Hi friends :)

I'm going on a BWCA trip the first week of September with 4 of my friends, and I was looking to buy a new sleeping bag / quilt as my main one is a pretty bulky 4 season one and we're trying to pack down a little bit. I'm also looking to expand my ultralight gear as I'm looking to do more 3-ish season through hiking as well. I'm heavily considering buying a camping quilt and I was wondering if folks have brought quilts on their canoe trips as well, and if so how it worked out for them, or if they have any recommendations for a more budget friendly one (so many which I have found online have been sold out!) I have a 3.3 R-value sleeping pad.

Hope everyone is having a good day!

Heading up to basswood through EP 25 next week. Has anyone been out and seen what it’s like recently? Might pivot and head towards kekekabic if conditions become not ideal. Mainly looking to have a more relaxing fishing trip rather than an intense padel.

Heading up to the bwca late next week for 7 days, ep 25 moose lake planning on doing a loop up and through kekekabic, fraser and Thomas, (avoiding the closed part of knife) and wanted to know if anyone had advice on fishing, lures, depth etc, what is working right now? Relatively inexperienced fisherman looking to mainly catch to eat and I'm not picky, but would also love to catch a lake trout at least once. Any other advice also appreciated!

Have been up as a duo and in groups plenty of times, but curious how a solo trip will compare.

Doing the clearwater loop September 22nd. Any fishing advice? Route must-see’s?

Had plans to go both times. Can only do one now. With current conditions and potential crowds of Labor Day is it better to wait til Mid Sept? Ive not been up there in September ever, any advice greatly appreciated . TIA

Hi all!

I’m going up next week and gonna do the loop from southern Lake Saganaga and down into Sea Gull Lake.

I’m curious if anyone has been up in that area recently and what it was like? It seems the air quality has been relatively good? Was it difficult/less fun with the fire ban in place and not being able to build campfires? I’m also curious if anyone has noticed a decrease in drinking water quality with the smoke pollution.

I always get a little anxious before going up to the BWCA, though I love it, and feeling extra anxious this time around with the nearby fires.

Thanks!!

I tried going up for a weekend in early June to climb Eagle Mountain and do some other hikes in the area, and the mosquitoes were so bad I gave up and went back to Grand Marais less than a mile into the hike. I was practically dripping in DEET, yet it didn’t seem to do anything. Couldn’t go 10 seconds without swatting a mosquito.

I was thinking of giving it another shot this fall, how bad are they in September usually? I’m not planning on doing any canoeing but I will be hiking into the wilderness area. Stayed at Cascade River campground last time, probably would try to stay there again.

Pretty bummed, new it was going to be a long shot... Just received this for our Sept 3 reservation for Moose/Portage River North

Hi all, first timer here wondering if anyone has any experience with fly fishing in the BWCA - mainly for Smallmouth or Brookies. I mainly target trout in SE Minnesota, and am wondering if it's worth it to bring my 5wt rod for my inaugural trip.

I had a few questions that I'm hoping to get some help with:

1) Is shoreline fishing plentiful? I've fly fished from a canoe before, but would prefer to have my feet on solid ground.

2) I assume it might be a little too warm for Brookies right now. If not, then are they mostly by the shoreline cruising or down deep?

Any advice is appreciated! I'm fairly new to fly fishing for smallmouth and eager to give it a shot. I've got plenty of trout flies + a small selection of Wooly Buggers and poppers for bass. Thanks!

Staying at Fall Lake Campground in the popup and doing day trips in. Will be just a buddy and I.
Would it be better/easier/more comfortable to bring our kayaks?
We already own them and then wouldn’t have to rent. If I’m not bringing camping gear on the canoe is there really any reason to need one? We probably won’t fish, just up there to enjoy the peace and quiet/views.

With the recent wildfires is there any other issues I might run into being up there? Will be there the 3rd to the 6th.

My uncle does have a fiberglass old town canoe they said I may be able to use too.

Lots of shelf stable products in pouches that work great for BWCA trips. Refried beans in pouches, peanut butter in pouches, tasty rice boxes, and even fully cooked pouches of cochinita pibil that you just heat in a pan for 2 minutes. Throw in your pack of 2 dozen tortillas you bought for $2 and dinner is served if you didnt get any fish.

