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The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) is paradise for the wilderness paddler. Stretching for nearly 200 miles along the Canadian border of northeastern Minnesota, this magnificent region offers more than 1,000 portage linked lakes, over 2,000 campsites, 154 miles of portage trails, and 1,200 miles of canoe routes through some of the most beautiful country in the world. That’s why over 250,000 people visit it each year and make it the most popular wilderness area in America. At over a million acres, the BWCA is one of the largest assets of our National Wilderness Preservation system, containing the largest remaining old-growth forests east of the Rocky Mountains.

HISTORY

The canoe routes on which you will paddle are the very same water trails used for countless generations by the ancestral Native Americans and by the French-Canadian fur traders, known as Voyageurs. Jacques de Noyons, in about 1688, was probably the first European to paddle through the lakes and streams that now comprise the BWCAW. At that time, the Assiniboine and Cree tribal groups may have lived in the area, but by the time of the French-Canadian fur traders, the Anishinaabe had moved into the region from the east, displacing original groups that eventually moved west to the plains.

Throughout the 18th century, the French Canadian Voyageurs paddled their birch-bark canoes from the hinterlands of northwestern Canada to the shores of Lake Superior, transporting furs from trappers toward the European markets. But the Voyageurs era was short-lived. By the mid-1800s, the populations of fur-bearing animals that had once flourished in the region were nearly depleted. The trappers moved on to more promising areas and the colorful Voyageur era came to an end.

After years of boundary disputes between the British and Americans, the two governments signed the Webster-Ashburton Treaty in 1842. It established the international boundary along the “customary” route of the fur traders. The Americans had argued that the customary route of the Voyageurs was along the Kaministikwia and Maligne rivers to the north. The British had claimed that the St. Louis River, far to the south, should constitute the boundary. The existing boundary was a compromise.

During the latter half of the 19th century, settlers moving into the area took up farming, logging, and mining. Mineral prospectors first sought gold along the border region, and a short-lived gold rush attracted considerable attention to the area. Far more important to northeastern Minnesota, however, was the discovery of high-grade iron ore. Numerous mines sprung up at the present sites of Ely and Soudan, and in the area southwest of those towns. After the railroad penetrated this part of the country, extensive logging and mining operations threatened to devastate the entire region.

Establishing the BWCA

The use of wilderness lands has been debated ever since Minnesota achieved statehood in 1858. On one side are logging and mining interests that would draw on the natural resources. On the other are those who see recreation as the greater value. As decades passed, the wilderness area has benefited from legislation and court decisions. A summary of key decisions follows:

1909:		President Theodore Roosevelt creates the Superior National Forest.
1926:		Approximately one thousand acres are set aside as a primitive roadless area within the forest. This area is enlarged in the 1930s.
1938:		U.S. Forest Service (USFS) establishes the Superior Roadless Primitive Area with boundaries similar to today’s BWCA Wilderness.
1958:		The name of the Superior Roadless Area is changed by the USFS to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.
1964:		Congress passes the Wilderness Act and the BWCA becomes part of the National Wilderness Preservation System.
1978:		Congress passes the BWCA Wilderness Act and President Jimmy Carter signs it into law. The bill establishes the current boundaries, containing 1,075,000 acres. It eliminates logging and snowmobiling, restricts mining, and limits the use of motorboats to 24 percent of the total water area on just a few large perimeter lakes.
1993:		The Superior National Forest BWCA Wilderness Management Plan is approved. Opponents appeal but the plan is upheld by the 8th District Court. Challenges and controversy continue as parties with varied interests try to shift the way the wilderness is used, enjoyed, and protected.
2008:		The 30th anniversary of the BWCAW Act is celebrated.

Wildlife

Perhaps nothing represents the Boundary Waters to its visitors better than the eerie wail of the common loon, the Minnesota State Bird. Before long, nearly every visitor finds him- or herself trying to imitate the distinctive call. But many other birds are equally at home here, including the bald eagle, herring gull, great blue heron, osprey, Canadian jay, and several varieties of hawks and owls. The tranquilizing song of a white-throated sparrow is as much a part of the wilderness experience as is the scolding chirp of a red squirrel.

The BWCAW hosts the nation’s largest population of timber wolves outside Alaska, as well as large populations of moose, white-tailed deer, black bears, beavers, and red fox. Other less visible mammals include otters, lynx, fishers, mink, muskrats, martens, weasels, and squirrels. The more quietly you travel through the wilderness, the greater are your chances of catching a glimpse of the wild creatures that make their home within the BWCAW.

The North American moose is the largest mammal living within the BWCAW, and the most sought after “did you see” animal for most visitors. Paddling around a bend to find oneself face to face with a cow moose and her offspring is an experience of a lifetime. Males, called bulls, can weigh an average of 1,200 lbs and stand 6.5 to 7.5 feet tall at the shoulder. The distinctive antlers can sprout more than 20 tines.

