Four Days Paddling the Boundary Waters
One wilderness, a thousand lakes & total silence, on the Canadian border.
Four days deep in the BWCAW: reserve your quota permit, pick an entry point, then paddle lake to lake, portage your canoe and gear, and camp under loon calls and northern lights.
“I’ve requested to book a Chain Lakes Loop guide on ExplorOFF, and it was the best idea ever! I highly recommend going with their guided option since you get a real human connection on the trail and don’t have to worry about a thing. Yulia was great to talk to!”
14 stops on a real mapEvery stop pinned in order→Boundary Waters: every stop pinned in order.
Entry points, portages & campsites · Superior National Forest
Every stop on this trip, in order, opens as one driving route in the Google Maps app. No copying addresses across one at a time.
Boundary Waters in photos: 5 of the stops.
Plan and book your 4 days in Boundary Waters, one step at a time
- After the July 2026 wildfires closed the whole BWCAW, Entry Point 30 (Lake One) has reopened, but some fire-damaged campsites, portages and travel zones inside the open area stay closed. Check the current Exhibit A closure list before you pick a route, and do not camp or stop at a closed site. Source
How 4 days in Boundary Waters split up
Plan 4 days for Boundary Waters. Wilderness size: 1M+ acres. Difficulty: Moderate. Permit: Quota required. The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) sprawls across more than a million acres of the Superior National Forest in far northern Minnesota, a maze of over 1,100 lakes and streams linked by portage trails and running right up to the Canadian border. There are almost no roads and no motors in most of it. You travel the way the voyageurs did, paddling a canoe from lake to lake and carrying it and your gear overland on the portages between them.
Day 1: Outfit in Ely or Grand Marais · paddle in from your entry point
5 stops · Day one
Day 2: Paddle deeper · portages, fishing & a lake-country loop
3 stops · Day two
Day 3: Layover day · explore, swim, fish & soak in the silence
3 stops · Day three
Day 4: Paddle out · close the loop & head back to town
3 stops · Day four
Outfit in Ely or Grand Marais · paddle in from your entry point
Get to the edge of the wilderness first. Most paddlers base in Ely on the west side or Grand Marais on Lake Superior, the start of the Gunflint Trail on the east side, both about 2 hours from Duluth (DLH) or roughly 4 to 5 from Minneapolis. Pick up your reserved quota permit, watch the required Leave No Trace video, and load canoes and gear with an outfitter if you are renting.
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
Drive from~2 hr from Duluth · outfitter town · DriveMost paddlers base in Ely on the west side or Grand Marais at the start of the Gunflint Trail on the east side, both about 2 hours from Duluth (DLH) or 4 to 5 hours from Minneapolis. This is where you pick up your reserved quota permit, outfit with a canoe and gear if you are renting, and stock up before heading into the wilderness.
- Pick up your BWCAW quota permit
Reserved on recreation.gov · activityEvery overnight paddle group needs a BWCAW quota permit tied to a specific entry point and start date, reserved through recreation.gov. Pick it up before launch, watch the short required Leave No Trace video, and confirm your entry point. Summer permits for popular entry points sell out months ahead, so reserve early.
Official info → - Rent a canoe & gear · Piragis Northwoods Company, Ely
Kevlar tandem ~$55/day · PFDs & paddles included · activityUnless you bring your own boat, rent in Ely before the drive to Lake One. Piragis Northwoods Company in Ely rents ultralight Kevlar canoes (solo $45, tandem $55, three-person $60 a day, with yoke pads, PFDs and paddles) plus partial or full camping outfitting, and can arrange shuttles and tows. Reserve ahead for summer weekends and car-top the canoe the 20 miles to the entry point.
Operator info → 
Lake One entry pointClassic west-side start · paddle in · ViewpointDrive to your entry point and push off. Lake One is a classic west-side start, but Moose Lake, Sawbill, and Seagull are equally popular launches. The first day is about finding your rhythm: paddling your first lakes, walking your first portages, and reaching a campsite a few lakes in with daylight to spare.
