BWCA Campsite 1216 on Ensign

This is a fairly small campsite near a much nicer neighboring site and close to the portage. The landing is fairly easy, with shallow gravel, so getting in and out is not too bad. The fire grate is close to the water and only slightly elevated, with a narrow view of the lake through the brush. The campsite itself is compact and mostly surrounded by balsam and spruce, without the red or white pines that make some other sites feel more scenic. There are maybe two good tent pads, though even those have limitations. The main tent pad is on moss and has a rock sticking up near the middle, so a smaller tent could avoid it, but a larger tent might have trouble. Another possible tent pad is basically along the latrine trail as it leaves camp. I found a couple of other possible backup spots, one farther back along the latrine trail and another along the shore, but the shore option is slanted and would only be a last-resort spot. I also noticed several birch trees that had been stripped of bark near the fire grate, which is unfortunate. Overall, this is a small, below-average site for the area.

Great Campsite Good wind coming through the camp helped keep bugs away. Kitchen/Stove area was great and had seating

This is a great campsite and has most everything you want. It's mostly open so a breeze keeps the bugs away, but enough trees to give you cover from sun/rain if you want. A nice swimming beach and good fishing as well. Firepit has a number of benches setup and is a good setup with a nice view. Honestly the only real downside to this site is it's just down the shoreline from the portage so you'll have a fair amount of traffic if you're here during the day.