Where will you see moose? Probably the most common place to see these magnificent creatures is at the water’s edge, where they like to feed on aquatic vegetation. But they are also abundant in large open areas that have been cleared or have recently burned. The Turtle Lake, Cavity Lake, and Ham Lake fires all resulted in substantial clearing, creating habitat that is quite favorable to moose and other wildlife. As the forest in these areas grows back to maturity, the moose will move on to other regions. Fire is a natural cycle that is essential to sustaining the population of these burly beasts.

While traveling throughout the BWCAW, always treat the wildlife and their habitat with respect. Remember that you are a visitor in the wilderness but the wild animals are residents. Don’t try to feed the animals or interfere with their normal routines. Should you find yourself near nesting birds, observe them from a distance. Human disturbance at a nest site may lead to nest abandonment and loss of eggs.

The predominant game fishes are northern pike, walleyes, smallmouth bass, and lake trout. Black crappies and bluegills are also plentiful in many of the lakes. Even rainbow and brook trout have been stocked in some lakes.

Contrary to the perception of most paddlers, water covers only about 12 percent of the BWCAW. A coniferous forest of jack pine, red pine, white pine, tamarack, black spruce, white spruce, balsam fir, and white cedar covers most of this region. There are also extensive stands of deciduous trees, including paper birch and quaking aspen. Very few dry land areas in the BWCAW are not forested. Bogs occupy the rest of the region that is not covered by lakes or forests.

Bears

Black bears are common throughout the BWCAW. Although they are not considered to be dangerous and are usually quite shy around campers, they may be pests when they are searching for food—your food. Over the years bears have learned that canoe campers always travel with food packs and (unfortunately) often leave food scraps and garbage lying around their campsites. Where people most frequently camp, bears are most frequently a problem. Actually bears are not the problem, people are. Where campsites are kept clean and food packs are suspended properly, bears are not a problem. Nor are the smaller creatures that might come to depend on humans for their daily sustenance (chipmunks, mice, and the like).

Seeing a bear on a canoe trip should be a treat, not a tragedy. Nevertheless, an unpleasant encounter with a bear could bring an abrupt end to your canoe trip—regardless of who caused the problem. There are no hard-and-fast rules to ensure protection from a bear, since bear behavior differs under different conditions. The bears you may encounter while visiting the BWCAW are wild animals and they could be dangerous; always remember that. With a few precautions, however, you should have no problems with these fascinating and beautiful creatures.

Avoid camping on the most popular lakes where there are numerous, frequently occupied campsites located relatively close together. A small island located well away from the shoreline and away from other islands offers a degree of safety. But don’t let an island campsite lull you into a false sense of security. Bears are very good swimmers.

When you are away from your campsite (even just fishing nearby) and at night, always hang your food pack off the ground. It should be at least 10 feet above the ground and 6 feet away from tree trunks and large limbs. Bears are good climbers, so the food must be a safe distance away from the trunk and from any limbs large enough to support a bear’s weight. Hanging a food pack can be a frustrating process without some forethought and practice. Take a look at the wide selection of hanging systems available through outdoor specialty stores and practice using them before you take your trip. Never store food in your tent. And if food was spilled on your clothes, leave your clothes outside your tent at night. Remember that strong-smelling items like toothpaste, deodorant, and soap should be stored away from your tent.

Keep a clean campsite. Thoroughly burn or safely bury all food scraps and leftover grease, or seal your garbage in an airtight plastic bag and carry it with your food pack. Do not dispose of leftovers in the latrine. Bears will find them and destroy the latrine in the process.

Never get between a mother bear and her cub(s). If you see a cub, its mother is probably nearby. Female bears are extremely protective of their young.

If a bear does wander into your campsite, don’t panic. Bears are usually frightened off by loud noises; Try yelling or banging some pots together. Don’t charge the bear; it may become defensive. If a stubborn bear does not back off or acts strangely, move to another campsite.

Finally, don’t let a fear of black bears detract from your enjoyment of the wilderness. Use good common sense, observe the tips above, and you should have no problem with bears—or any other wild animal.

Climate

For paddlers planning a trip to the BWCA, the season lasts just five short months—May through September—and each month can offer a very different travel experience along the same route. Northern lakes are usually free of ice by the beginning of May (always check before heading up) but the forest isn’t completely green for a few more weeks. June can be wet, cool, and plagued by the mind-numbing buzz of a billion hungry mosquitoes. Fisherman often pay the insects little heed and enjoy good fishing conditions in June, knowing that by July and August, when the temperatures are fine for paddlers and campers, the fishing may turn sluggish. Deeper into the summer months, streams that had been gushing with spring snow melt early in the season may not have enough flow to transport a loaded canoe. A shortcut discovered by close scrutiny of a map may be impassible if the streams prove too shallow.