- Camp at a wilderness site
First-come, first-served · fire grate & latrine · lodgeBWCAW campsites are first-come, first-served Forest Service sites, never reserved, each with a steel fire grate and a box latrine. Reach your target lake with time to find an open site before evening, filter your water from the lake, and hang or canister your food away from camp for the night.
Paddle deeper · portages, fishing & a lake-country loop
This is your big travel day, pushing deeper into the wilderness. String together several lakes and the portages that connect them, settling into the wonderful rhythm of paddle, unload, carry, reload, paddle again. A portage is measured in rods (one rod is about 16.5 feet, roughly a canoe length), so a 160-rod carry is about half a mile. Take two trips if you need to: canoe on one, packs on the other.
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
- Chain of lakes & portages
Big travel day · plan by rods · ViewpointString together several lakes and the portages between them, settling into the rhythm of paddle, unload, carry, reload, paddle again. Portages are measured in rods (about 16.5 feet each), so a 160-rod carry is roughly half a mile, often two trips. Plan the day by total rods, not just open-water miles.
Fish for walleye & northern pikeWorld-class lake fishing · activityDrop a line on a quiet bay for walleye, northern pike, smallmouth bass, or lake trout, with the best action at dawn and dusk. You need a valid Minnesota fishing license and should check current bait and limit rules. Many paddlers keep just a couple of fish for a classic shore lunch and release the rest.
Camp on a point or islandFilter water · bear-aware camp · lodgeBy afternoon, aim for a scenic campsite on a point or island deep in the loop and set up before the wind and bugs pick up. Filter your drinking water straight from the lake, hang your food pack or use a bear canister well away from the tent, and keep a clean camp so black bears stay wild.
Layover day · explore, swim, fish & soak in the silence
Take a slower day at the heart of your loop. With camp already set, you can paddle out unloaded to explore a side lake or a waterfall, fish the early-morning and evening bites when walleye are most active, swim off a warm rock ledge, and simply do nothing in the best possible way. This is when a Boundary Waters trip stops being about miles and starts being about the place.
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
- Explore a side lake unloaded
Empty canoe · narrows & waterfalls · ViewpointTake a slower day at the heart of your loop. With camp already set, paddle out in an unloaded canoe to explore a side lake, a set of narrows, or a small waterfall. This is when a Boundary Waters trip stops being about miles and starts being about the place, the silence, and the water.
- Swim, rest & wait out wind
Built-in weather buffer · activityA layover day doubles as weather insurance. North-woods wind can turn big-lake crossings genuinely unsafe, so this slack day lets you wait out a blow without wrecking your schedule. Otherwise, swim off a warm rock, fish the evening bite, read, and do nothing in the best possible way.
- Watch for the northern lights
Dark skies · no light pollution · ViewpointAs the light fades, watch the northern sky for the aurora. With no light pollution for tens of miles, the BWCAW is one of the best dark-sky places in the Midwest. Give your eyes 20 minutes to adjust, keep headlamps off, and look low to the north on a clear night.
Paddle out · close the loop & head back to town
Break camp and paddle the loop closed back toward your take-out, leaving each campsite cleaner than you found it. Retrace your portages or follow the back half of the loop, timing your final big-lake crossings for the calm of early morning before the wind builds. Do one last sweep of the site for micro-trash and make sure your fire is dead out and cold to the touch.
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
- Close the loop & paddle out
Cross big lakes early · ViewpointBreak camp and paddle the loop closed back toward your take-out, leaving every site cleaner than you found it. Time your final big-lake crossings for the calm of early morning before the wind builds, retracing your portages or finishing the back half of the loop. Make sure each fire is dead out and cold.
- Take out & meet your shuttle
Load canoes · outfitter tow back · activityReach the landing, load the canoes onto the car or meet your outfitter shuttle or tow, and head back to town. Do one last sweep for micro-trash before you leave the wilderness, and confirm your take-out matches the date you told someone you would be back out.
Sharon Mollerus / CC BY 2.0Getting home: Duluth or MinneapolisDLH ~2 hr · MSP ~4 to 5 hr · DriveAfter a hot shower and a burger in Ely or Grand Marais, point the car home. From either town it is about 2 hours to Duluth (DLH) or roughly 4 to 5 hours to Minneapolis (MSP). Paddle-outs can run slow into a headwind, so give yourself buffer time and do not book a tight same-day flight.
