorials that match the steps above:

Full playlist: Paddle Planner Tutorials

Want help planning your trip?

If you have questions while planning, feel free to email me. I'm always happy to help clarify tools, settings, or planning decisions.

I also enjoy doing planning parties. If you have a small (or large) group heading out together, I'm happy to walk through the tools live - either over Zoom or in person - showing how to build a realistic route, avoid common mistakes, and prepare maps and documents before the trip.