Around Labor Day (when crowds thin out after the start of school) the Boundary Waters can offer a wonderful experience of warm days and cool nights. With the first frost the number of biting insects is reduced, but by the end of September, careful planning and consultations with local resources is important. A paddler taking a last trip of the year late in the season runs the risk of cold, wet, windy weather and even the possibility of opening up a tent flap to find snow.

In an area as large as the BWCA, weather conditions can vary dramatically. Conditions on and near Lake Superior influence the weather across the eastern portion of the BWCA. Temperatures, rainfall, and wind conditions vary, of course, throughout the BWCAW. The following statistics, recorded in International Falls, MN represent historical estimates for the western region of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.

The weather plays an important role in any camping trip. Learning to identify basic cloud patterns and read the wind conditions are skills worth nurturing. Packing to accommodate a wide range of weather conditions lessens the chance of enduring an unseasonably cold or wet week that just happens to descend during your scheduled trip dates.

Geology

The BWCAW contains some of the oldest exposed rock in the world, estimated to be as old as 2.7 billion years. It is part of the vast region known as the Canadian Shield, which underlies almost 2 million square miles of eastern Canada and the Lake Superior region of the United States. In Minnesota, this belt of ancient exposed rock extends west from the area of Saganaga Lake on the international border through Ely and International Falls to the northwestern part of the state, where the old rocks disappear beneath younger sedimentary deposits. Included in this expanse of ancient rocks are the metavolcanic Ely Greenstone formation, the metasedimentary Knife Lake Group, and great granitic masses like the Vermilion and the Saganaga batholiths.

Lunch on Basswood Lake

A mountain-building period began about 2.6 billion years ago, during which the rocks became metamorphosed and strongly deformed, and the granites were intruded from below into the older rocks. The rocks that had been formed or altered deep within the earth’s crust became exposed at the surface and were then subjected to erosion.

Inland seas covered what we now call the North Woods. Layers of sedimentary rocks were deposited at the bottom of that enormous sea. Called the Animikie Group, these rocks lie in a belt extending westward along the border lakes from Lake Superior to just south of Saganaga Lake, and then reappearing in the Mesabi Range south of the BWCAW. The Animikie rocks include the Pokegama quartzite, the Biwabik iron formation, and a sequence of shales and sandstones. Flint, too, is found in abundance in the vicinity of Gunflint Lake. Rich deposits of iron ore are scattered throughout northeastern Minnesota, upon which mining communities sprung up in the early 20th century. Iron ore became the economic basis for many communities in northeastern Minnesota and it is still one of the most important industries for the state of Minnesota. Iron ore is so concentrated in some places that it will cause a compass needle to be deflected from magnetic north. Magnetic Lake, in fact, received its name because of just such a phenomenon.

The inland seas had long since disappeared and new mountains had risen on the continent when the great ice sheets of the ice ages advanced from the north to cover northeastern Minnesota, eventually turning this mineral-rich region into the world’s best canoe country. During four major periods of glaciation, which began almost 2 million years ago, the glaciers altered the landscape considerably. Evidence of the last glacial advance and recession (the Wisconsin Glaciation, which occurred from about 100,000 to 10,000 years ago) is everywhere in the Boundary Waters today. Parallel grooves, called striations, are visible on many rock ledges that were scoured by the ice. Glacial debris, from small pebbles to huge boulders, is widespread. Here and there, you will see erratics, large boulders that were carried by the glaciers and left off in new locations when the glaciers melted.

Perhaps the greatest distinction of the border lakes area is the presence of exposed bedrock. This region is unlike the rest of Minnesota, which is almost completely covered by glacial deposits. This domination of exposed bedrock in the Boundary Waters resulted in distinctive patterns of lakes and ridges, which reflect the underlying rock structures. In the eastern third of the region, the lakes form a distinctive linear pattern. Long, narrow lakes give the terrain a notable east-west “grain.” These lakes appear in two major types of rock formations. The lakes on the Duluth Gabbro formation, which is exposed over an area from Duluth north and east to the Canadian border, developed their particular pattern because alternating bands of less resistant rock and more resistant rock are oriented east-west. Erosion removed more of the less resistant rock, creating lake basins. In the area where the Rove Lake formation is exposed—along the international border from Gunflint Lake to Pigeon Point (the very tip of the Arrowhead)—the east-west linear pattern has a different cause. In this area intervening ridges separate the lakes. These ridges are the exposed edges of south-sloping layers of dark igneous rock that was intruded into sedimentary rocks after they were deposited. The north-facing slopes of the ridges are very steep and form escarpments 200–500 feet high. Huge piles of talus blocks cover the lower parts of many escarpments, the result of erosion by the advancing glaciers as they passed transversely over the ridges.

The lakes that appear in the Knife Lake group of rocks show a similar linear pattern, but the trend is northeast-to-southwest. In the rocks associated with the Ely Greenstone formation, the pattern is less regular and the depressions in the bedrock are not as deep. Thus shallower lakes are found there.

In the area underlain by the Saganaga Granite the story is a little different. Here the shapes of the lakes are dictated by cracks in the Precambrian rock. As the cracks were made wider by erosion, they became linear depressions that lakes could occupy. Many of the lakes lie in collections of linear depressions oriented in more than one direction, so that the lakes have zigzag shapes. An overhead view of the area reveals many jagged lakes interconnected by linear channels. Saganaga Lake itself is a good example.

Because of ice age glaciation and the characteristic Precambrian rock of northeastern Minnesota, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, with all of its interconnected lakes and streams, is one of the most extraordinary recreational wilderness areas in the world.

Wind and Fire

The forests, lakes and streams of northeastern Minnesota existed long before Minnesota became a state and the wilderness took on the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness moniker. Throughout the many centuries of human habitation in the region, people have observed the natural lifecycle of the forest: seedlings sprouting, trees crashing to the earth at their live’s end, wildfires crackling until the fuel runs out or a rainstorm drenches the flames. But rarely have they observed an event like that which occurred on July 4, 1999, when a tremendous windstorm devastated vast areas of the BWCAW. Called a “derecho” by scientists and “the blow down” by concerned paddlers, the storm’s 90-mile-per-hour straight-line winds flattened an area 10 to 12 miles wide and 35 to 40 miles long. The United States Forest Service estimated that 350,000 acres were affected. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources reported that approximately 80 percent of the trees in the wind’s path fell over or snapped as easily as a camper’s wooden match. Forest Service crews visiting the disaster area found trees jumbled like pick-up-sticks 8 feet deep. Some of the worst damage occurred along lakes described in this book as among the most scenic in the wilderness—including Knife, Kekekabic, and Little Saganaga lakes in the central BWCAW, and parts of the Tip of the Arrowhead region.

Immediately after the storm, dedicated volunteers and crews from the United States Forest Service and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources worked tirelessly to address some of the devastation before winter arrived, but in the years that followed, attention and fears turned to a second and possibly even more devastating disaster: Mile after mile of once lush and now dead trees had turned into tinder that could fuel an immense wildfire. In response, the Forest Service created a Wildland Fire Use plan, establishing specific criteria for responding to fires in the affected areas of the BWCA. The plan defines where fires will be allowed to burn and other areas where protective actions will be taken. At present, more than 49,000 acres of National Forest land affected by the blow down have been managed to reduce fuels and approximately 40,000 more acres have been targeted for prescribed burning.

Meanwhile, Mother Nature had her own plan. After several quiet summers, the first major wildfire within the blow-down disaster area occurred August 2005. More than 1,000 acres north of Seagull Lake in the northeastern BWCAW burned.

Evidence of the 1999 blowdown is still visible on the hilltops around Spoon Lake

In 2006, lightning strikes triggered three major fires. In May, a major incident called the Ham Lake Fire spread its flames across more than 76,000 acres in the BWCAW and bordering Canadian wilderness. The state of Minnesota’s largest wildfire in 90 years, it affected dozens of BWCAW entry points including Skipper & Portage Lakes (#49); Kekekabic Trail East (#56); Magnetic Lake (#57) and South Lake (#58) entry points; Larch Creek (#80); and the Border Route Trails: West, Center and East (#81, #82, and #83). In July, the Turtle Lake fire started 15 miles east of Ely, MN. More than 2,000 acres around Turtle, Pietro, and Bald Eagle lakes burned before the fire extinguished itself without any intervention. During the same time period the Cavity Lake Fire, located 44 miles from Grand Marais on the end of the Gunflint Trail, burned almost 32,000 acres. Since the fire threatened local residents and private property, fire managers responded aggressively. Flying tankers dropped an estimated 60,000 gallons of water on the first day of the event.

The threat of wildfires will continue for as long as the blow-down area remains a source of fuel, but almost a decade later, the area has changed significantly. Tangles of twisted trunks and shattered limbs have collapsed and new vegetation is thriving in the spaces between. Wildlife has forged new trails, created new dens, and discovered new places to forage as the cycle of nature continues.

Fire Safety

Fires are as common in the natural environment as wind, rain, and snow. In a typical summer, lightning strikes will start fires that are usually contained by burning themselves out or through the intervention of forest service firefighters.

But fires are also started by human carelessness: It is estimated that 50 percent of the fires in the BWCAW are caused by out of control campfires. Every paddler venturing into the BWCAW should check for potential fire restrictions before leaving home. In some cases, camp stoves may be required. For current fire restriction information contact any Superior National Forest District Office call (218) 626-430 or visit www.fs.fed.us/r9/superior.

Due to the very real possibility that you could be the cause of a forest fire, campfires are allowed only within the steel fire grates at designated campsites or as instructed on your visitor’s permit. If you build a fire, keep it confined to the fire grate and keep it attended at all times. Before you leave your campsite, it is imperative to make certain that you drown the fire with enough water to extinguish the smallest embers. If you can move your hand through the cold, wet ash, chances are your campfire won’t be one that spreads.

In Case of Fire

FIRST, DON’T PANIC. The smell of smoke can travel long distances and the fire may not put you at immediate risk. Stay attentive and watch for these signs.

PAY ATTENTION TO THE WEATHER: In general fires travel with the prevailing wind, usually north and east. Monitor the direction of the wind and plan alternate routes if the wind changes directions. Watch the skies. Tall smoke plumes rising into the sky can indicate a very hot fire. Be ready to take precautions and seek a safe haven.

CREATE A PLAN: Carefully review your maps to identify several alternate travel routes if you feel you need to evacuate the area. Stay as close as possible to larger lakes that can provide a buffer between you and a fire.

PROTECT YOURSELF: Stay calm if the path of a fire endangers you. Paddle far from shore and, wearing your personal flotation device, tip over your canoe. Move under the hull and wait for the danger to pass.

Wilderness Safety

Although membership in the Boy Scouts of America peaked in the 1970s, the organization’s admonition to “Be Prepared” is as valid today as when the Boy Scouts were founded in 1910. The alternate point of view, “it can’t happen to me” doesn’t work very well in the wilderness. Risk is an integral part of a wilderness expedition. Risks associated with isolation, tough physical challenges, adverse weather conditions, and lack of rapid communications are inherent in a visit to the BWCAW. At all times, exercise caution, use common sense, and consider the following tips:

CREATE A MANAGEABLE PLAN AT THE START OF THE TRIP: Accurately estimating the distance you can cover safely will curtail the temptation to take shortcuts that may increase the chances of a broken ankle during a cross country bushwhack.

ALWAYS WEAR A PERSONAL FLOTATION DEVICE, EVEN IF YOU CAN SWIM: Minnesota law requires that you have one wearable U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device readily accessible to each person in a canoe.

DO NOT ATTEMPT CANOE TRAVEL during a lightning storm or when there are large wind-driven waves.

NEVER STAND IN A CANOE: Keep your weight low and centered.

IF YOU SHOULD CAPSIZE: Stay with the canoe; it won’t sink. If fact, every person on the trip should be educated in proper solo and group canoe recovery and rescue. The American Canoe Association (www.americancanoe.org) offers basic safety-skills courses across the country. If you capsize your canoe, the stories that follow should be about getting ribbed and teased instead of describing a potentially life-threatening situation.

USE THE PORTAGES: Do not run rapids unless you are confident you can do it safely, and only after you have scouted them. Remember that water levels change considerably during the summer months. Rapids that may have been perfectly safe to run during your last trip in August could be a dangerous, raging torrent during your next trip in June (or vice versa). Canoeing mishaps occur every summer in the Boundary Waters. Some result in drowning. Many result in damaged canoes. Most result in spoiled trips, lost equipment, and hard feelings.

CARRY A GOOD FIRST-AID KIT AND KNOW HOW TO USE IT: See to it that every member of your group knows CPR. Be alert for hypothermia, especially when any member of your group becomes wet. Once again, a safety class from an organization like the American Red Cross is worth the time and money.

IF A SERIOUS ACCIDENT OCCURS: Send someone for help immediately, or use a heavy smoke signal to attract a Forest Service patrol plane. If you have a cellular phone with you, use it to get help only if an accident is life threatening. (Note: don’t rely on cell phone coverage in the BWCAW and check with your service provider before even considering bringing the cell phone with you.) In your haste to send for help, keep everyone calm and remember that campsite numbers are often painted on the latrines of most campsites. Make sure the person going for help has an accurate understanding of your location and the extent of the injury so that the appropriate rescue resources can respond without delays caused by lack of information. Evacuation by plane or other motorized vehicle is approved only when there are no other options available and a person needs the immediate services of a doctor. The local county sheriff authorizes all emergency searches, rescues, and evacuations, but the Forest Service must authorize motorized entry for that search, rescue, or evacuation.

DON’T DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT TREATING: Sure, at some lakes the water looks so clear that you can see the bottom, but why take the risk? Living through a bout of intestinal distress caused by a waterborne parasite is not the kind of lifelong memory you came to the BWCAW to create. Boil or treat water before drinking. Although lake water may look pure, drinking it without first filtering, boiling, or chemically treating it may cause illness. Today’s filtering tools are rugged and easy to use. Most models are designed to address the nastiest waterborne parasites.