Sort where you sleep each night
Most nights on this trip are in a tent. Reserve any campsite the route needs, and the room either side of it if you want one.
Tell us your dates and we will do the calling: the rooms either side, and the guided days in between. Nothing is charged and you decide at the end.
Request to bookBoundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness overnight permit opens on its own calendar
$16 per adult and $8 per child for the trip, plus a $6 reservation fee. One permit per group, up to 9 people and 4 watercraft.
| Permit | Required: Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness overnight permit Official page |
|---|---|
| Application window | first come, first served from 9:00 AM CST on the last Wednesday in January, covering the 1 May to 30 September quota season. There is no longer a lottery. |
| Odds of drawing | Entirely down to the entry point. The well-known ones go the first morning; remote entry points stay open for months. |
| If your application is denied | Change the entry point rather than the dates. The quota is per entry point, not per trip, and the quieter ones are open all season. Walk-up permits are also issued at cooperator stations on your entry date or the day before. |
| Trip starts from | Ely, MN, flying into Duluth (DLH) |
What to pack for Boundary Waters
Built from this route, not a generic list. Every line says why it is here.
On every day of this trip
Because you are sleeping out 2 nights
For the drive to the trailhead
What we actually learned on the water.
Reserve a quota permit early
Every overnight paddle group needs a BWCAW quota permit tied to a specific entry point and start date, reserved through recreation.gov. Each entry point has a small daily quota, so summer dates for popular starts like Lake One, Moose Lake, Sawbill, and Seagull go fast. Book as far ahead as you can, and watch the required Leave No Trace video when you pick the permit up.
Use an outfitter if you do not own gear
Outfitters in Ely and Grand Marais (the start of the Gunflint Trail) rent canoes, paddles, packs, tents, and stoves, and run tow and shuttle service to the entry points. A full outfit means you can fly in with almost nothing and still paddle a four-day loop. They are also a goldmine for current route, water, and bug conditions.
Plan by rods, not just miles
Portages are measured in rods (one rod is about 16.5 feet, roughly a canoe length). A 320-rod portage is about a mile of carrying canoe and gear, often two trips. When you build a route, add up the total rods per day, not just the open-water paddling distance, or you will badly underestimate the effort.
Camp clean and bear-aware
Campsites are first-come, first-served Forest Service sites with a steel fire grate and a box latrine, never reserved. Pack everything in and out, no cans or bottles allowed. Hang your food pack or use a bear canister well away from your tent, and keep a tidy camp so black bears stay wild.
Treat your water and respect the weather
Filter, boil, or chemically treat all drinking water straight from the lakes. Watch the wind: a hard blow turns big lakes dangerous fast, so cross early, hug shorelines, and be willing to wait out whitecaps. A layover day built into the trip is your insurance against being windbound.
Pick your season for bugs and color
The paddling season runs roughly May through September. Mosquitoes and black flies peak in June, July and August bring warm swimming and prime walleye fishing, and late September delivers crisp air, fewer bugs, and gold-and-orange shoreline color. Pack a head net and rain gear no matter when you go.
Pack a head net for the bug hatches
June and July bring heavy black fly and mosquito hatches in the north woods, and on a sweaty portage with a canoe on your shoulders bug spray wears off fast and your hands are full anyway. An ultra-packable mesh head net weighs only about an ounce and keeps the bugs off your face and neck when spray is useless. Add long sleeves and a light shell so you can cover skin instead of reapplying repellent all day.
Boundary Waters: questions before you go
Boundary Waters itinerary: the questions people ask most.
Yes. Every overnight paddle group needs a BWCAW quota permit tied to a specific entry point and start date, reserved through recreation.gov. Each entry point has a limited daily quota, so summer permits for popular entry points sell out months ahead. You pick the permit up before your trip and watch a short required Leave No Trace video. Day-use paddling has its own permit rules, but most trips are overnight quota permits.
