Worst BWCAW Reviews – The Wilderness is NOT for Everyone

This time of the year, the itch for that perfect summer canoe trip begins to intensify as permits are pulled, routes are planned, gear is cleaned, and the days begin to lengthen! It's also time to remember that for every person who lives and breathes their wilderness trips, there is another who writes theirs off as an ill-advised nightmare. For this piece, we've scoured the internet for the top 10 bad reviews of the BW. Just as there's an odd person out who doesn't appreciate the grand views of Yosemite or can't come to grips with the social schedules of Yellowstone Bison, some folks just weren't cut out for the Boundary Waters Wilderness Experience I suppose.

Here it's good to note that these are not meant to offend; we don't believe in calling out individual people or outfitters for the experiences that were had. It's all in good-natured fun. With that note, here are the top 10:

review 1

"The lakes were frozen. Seems like a money grab."

review 2

"WHY?!!!! Would anyone deliberately go here and exhaust yourself canoeing only to set up camp and deal with bugs and rodents. Discovery Channel is cheaper and comes with a couch"

review 3

"Too much paddling.  Too much portaging.  Too many bugs.  No fish were caught.  Dogs were miserable.  Do not recommend."

review 6

"We had a 260 rod portage with two large downed trees directly across the steep path, which was incredibly overgrown to begin with. The wood planks that were used had rotted away in other areas of the same portage. Not what I expect when carrying the pack and canoe. Ridiculously unsafe in a remote area."

review 4

"They really need to do something about the mosquitoes"

review 5

"We encountered a beaver dam across the river in a dangerous place that we had to line the (kevlar) Canoe over. As much as I like to see nature untouched, something needs to be done about that before someone gets hurt. And there’s a landing on the Northside of one of the portages that’s nothing but ankle breaking rocks and mud that’ll suck your boots off. Again, more dangerous than it should be."

review 7

"The winds were high that day. Made fishing difficult."

review 8

"Mosquitoes were horrendous. Make sure you have a head to toe airtight system, with no gaps, not even one square millimeter, or they will get in, and ruin your experience."

review 9

"boring the only thing there is trees and rocks."

review 10

"Little management leaves lots of dead trees."

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?

How to See the BWCA in One Trip

By Riley Smith | August 9, 2022

  When it comes to planning trips, I can be a bit of a dreamer, and if you’re anything like me, you spend a great deal of time thinking about what could be possible. I may not have the days lined up or the permits pulled yet. I may not even know which friends will…

Gear Features: We’ve got your back(straps)!

By Riley Smith | August 2, 2022

  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…

Map Mondays – Week 12 – Little Indian North to Moose River North

By Riley Smith | September 26, 2023

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 route works through parts of the BWCAW’s far western end from the furthest west EP of the BWCA through big lakes…

Worst BWCAW Reviews – The Wilderness is NOT for Everyone

By Riley Smith | May 17, 2024

This time of the year, the itch for that perfect summer canoe trip begins to intensify as permits are pulled, routes are planned, gear is cleaned, and the days begin to lengthen! It’s also time to remember that for every person who lives and breathes their wilderness trips, there is another who writes theirs off…

The Magic of a Winter Wilderness

By Riley Smith | January 25, 2023

The Boundary Waters of northern Minnesota are special. There’s no denying that. Every year, hundreds of thousands flock to this northern wilderness area to experience a landscape where canoes outnumber the cars and a wild landscape is, in some ways, locked in time. But every winter as the canoes are tucked away, the summer tents…

Trail Stories: Why I Love to Share the Wilderness

By Riley Smith | June 28, 2022

  In my time in the Boundary Waters, I have come to love sharing the experience with people who are completely new to it all, yet there is so much potential for things to be frustrating when introducing people for the first time. Perhaps you won’t be able to travel as quickly as you normally…

10 Lost Routes in the BWCA

By Riley Smith | February 22, 2023

Warm weather in February is a dangerous thing. If it’s too warm, the mind starts wandering ahead to summer canoe adventures. Warm weather only intensifies the time spent pouring over maps both in remembering treasured trips past and scheming the ones to come. And for me, one of the things I’m looking for on the…

Let’s Break the Ice on a BWCA November Canoe Trip!

By Riley Smith | November 18, 2022

  It’s been snowing all week here in Ely which points to a winter season fast approaching. In the meantime, this is one of the more challenging seasons for wilderness travel with many big lakes still open, smaller lakes starting to freeze, and trails and forests covered in fresh, wet snow. To the majority of…

Three Generations of BWCAW Rules Videos – Side by Side

By Riley Smith | December 13, 2023

It’s as ubiquitous of an experience as one can find tied to a canoe trip into the Boundary Waters, and the memories of it are deeply rooted in my childhood as they are for many who make the annual pilgrimage north to paddle the border waters of canoe country. Even now, I can close my…

The Annual Border Challenges – A BeaV Perspective

By Riley Smith | August 25, 2023

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…

Author Bio:

Riley Smith

Riley is the Director of Community Engagement and Public Relations for Portage North and Sundog Sport. He comes from a background in wilderness programing and environmental education with four years of BWCA outfitting and guiding before taking this role. In his free time, he can be found out canoeing, hiking, snowshoeing, capturing photography, and writing.
Posted in ,

Leave a Comment