BEFORE SETTING OUT ON YOUR TRIP: Be sure that someone—Forest Service official, outfitter, or friend—knows your itinerary and when you expect to return. They should have instructions to contact authorities if you are overdue. The Forest Service has no way of knowing when (or if) you have exited the BWCAW.

Rules, Regulations, and Recommendations

Even the BWCAW has rules and regulations to follow. The Forest Service enforces these rules and disregarding them can lead to penalties reaching $5,000 in fines and/or six months in jail. All federal, state and local laws must be obeyed. Call the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources for questions about boating and fishing regulations: (888) 646-6367 or (651) 296-6157.

Summaries follow but take time to make sure all members of your group are aware of the regulations and the consequences for not following them.

PERMITS: You must enter the BWCAW at the entry point and on the entry date shown on your permit. Expired permits cannot be used on different dates and you may not re-enter on a different date using the same permit. Permits become invalid when the trip leader leaves the wilderness.

GROUP SIZE: Nine people and four watercraft are the maximum allowed together in the wilderness. Not only must two groups of nine people each camp separately, they must also paddle separately.

DOGS: Although dogs have been called “Man’s Best Friend,” Fido may not be so popular in the BWCA. Incessant barking can ruin the experience of campers that you may not be aware are nearby. A chance encounter with wildlife can lead to serious injuries. If your dog experiences his own sense of wanderlust, chasing him down can ruin your trip. If you choose to bring your dog, he must be kept on a leash at landings and on portages.

MOTORS AND MECHINICAL ASSISTANCE: Motor-powered watercraft are permitted on designated lakes only. All other lakes or portions of lakes within the BWCAW are paddle only. Motors may not be used (or be in possession) on any paddle-only lake. No other motorized or mechanized equipment (including pontoon boats, sailboats, sailboards) are allowed. Mechanical assistance is only permitted over the following: International Boundary, Four-Mile Portage, Fall-Newton-Pipestone and Back Bay Portages into Basswood Lake, Prairie Portage, Vermilion-Trout Lake Portage. Use of any other motorized or mechanical equipment of any type is not permitted within the wilderness.

Loon spreading its wings (Spice Lake)

CAMPFIRES: Check on current fire restrictions before you leave. Potential fire danger may prohibit the use of campfires. If fires are allowed, they must be contained within the steel fire grates at designated campsites or as specifically approved on your visitor’s permit. Collect firewood away from campsites by paddling down the shore and walking into the woods where it is more abundant. Gathering wood that is easily broken by hand or cut with a small folding saw eliminates the need for an axe. Bringing wood with you from out of state is prohibited. Use a camp stove for cooking. Modern stoves are easy to use, are more efficient, and can feed a hungry group even in inclement weather.

CAMPSITES: All members of a permit group must camp together. You may camp up to 14 consecutive days on a specific site. If you are traveling on a popular route, choosing a campsite early in the day will ensure that you will have a place to stay. Camp only at Forest Service designated campsites that have steel fire grates and wilderness latrines. It is unlawful to cut live vegetation for any reason. Old camping traditions, such as using moss or boughs for a bed and digging drainage trenches around tents, tarps, or anywhere else is also not permitted.

LATRINES: If a latrine is not available at your campsite, dig a small hole 6 to 8 inches deep at least 150–200 feet or more back from the water’s edge. When finished, fill the hole and cover with needles and leaves. Do not use latrines as garbage receptacles.

LEAVE NO TRACE (LNT)

Every paddler and camper who visits the BWCA, no matter how diligent, leaves a record of that visit. Understanding the consequences of our interactions with the environment and practicing a Leave No Trace ethic can preserve the wilderness for the generations that will follow far into the future.

The Forest Service began development of the Leave No Trace ethic in the 1960s, and by the mid-1980s had created a formal program that builds understanding and awareness of low impact camping practices. As an incorporated 501-c-3, nonprofit organization LNT now partners with the Forest Service, Department of the Interior, and National Park Service to promote the program. Learn more about Leave No Trace practices at www.lnt.org.

While planning your trip, add the 20-minute BWCAW Leave No Trace User Education video to your checklist. After viewing this video, BWCAW paddlers and campers will understand how they can preserve the long-term health of the BWCAW by following responsible recreation practices. Contact any Forest Service office to obtain a copy of the video. The following LNT advice is especially pertinent to BWCAW visitors:

BE CONSIDERATE OF OTHER VISITORS: Take rest breaks away from trails, portages, and other visitors. Don’t occupy campsites for day use, as this may prevent someone from camping overnight. Respect the peace and solitude of the wilderness. Sound carries far across open water—especially on a quiet evening. Keep noise to a minimum and you’ll improve the quality of the wilderness experience for yourself and for others. You will also greatly improve your chance of seeing wildlife.