Four days is a great first trip. It gives you a day to paddle in from your entry point, a big travel day deeper into the wilderness, a layover day to fish, explore, and wait out any wind, and a final day to paddle out. Shorter two to three day loops work for a first taste, while a week or more lets you reach the quieter interior lakes far from the entry points.
A portage is an overland trail where you carry your canoe and gear between two lakes or around rapids. Distances are posted in rods (one rod is about 16.5 feet, roughly a canoe length), so a 160-rod portage is about half a mile. Most people make two trips, one with the canoe and one with the packs. Portaging is the real work of a Boundary Waters trip, so plan your daily route by total rods, not just paddling miles.
The paddling season runs roughly May through September. Mosquitoes and black flies peak in June, July and August bring the warmest water, best swimming, and prime walleye and pike fishing, and late September brings crisp air, far fewer bugs, and gold-and-orange fall color along the shorelines. Whenever you go, pack a head net, layers, and good rain gear, because north-woods weather changes fast.
The two main jumping-off towns are Ely on the west side and Grand Marais on Lake Superior, where the Gunflint Trail begins on the east side. Both have outfitters that rent canoes and gear and shuttle you to the entry points, plus lodging, groceries, and a final hot meal before and after the trip. From either town it is about 2 hours to the Duluth airport (DLH) and roughly 4 to 5 hours to Minneapolis.
Yes, and the fishing is world-class. The lakes hold walleye, northern pike, smallmouth bass, and lake trout, with the best action at dawn and dusk. You need a valid Minnesota fishing license, and only artificial bait or specific live bait rules apply in some areas, so check current regulations. Many paddlers practice catch and release and keep just a couple of fish for a shore lunch.
Black bears live throughout the Superior National Forest, so food storage matters. Hang your food pack from a tree well away from your tent and cooking area, or use a bear-resistant canister. Never keep food, trash, or scented items in your tent, keep a clean camp, and pack out everything. Cans and bottles are not allowed in the wilderness, so repackage food before you launch.
Overnight paddle quota permits open for reservation on recreation.gov ahead of the season, typically in late winter, and the most in-demand entry points like Lake One and Mudro can be gone within minutes of the release window opening. Check recreation.gov for the current release date, set a reminder, and be logged in and ready the moment reservations go live. If your first-choice entry point and date sell out, keep watching for cancellations or switch to a lower-demand entry point, since every point has its own daily quota. Without a permit for a high-demand point, the trip cannot happen legally, so treat booking day like buying concert tickets.
Essentially none. The BWCAW is a federal wilderness with no roads, no motors in most of it, and no reliable cell coverage once you paddle in. Tell someone your route and expected take-out date, carry a paper map and compass, and consider a satellite messenger for emergencies. Being genuinely off the grid, with nothing but loons and silence, is the whole point of the place.
Application window: first come, first served from 9:00 AM CST on the last Wednesday in January, covering the 1 May to 30 September quota season. There is no longer a lottery..
Entirely down to the entry point. The well-known ones go the first morning; remote entry points stay open for months.
Change the entry point rather than the dates. The quota is per entry point, not per trip, and the quieter ones are open all season. Walk-up permits are also issued at cooperator stations on your entry date or the day before.
Ely, MN is the gateway town, flying into Duluth (DLH).
Tell us your dates and we ask a local guide who works this area what they can do on your days and what it costs. If nobody is free, we tell you. Asking is free: no card, no deposit, and nothing is held until you say yes.
Pick how you want to go.
Same 4-day route. Same 10 stops.
- 3 nights, sites along the route
- $54
- Rental car, 4 days
- $240
- Gas, about 149 miles
- $20
- A private local guide, campsites booked
- Included
- Airport pickup and every drive
- Included
- Park, permit and campsite fees paid
- Included
- All the gear and the trail meals
- Included
Written and walked by Yulia Vasilyeva · Co-founder · Lead planner and guide
Three years leading guided hikes in the Pacific Northwest, rated 5.0 by 20+ verified guests, and she builds every custom itinerary herself. Based in Seattle.
Last checked September 2026
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You can't hike it if you can't get the permit.
The best hikes in America run on lotteries that open once a year and sell out in minutes. Every trail runs on its own calendar. Pick the ones you want and we do the watching.
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