BWCA Campsite 705 on Alder

Great view of Alder and amazing sunrises. Site doesn't offer much in terms of shade, however, there is a shaded area where you could maybe fit a few hammocks or a 2p tent. The other tent pads can only accommodate 2 or 3p tents, otherwise this site would receive 4 stars.

Very open kitchen area. We could not hang any tarps or hammocks in the kitchen area, but we managed back in the trees. Also very dusty - may have been the drought, but there was a lot of open dirt areas that I imagine would make it dusty a lot of the time. Landings are OK - rocky and not the greatest, but they work. Long walk to the latrine. There is a tent pad along the latrine trail that works for a small, 2-person tent. Swimming was difficult because of the numerous sharp, algae-covered rocks. UPDATE from October 2021 - A few months after we stayed at this campsite, a tornado ripped through a part of the Boundary Waters. According to the maps, it ended at this campsite. Therefore, I do not know how much of what I wrote above is still applicable. The campsite could be a mess, but it could also have just lost a couple of trees.

Nice site, but limited tent space. Good pad up the hill, but a second site would put you right next to the fire grate. Tarp spot was up the hill as well. Good bear bag trees, and very easy landing and canoe storage.

Canoe landing: Rocky but not excessively jagged, shallow, or deep. Very easy loading and unloading. There are actually about 3 separate spots where canoes can be landed which is nice for larger groups. Tent pads: One right next to the water between fire grate and water. Two or three additional areas scattered back into the woods north and west of the fire grate. Not really any great hammock options with a view near water, but plenty of good options otherwise. Fire grate area: Smith style fire grate with the larger openings. Nice rock walls around it with flat, level rock adjacent to the grate with a good amount of surface area to work with. Very exposed and near the water. Would be very difficult to pitch a tarp over any of this area without using poles. Lots of room to move around and lounge. Latrine: A somewhat long walk uphill to the west but otherwise unremarkable. It does have a lid. Overall site condition: Some good shoreline fishing options and there is a trail that goes a decent way along the water to the north. Rocky bottom makes playing in the shallow water a little unstable, slippery, and treacherous, but swimming is otherwise a great option at this site. It's clearly a popular site, so firewood wasn't the easiest to come by. Despite its apparent popularity, I was pleased with the relatively small about of destruction at this site in terms of stupid stuff like hack-up trees, stumps, cut limbs, digging. It was pretty well-kept, and we did some cleaning-up of what little junk was there when we got there including removing at least 7 or 8 lures from the rocks in the canoe landing area (be careful and wear shoes). There is an island across the lake to the south which can be landed at and has a clearing which can make for a neat little daytime getaway or lunch location. Because it is so exposed (at least the fire grate area is), it is relatively easy for trippers to see if it is occupied or not from afar. Combined with not being along the E. Bearsking-to-Canoe/Pierz paddling route, you won't get people coming very close.

Great big, open site with three good tent pads and lots of room for hammock tents. Great lake views and ample canoe landing/storage locations. Good fire grate with log seating when we were there. No trees for suspending a tarp by the lake unless you go back in the open woods where we put hammock tents.

This spot was very open near the water. It makes for pleasant mornings/evenings, but the sun is relentless during the day. The bugs at this site were horrible. There were nice hammocking trees further back in the woods. Good fishing around this point. Overall decent place to stay if only there for early mornings and evenings

Large site on the point, its out in the open. Didn't stay there, just looked around one day to get out of the wind. Lots of room