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:
"The lakes were frozen. Seems like a money grab."
"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"
"Too much paddling. Too much portaging. Too many bugs. No fish were caught. Dogs were miserable. Do not recommend."
"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."
"They really need to do something about the mosquitoes"
"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."
"The winds were high that day. Made fishing difficult."
"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."
"boring the only thing there is trees and rocks."
"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 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…
How to Start Wilderness Winter Camping on a Budget
The wind howls around the steep rocky palisade displacing snow which softly blanketed the lichen-speckled crag the night before. The cold wind bites the face as the eyes turn upwards towards brilliant hues of pink and orange igniting the morning sky. The evening dark and long makes the dawn all the more magical. And with…
Three Generations of BWCAW Rules Videos – Side by Side
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…
Paddling The Margins
Buy Tickets After five years of planning, preparation and training, Jack sets out on his most ambitious kayaking project yet. Paddling The Margins follows the journey to paddle unsupported over 2,000 kilometers along some of Canada’s most beautifully remote coastline, the Pacific Northwest. Director and Producer: Jack River Hampton
A Few Tips for Faster Portaging
“Anyone who says they like portaging is either a liar or crazy,” said Bill Mason, the legendary Canadian paddler and environmentalist, in his 1984 film Waterwalker. While there’s a gritty sense of satisfaction in carrying your entire camp over rocks, roots, and trees, for most paddlers portages are something to be completed rather than savored. And…
What’s Old is New Again on Chapman St. – Ely, MN
Summer is nearly upon us and the streets of Ely are bustling with canoeists, campers, and fishermen eager to enjoy their trips to the BWCA. Hopefully we’ll talk with many of them at Portage North and Sundog Sports in our new and improved retail space which we look to reopen sometime this June. And as…
Is it Possible to Circumnavigate Minnesota by Canoe?
Preface: This route plan should not be utilized without extensive personal research. I have not completed this route nor do I specifically intend to. It exists for entertainment purposes only. As with all adventures, do your due diligence and research in vetting any part of this article before attempting a dangerous or challenging activity. With…
How to Name Over 1000 Different Lakes – The BWCA
The Boundary Waters have seemingly endless lakes bearing names from Ojibwe, French, English, or English mistranslations, misspellings, or honest translations of the Ojibwe. Many have fascinating backstories of how they came by their names. Some lakes have seemingly had the same name as long as time can remember while others have switched multiple times. This…
How to Hike the BWCA this Fall
For those of us whose Boundary Waters trips don’t end with canoe season, Fall can be a challenging time to decide what activities to pursue. As the ice begins to line the outer edges of the lakes and canoeing becomes tougher, it’s just the perfect time of the year to hit the trails and backpack…
How to Chase the Northern Lights – A Short Story
Article writing can be a process for me. I usually have five or six partial articles in the queue and sometimes take long breaks from one before coming back to it again. Sometimes there are complicated graphics or illustrations to put together or lots of research to be done. Very rarely is an article reactionary…
Author Bio:
