BWCA Campsite 1394 on Thomas

We stopped here for lunch after portaging from Jordan Lake. The two tent pads were both sloped, the more level one was pretty small. This site is not big enough for even a medium-sized group. There is a possible hammock-hanging area, but with no view, and lots of close jack pines to make the whole experience sticky and sappy. The kitchen was quite comfortable for lunch, but it's rather exposed for an overnight, and very close to the water. On the plus side, there is an obvious tree with strong-looking branches for hanging a food bag. The take-out wasn't difficult, but it wasn't really nice, either. Only about half the boat fit, and lifting the boat up and around the bushes to store overnight would be annoying. It had a nice view of Thomas, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, with so many other good sites available. Some campsites are objectively "3"s but feel like they are trying to be a "4." This site feels like it's trying to be a "2."

There are a couple of landing options at this campsite, and both are smooth, gently sloping rocks. The water is shallow, so getting in and out is not too bad. The kitchen has a great open view of the lake with no trees blocking the view. The big feature of the site is a large pine tree off to the side of the kitchen. Unfortunately, it is not close enough to shade the fire grate for most of the day, though you could sit underneath it for shade, and it does provide pine duff over much of the campsite. The kitchen itself will likely be in the sun from morning into early afternoon. The tent pads are back behind the site down a short trail. I found one good tent pad and three maximum tent pads. The best one is in a small clearing among spruce trees. Trails go left and right from there to other possible tent spots, but those are uneven and have roots and rocks. Around the kitchen there is brush with a couple of small spruce trees, aside from the side with the large pine. This is a decent site with a strong view, but the tenting is limited.

Should have been 3, not 2 stars!!

Ok site overall, landing is decent with a good landing and ok tent sites. Nice kitchen with a flat rock for pans/stoves. Good view of Thomas lake. Fishing was poor, but I've always had a tough time on Thomas, so that wasn't a shock.