RESPECT WILDLIFE: Do not follow or approach wildlife. Never feed animals. It can damage their health and alter their natural behaviors. Protect wildlife and your food by storing rations properly. When fishing, use lead-free tackle.

DISPOSE OF WASTE PROPERLY: Pack out all trash, leftover food, and litter. Deposit human or dog waste in the latrines. Wash yourself and dishes with biodegradable soap away from streams or lakes. Remember that burning trash in fire grates is illegal. Pack it out.

TRAVEL AND CAMP ON DURABLE SURFACES: Using established trails and campsites minimizes your impact on the wilderness. Keep campsites small and stay in areas where vegetation is absent to keep the human footprint as small as practical. Leave clean campsites for those who follow. Walk in single file in the middle of the trail, even when the trail is muddy.

PLAN AHEAD AND PREPARE: Know area rules and regulations. Prepare for extreme weather. Use a map and compass.

MINIMIZE CAMPFIRE IMPACTS: Use a lightweight stove for cooking. When fires are permitted, use an established fire grate and keep fires small. Burn all wood and coals to ash, and make sure the fire is completely out. Collect firewood away from campsites to prevent enlarging and defacing the area.

LEAVE WHAT YOU FIND: Leave archaeological, historical, and rock painting sites undisturbed so the next paddler can have the same sense of wonder you experienced. If you need to take a memory, use a camera to capture the scene. Do not introduce or transport non-native plants, live bait, or animals.

FOOD: Bring sealable plastic bags to pack out empty food containers or other waste. When packing, remember that cans and glass bottles are not allowed. Metal fuel containers, insect repellent, and toiletries are exceptions.

SOAP: Bathe and wash dishes at least 150–200 feet from any body of water. Use biodegradable soaps to avoid polluting the water.

FIREARMS AND FIREWORKS: Discharging a firearm is prohibited within 150 yards of a campsite or occupied area, or in any manner or location that places people or property at risk of injury or damage. State game laws apply in the BWCAW. Fireworks of any kind are illegal.

Primitive Management Areas

For small groups of visitors who desire a more primitive and secluded wilderness experience, there are 12 designated Primitive Management Areas (PMAs) within the BWCAW that are managed like Quetico Provincial Park on the Canadian side of the border. These PMAs cover 124,000 acres of the most remote parts of the wilderness.

Travel through the PMAs requires more effort and skill than is needed in most parts of the BWCAW. The Forest Service does not maintain portage trails and campsites in these areas, and most lakes within the PMA must be reached by traveling cross-country or bushwhacking. To minimize damage to the environment, it is suggested that party size not exceed six people. Visitors may camp at any suitable location. Shallow latrines may be dug at sites that do not have box latrines, and campfires are permitted where there are no fire grates, as long as special care is paid to ensure that there are no environmental scars remaining after use. Camp stoves, however, are strongly recommended instead of open fires.

To enhance the opportunities for solitude, access to these areas is very limited. After obtaining a travel permit for the desired BWCAW entry point, you must also get special authorization from one of the USFS ranger stations where permits are picked up. Each PMA is divided into zones where only one group per night is allowed to camp. (There is no restriction on day-use activities by other groups, however.) A PMA permit only allows users to camp within the PMA zone indicated on the permit. Camping within the BWCAW remains restricted to designated campsites.

Reservations are not taken for the PMA visits. Authorizations are available only on a first-come-first-served basis. Reservations are not available through an outfitter or at a different ranger station.

United States Forest Service maps are available that show PMA zones. Recent visitors to these areas have noted that since portages haven’t been maintained for more than a decade, traveling can be difficult.

For more information about the specific locations of these remote areas, as well as the unique regulations that govern them, contact the Superior National Forest headquarters in Duluth or one of the USFS district offices listed in Chapter 2.

Paddling Along the Canadian Border

In today’s security-conscious environment, you must obtain a Remote Area Border Crossing (RABC) permit if your BWCAW trip includes crossing the Canadian border. Contact the Canada Border Services Agency at least 3 to 4 weeks in advance to obtain a Remote Area Border Crossing permit. Call the Citizenship & Immigration Canada at (807) 624-2162 or visit the CIC web site at www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/rabc.html or to get an RABC permit application. Remember that permits are required for overnight and day-use entry. Check with www.ontarioparks.com to confirm your permit requirements.

A Canadian license is required if you are planning to fish in Canada or on the Canadian side of border lakes. Contact the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources at 800-667-1940 for information about non-resident fishing licenses. Licenses can be mailed to you. Visit www.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/fishing for details.