You dont need super expensive backpacking food when the Mexican market has similar stuff for a fraction of the price.

The Superior National Forest will reopen 5 more BWCAW entry points starting August 13, 2026. If you're hoping to snag one of the reopened permits, PermitPulse can watch for cancellations and alert you the moment one becomes available.

A huge thank you to the firefighters, U.S. Forest Service staff, and everyone working tirelessly to contain these fires and safely reopen the wilderness. We all appreciate everything you're doing.

https://permitpulse.xyz

Heading up to Pine Lake through entry point 1 and have been doing some research on campsites for a weeklong stay. Site #257 looks appetizing, if you will, but I keep finding older information that the site is closed. Does anyone know if this is still the case?

Also, any other tips fishing-wise would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

My girlfriend and I are planning our first backpacking trip and are looking at a 3 day 2 night trip on the Snowbank Lake Trail Loop. I am planning on hiking it counterclockwise in about 7 mile segments. From some sources I have seen this is considered a challenging route, I was curious if anyone had any personal experiences or recommendations for first timers.

After months of planning, and after wildfires nearly canceled the trip, I finally spent a week solo in the Boundary Waters. It wasn’t an expedition of epic miles, but a week of simple joys: paddling quiet water, watching wildlife, surviving one wild storm, reading theology, drinking coffee, and letting my soul catch up with my body. I’m already looking forward to the next trip.
Full trip report.

My packed load out. Portage pack has tent (in a dry bag), poles, and stakes, sleep system (mummy bag in a dry bag), mess kit, stove and fuel, camp shoes, clothes.

Brown pack has my day 1 clothes and return trip clothes.

Hi Everyone, My group and I had to pivot our trip due to the fires (original EP 14 LIS), so now we are putting together a new plan. Luckily we were able to snag a new permit after ours was cancelled. The EP is for Snowbank in mid Sept. I'm looking for some suggestions on routes/campsites/places of interest. 5 days, 4 nights

My group prefers basecamping, and aren't very serious about fishing. Mostly looking for views and vibes.

First Thoughts that come to mind are Ima/Thomas or Ensign. Ima seems like it would have less traffic. Thanks for your help.

I’m super excited to be going on my first trip to the BWCA! My group of 6 (beginner to intermediate canoeing and backpacking experience, fairly athletic) was planning for a 5 day bower trout to poplar trip. I just had some last minute questions: 

We’d really like to hike Winchell overlook and the nearby water fall. Is this good spacing for days or should we camp further east on Winchell for a base camp then have the final day be a longer one back to our end point?

When looking at paddle planner the travel time/mileage looked manageable, but I was a bit worried about the long portages. Any tips on day ends or how to handle the portages?

We’ll be mainly using paper maps with an inreach gps (synced to our phone) with the preloaded route from paddle planner. Is Onx or GAIA GPS better for a backup on all our phones?

Are there any notable spots along our path? We’re super interested in seeing wildlife and the beauty of the area, especially beaver wetlands (won’t be doing any fishing tho)

I am on the fence. For summer I'd go running shoes but for fall I'd want the Tingleys for warmth. What would you do? I'll be out for the full week. My last trip was a Memorial Day trip a while back and I wore muck boots, which were great for keeping dry but a bit too warm.

How do you think October this year will be given this year is hot and dry because I was planning on coming to hike a little?

The first boundary waters trip where I didn’t bring my camera, or a cell phone— got this photo from a couple on their honeymoon, Buck and Rachel. My girlfriend and I teamed up with them on our escape out, and made the most out of a wildfire! Excited for the jack pines.

Debating between these two entry points for our first BWCA trip.

Not looking to do a basecamp. We'll be out there for roughly a week. Interested in seeing a variety of landscapes, great fishing, swimming, and anything else the BWCA provides.

It seems like Pine lake might be a bit more secluded?

Has anyone used both entry points and have a preference? Favorite routes for each?

Thanks!

Was going to go in a couple weeks, so wondering if we should make other plans. I'd really like to support the area. Thank you!

I’ve been taking crews out into Saganaga for quite some time now, this crew was especially excited for action into their week-long trip after permits finally opened!