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?
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…
How Trees Tell the Story of the BWCA
Today is the International Day of Forests which means it’s the perfect day to celebrate the trees of the BWCA. The Boundary Waters are a unique mosaic of forests born out of wildfire, windstorms, logging, and the passage of time. Despite the history of disturbance, the Boundary Waters contain the largest tracts of old growth…
From the Boundary Waters to Superior – How the Water Falls
The Boundary Waters are one of the premier destinations in Minnesota and across the Midwest, but, as far as water is concerned, the Boundary Waters are not the end of the journey, but the beginning. Most people enthusiastic about the Boundary Waters know that it is divided into two watersheds along an invisible line known…
The Annual Border Challenges – A BeaV Perspective
We are a week away from the annual Minnesota Border Route Canoe Challenges hosted by The Water Tribe. Each year, a small-yet-dedicated crew set off from Sha Sha Resort near International Falls, from Crane Lake or Little Indian Sioux on the western edge of the BWCA, or from Moose Lake off the Fernberg with the…
Is it possible to visit EVERY lake in the BWCA?
This is one of those funny questions. I don’t know if other major BWCA trip enthusiasts have had to encounter it, but I certainly have. It usually comes from someone that isn’t that familiar with the Boundary Waters who, upon hearing of your adventures and how much time you’ve spent, wonders if you’ve been to…
The Evolving Food Pack – How Gear Improves Over Time
Every spring as outfitters begin gearing up for the busy summer season ahead, production begins to turn from winter dogsports back to portage packs. Alongside the new gear, a reunion of sorts takes place as old packs come back to us through the fall and into the spring as outfitters send in old gear for…
2022 Border Challenges
Everywhere one walks and paddles in the BWCA there is a unique connection with the past. Every lake, every portage is filled with stories of legendary figures and lives lived. And through those stories come the marvelous tales of adventure and achievement born of adversity and hardship amidst the beauty. This coming week, a…
An Expert’s Perspective on BWCA Forests
Lee Frelich, Director of The University of Minnesota Center for Forest Ecology, is one of the foremost experts on the forests of the BWCAW and the fire ecology that dictates its composition. We interviewed him to gain his invaluable insight into this incredible ecosystem, its history, and a glimpse into its future. Question 1. For…
Six Rules for BWCAW Portage Etiquette
If you are new to wilderness canoe camping, especially in a heavily used wilderness area like the BWCAW, then the group traffic at some of the busier portages in Canoe Country may come as a shock. Here are six [written and unwritten] rules you should apply the next time you portage on a well-congested portage trail.…
Gear Features: We’ve got your back(straps)!
At Portage North and Sundog Sport, we sell gear that we would want to use and that we can trust. In that pursuit, we are constantly improving our gear so that it can be more enjoyable to use, more trustworthy, and easier to make to a high standard. Much has changed since Portage North…
Author Bio:
Thank you for the summary of the report – interesting! You noted “Overnight hikers, for instance, make up about 1% of permits in a given year.” I’ve wondered if there would be value in more promotion of the BWCAW trails and even adding a few long trails (which would require allocating more money). It seems to me hiking allows more people (I’m thinking dozens not thousands) to enjoy the wilderness without interfering with canoeists. Hikers tend to be minimalists so really all they need is a trail that occasionally goes past a water source and some sort of camping space even far away from a lake. The existing BRT and KEK are good examples. There are plenty of permits available but the trails are under utilized. Maybe it’s just too hot during the summer for long hikes.
I considered hiking the Kekekabic Trail, but the part I was on was overgrown. The trail is maintained and marked. But the lack of hiking traffic allows the underbrush to grown knee high. It makes it difficult to see where your next step will land. And I don’t think it’s reasonable to expect the Forrest Service to trim the trail. I don’t know if the abundance of undergrowth is why people do not hike it. I did not camp on the trail. I was on an overhight paddle on Dissapointment Lake.
Hello Tom. Thank you for your insightful feedback. Hiking in the BWCA has always been a bit of a niche, and I have never really understood why. There are some really amazing trails like the BRT and the Kek (which you mentioned.) Others like the Sioux Hustler, Pow Wow, Herriman, and Angleworm are amazing also. There are also a bunch of small trails which see less support and are very underutilized. Part of the problem is, as you also inferred, summers are tough for hiking. The forests of the BWCA are dense and the bugs can be on another level. Part of it I think is the draw of the area. It is known for its canoeing; that’s what it is managed for and that’s what draws people. In the past, the USFS has been hesitant to allow new trails to open and has, at times, been hesitant to allow for existing trails to continue to be maintained (see the 1993 report article for an example.) In 1993, there was serious consideration in closing the Sioux Hustler. The Kekekabic was at one time abandoned before volunteers made it what it is today. The Pow Wow lost its eastern half and nearly lost its western half after Pagami Creek until volunteers did the nearly-unimaginable and cut thousands upon thousands of trees off of it. In other instances, the forest service has not allowed volunteer crews to reopen trails such as the old Stuart River trail which ran to Lac La Croix. So, with that, the volunteer organizations which cooperate with the forest service are world class. They make the hiking trails possible; these trails wouldn’t exist without them. That said, though hiking numbers have grown some over the years, it’s still small and likely will continue to be so. It’s just not what the BWCA is known for and nearby trails like the SHT and the state parks take higher traffic. In any case, for those in the know, the hiking trails in the BWCA are special and do provide a unique perspective on a place most people encounter from inside a canoe. For what it’s worth, I feel the BRT is the best hiking trail in the state, but it’s also wild, rugged, and challenging. With limited signage and limited trail marking, wilderness trails are not for everyone, but it’s also what makes them truly special!
[…] Explore The BWCAW Permit and Visitor Use Report […]