Finding a great campsite can be one of the great joys of a canoe trip. Waking up in a stand of majestic pines, enjoying a cool breeze rolling off the lake on a midsummer afternoon, and cooking over a campfire without worrying about bugs can make a campsite that much more memorable.
Occasionally, these sites are discovered by delightful accident. But consistently finding the best campsites often takes a little more work and wilderness savvy. Here are a few subtle guide tricks for finding memorable Boundary Waters campsites.
1. Find a west-facing site
Wind often comes from the west in the BWCAW. In the summer, finding a site with western exposure helps keep camp cool and blow away the mosquitoes. Of course, in early spring and fall when bugs aren’t an issue, just the opposite might hold true if you want to escape the wind in the colder temperatures.
2. Look for mature pines clear of underbrush
Sites with mature pines and an open forest floor often have fewer bugs.
While thick underbrush and swampy areas hold bugs, the breezy, open forest floor and lack of favored habitat in some mature pine stands tend to keep the bugs away for much of the day.
Not to mention that camping in a majestic pine forest carpeted in soft pine needles is one of the joys of canoe country.
3. Travel early in the day and beat the crowds
Sunrise is often the most peaceful, beautiful time of day in the Boundary Waters. The wind has yet to pick up, the wildlife is undisturbed and active, and many other groups are still asleep. And paddling in the cool of morning is a welcome escape from hot summer afternoons.
While the BWCAW is still a secluded refuge from civilization, during peak paddling season (late June through mid August) you’ll probably run into plenty of other paddlers, especially near entry points and the more popular lakes. By aiming to reach your destination campsite around lunch or shortly thereafter, you’ll beat most of the crowds and often have the first choice of campsites on your target lake. And it’s a mighty fine feeling to eat lunch at that beautiful five-star campsite while watching other groups paddle by. Arriving early in the day also allows time to relax and enjoy the rest of the afternoon in camp.
4. Scout ahead of time with online tools
Using the internet to scout campsites and portages might feel like cheating to some. It’s completely understandable if this diminishes the simplicity and delightful unknowns of a BWCAW canoe trip for you. But knowing the lay of the land and reading trip reports from other paddlers can lead to a very enjoyable trip, still full of adventure and curiosity fueled by the hints and descriptions found online. When time in the woods is at a premium (which it is for most folks, myself included), knowing which campsites are favorable can save time and travel. And a great campsite can make a trip that much sweeter.
Two favorites include paddleplanner.com and bwca.com
5. Look out for widowers!
Be sure to check your site for dead or unhealthy trees or branches hanging over tent pads, especially if in the warm months of summer when thunderstorms are common. Find the “lightning tree” (the tallest in the area) to gauge where lightning strikes pose the most risk, as root systems sprawling away from the tree can carry a lightning strike a long distance. Keep in mind that wind often comes out of the west, though during storms wind direction can be unpredictable. Straight-line winds in the BWCAW are not a joke, and injury or worse from a fallen tree is not worth saving the little bit of extra time it takes to find a site without hazards.
Finding a campsite with fewer bugs, relief from the weather, and a chance to avoid the crowds can help make a canoe trip that much sweeter.
While favorite sites are occasionally discovered unexpectedly, following these tips will help you find favorable campsites more consistently on your next trip into canoe country.
Sign up for our newsletter to receive updates about new articles, great deals, and information about the activities you love and the gear that makes them possible:
Have You Read Our Other Content?
A Week in January – A Winter Trip Report
The week we had looked forward to had come around again: the Week of Winter annual BWCA trip. This tradition is relatively new, last year was our first, but it seems poised to be a trip that continues annually. January is a fascinating time to take a week long BWCA trip both because winter…
How to Make the Most of High Water in the BWCA: A Trip Report
Open water season is well upon us and this year has been extraordinary so far. A decent snowpack and a late melt combined for a high water spring. As a result, there have been numerous stories of capsized watercraft and perilous experiences. High water can be a challenge and a hazard that should not be…
Map Mondays – Week 11 – Morgan to Lake One
As part of our continuing series on the “route planning game,” we are creating routes using randomly selected entry points, exit points, and number of days to create unique and fun BWCA routes. This week’s route running from one of the BWCA’s quietest entry points to one of the busiest, embraces a mentality of solitude…
Map Mondays – Week 5 – Baker to Magnetic
As part of our continuing series on the “route planning game,” we are creating routes using randomly selected entry points, exit points, and number of days to create unique and fun BWCA routes. This week highlights a route across some of the busier routes on the eastern BWCA but, in using some creative strategy, allows…
Is it Spring in Canoe Country Yet?
This winter has felt like a long one. The final weeks before opening water always do, but this year has felt extra drawn out. Numerous cities in Minnesota have broken their snowfall records and ice is still firmly on the lakes around Ely. To the Boundary Waters enthusiast, this is a painful time of year…
Leave it to Beaver – How Beavers Change the BWCA
When I study nature, I love to learn about the superlatives. I appreciate how the tallest mountains, the biggest trees, or the oldest animals have a way to serve as ambassadors, helping people to appreciate the natural world even if they don’t understand the “nitty-gritty” science of everything. It’s with this mindset that I set…
The Comprehensive Guide to Portaging Like a Pro
We all took our first portage somewhere. From those first tender rods on wobbly legs, we each struggled to carry all our gear from lake to lake. For many of us, this was also a time of questions: “Why did I bring so much gear?”, “Why is my canoe so heavy?”, “Am I in good…
The Ten Types of BWCA Campsite
Every traveler to the BWCA has their ideal of what a campsite should look like and what features it should have. Perhaps it has a sprawling camp kitchen or a nice overlook. Perhaps it’s perched on an island or alongside a sprawling beach. But whether the campsite is easy to access or is tucked back…
The BWCAW Permit and Visitor Use Report
At the end of July, last year’s visitor use report was published by the USFS. It notes current statistics and trends in visitor numbers and activities. It also provides a unique benchmark which, along with past visitor surveys (and more major studies from 2007, 1992, and 1969) gives a glimpse into the people utilizing the…
The Best Month To Plan A Canoe Trip? Might Be September…
For most of us, the best time to go on a canoe trip is any and every opportunity presented. But if you have a little flexibility in planning your trip, September is a wonderful month to visit canoe country. Here are a few reasons why September might be the best month to plan a wilderness canoe…