If you enter the United States from Canada on your BWCAW trip, report to a Customs Border Protection (CBP) officer for inspection at the Grand Portage port of entry or designated inspection locations in Grand Marais, Crane Lake, and Ely, MN every time you enter the U.S. from Canada by boat. Visit the Customs and Border Protection website at www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/pleasure_boats/cbbl.xml. Bringing along identification documents such as a passport or birth certificate is recommended.

Visiting a Wilderness

“A wilderness, in contrast with those areas where man and his own works dominate the landscape, is hereby recognized as an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain.”

Using this definition, Congress passed the Wilderness Act of 1964 and created the National Wilderness Preservation System. Included as the only water-based wilderness, the Boundary Waters is one of the most recognized wilderness area in America. Many of the 250,000 annual visitors to the BWCAW are not familiar with minimum-impact camping techniques and the need to protect the natural resources from damage. Litter strewn along portages and left in fire grates; birch trees stripped of bark; red and white pines with carved initials; and fire-blackened areas resulting from campfires left burning are just some of the signs of abuse seen far too often in the BWCAW.

Wilderness areas are managed to protect and maintain the environment in its natural state for our enjoyment and for the enjoyment of generations to come. The responsibility for protecting these areas lies not only with professional managers; All visitors share in this responsibility. You must realize that your place within the wilderness is not as a conqueror, but as a wise keeper and a good steward of this land and water. By ensuring a quality wilderness experience for yourself and others, you will be helping to preserve the area for generations to come.

Concern for the BWCA shouldn’t stop when you leave the waters. It’s also your responsibility to monitor the ongoing political debate that threatens to open up the area to other interests less suited to a tranquil canoe paddle. You might do this through one of the following organizations:

 An organization that has worked diligently for years to protect and preserve the BWCAW is the Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness, 401 North Third Street, Suite 290, Minneapolis, MN 55401, 612-332-9630 or www.friends-bwca.org.

 Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness is a regional grassroots organization that formed in the 1990s to represent people who believe that wilderness is good public policy and is worth defending: PO Box 625, Ely, MN 55731 or www.nmw.org.

 The Izaak Walton League of America has been another long-term supporter of the Boundary Waters. The IWLA began its history of protecting what would later become the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in 1923 when Will Dilg, the League’s first president and founder, passionately opposed a plan to develop the area. Since then, the Izaak Walton League has brought its resources to bear whenever the BWCA has been threatened. For more information, visit www.iwla.org.

What You Can Do

What can you do? By adhering to the BWCAW rules and regulations and following Leave No Trace (LNT) principles, you can help maintain the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and preserve it as an enduring resource for future generations.

Some examples:

 Be aware of campfire restrictions to prevent unwanted wild fires.

 Help identify invasive species locations in the wilderness. Ask for the Non-native Invasive Species booklet available at Forest Service District offices and some cooperating businesses.

 Follow Minnesota State law by packing out all paper instead of burning it. Burning paper releases harmful pollutants negatively affecting air quality.

 Follow the Leave-No-Trace principle of being considerate to other visitors by letting nature’s sounds prevail. Avoid loud voices/noises, don’t crowd up at portages, and keep your dog under control to help promote opportunities for solitude.

 Report any outfitter or guide that does not follow BWCAW and/or Superior National Forest rules and regulations.

 Help maintain the wilderness by not creating resource damage.

 Use the latrines and fire grates; do not bring glass bottles and cans; follow group and watercraft size restrictions; obtain the proper use permit; respect cultural heritage sites; do not cache equipment in the wilderness unless it’s in connection with your current visit; keep wildlife wild by not feeding them or leaving food behind for them to find; follow motor-powered regulations; use existing campsites; be prepared to prevent unnecessary search and rescues; and properly dispose of fish remains and other waste.

Wilderness Defined

There are those purists who would not classify the BWCAW as a true wilderness. In one sense, they are right. Forest Service personnel and dedicated volunteers regularly clear portage trails of fallen trees and clogging brush. Regulations require that you camp only on Forest Service campsites equipped with unmovable fire grates and box latrines. There are obvious signs all around you that other people have camped at the very same spot many, many times before.

“Wilderness” is as much a state of mind as a physical condition. Seldom are more than one or two long portages necessary for paddlers to feel a true sense of wilderness around them. The disquieting drone of motors fades into the past, and one enters a world of only natural sensations. Depending on your point of entry, it could take a day, or maybe two, to find your wilderness. On the other hand, it may be waiting only minutes from your launching site, scarcely more than a stone’s throw from the road’s end. Wherever you start, a magnificent wilderness is not far away in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. The important point is to allow yourself the opportunity to experience the wilderness that fits your personal definition.

Wilderness involves emotions. A wilderness experience is an emotional experience. If a person cannot sense deep emotion while camped on the shores of some placid wilderness lake, hearing the cry of a loon, he will never understand the pleas of those who would save the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.

—Charles Ericksen