Hi,
Planning a trip July 5-15. Hitting Boundary Waters for 5 days. We'd like to car camp for a day when we arrive and then paddle in, set camp at the first portage and then do day trips. We've never been to the area.

Anyone have suggestions of a good place to do a trip like this in BW?
Kids are good swimmers. We like throwing rocks, making fires, and hiking/paddleing to waterfalls.

Thanks in advance!

I don't have a good spot in mind that meets your trip criteria, but I commend you on planning a short trip, setting up camp and doing day trips. Kids that age will see a camping trip like you're planning as the most wilderness experience they could ever have. It's my bet that they'll love it. :)

A trip turns into a death march for the kids if the parents think they can put on miles and do lots of portages.

Make sure you feed them well, too. Be sure to include a special treat - maybe hot dogs over the fire, s'mores, something like that - because they'll probably talk about it for years. ("Remember when we roasted marshmallows over the fire on the canoe trip?")

Have fun!

This sounds like a fun outing for the family.

First, to correct what may be a misconception, you cannot camp at a portage. Only designated campsites with a latrine and fire grate are places to camp.

Taking a quick look at available permits during your time frame, I think these might be your best options:

1. Cross Bay Lake entry. (#50) There are campsites on Ham Lake which is outside the BWCAW. To continue on to do day trips inside the BWCAW you would need to complete a day use permit each day. (Take several with you from the entry.) Drop the carbons at the box when you exit. You can also continue on into the BW proper on a permit and do day trips from say Cross Bay Lake. Cross Bay has a waterfall, but have heard that it may be intermittent.

2. Homer Lake (#40) - This is a very little visited corner of the BW. It is almost a dead end corner. It would be great for your use. Day trip down the Vern River as far as you dare. There are other day trip possibilities as well.

3. Kawishiwi Lake (#37) - There are campsites right on Kawishiwi Lake. Or there is a long paddle with very minimal portaging until you get to Kawasachong Lake. From there you can day trip to Polly Lake or back to Square Lake. You will be in the Pagami Creek Fire burn area. So if that spooks you, try another spot.

4. Today there is one permit on July 10 for Little Indian Sioux North (LIS North #14). There are a couple of portages to get you to Upper Pauness Lake, but there are great day trips from this spot. Devils Cascade, Shell Lake, Loon Lake, Lynx Lake.

5. I have tried to suggest smaller water, but if you have good paddling skills and a little wind and bigger waves don't bother you, then Brule Lake may be your answer. There are a lot of day trip possibilities. You could hustle up to the Cone Lakes to get onto some smaller water as well.

6. Another option that I think you should consider is camping at Sawbill Lake campground and doing day trips from there. Same deal. Complete a day use permit for each day you visit the BW. You can visit the Baker Lake entry from Sawbill Campground for a day trip and also the Kawishiwi Lake entry. But Sawbill has a nice variety of day trips all on its own.

There are some great threads here on canoe tripping with youngsters. Use the search function to find them. Lots of ideas for keeping them happy and engaged. Hope your family has fun.

Keep an extremely close eye on them. Some form of flotation device would be a good idea, even around camp.

Hey Thanks! We've learned our lesson trying to push too hard too soon.
Hope we can get a good idea for basecamp in this thread. BC we have no idea where to land.

Thanks. We will. They've grown up with an inground pool and live in their lifejackets in the summer even at home. They will absolutely be in life jackets unless they are immediately in our sites.

At this point, especially with fixed dates in high season, it will depend on permit availability. Also your comfort and skill level in terms of possibility of rough water. You need someone with good knowledge of the entry points - like an outfitter - who knows your criteria to locate the right permit. Going one portage in there will be other people on whatever lake, but the kids won't mind - just us old fogies get fussy about solitude.

You could look at rec.gov to see what's available for your dates today and ask here if they fit your goals.

Just a different thought there are some SNF campgrounds that have walk in and canoe in sites - at least Make Jeannette - that are reservable and would permit day trips.

I envy you. Hope I can do it in a few years with grandson!

We had a nice trip with kids just a little bit older than that to Lake One. We actually wound up camping at the first camp site and did a day trip on day two (there is a rapid that comes down into Lake One that is almost a waterfall) and then went back out on day three. The kids had a blast and we really enjoyed it too. Total distance paddled was very low. We've actually done that route from the EP, past that campsite, and the entire day trip, and back out in an afternoon. But we saw lots of wildlife, did a ton of swimming, and relaxed. With another day, there is plenty of lake left to explore even if you don't portage to Lake Two. If you do the portage (which is very easy) then it opens up lots more paddling area.

Thanks Bill. That's helpful. We were definitely concerned about the availability this late in the game. Definitely not interested in rough waters for this summer. SNF is a great suggestion. Thank you!

Enter Missing Link EP, always plenty of permits available, and take the easy portage from Round Lake into Missing Link. Camp on Missing Link or take the easy portage to Snipe Lake and camp there. Either day trip to Cross Bay lake to see Moose and a small waterfall, or loop out through Ham Lake at Cross Bay Lake EP and make a short walk back to your car. You could easily outfit with Tuscarora, they are located at Round Lake.

Thank you so much for this suggestion. Looking into it now!
If you have any other suggestions, please send them too! very much appreciated!

I would say Sawbill Lake would be optimal since it has camping and amenities at the entry point in case you run into trouble, with nice campsites on both Sawbill and Alton lake. However, that will most likely be a long shot if you don't have permits yet.

We did Kawishiwi River last year with the kids last year, but even that was pushing the boundaries with the little ones as far as paddling and portaging.

Brule lake would be another worth looking into - I am bringing my two boys (6 and 9) there with our group in August.

I would second bringing LOTS of snacks. And when you think you've got way too much, pack a few more... Kids get hungry and keeping their bellies full will ensure a fun trip. Having a few treats in your pocket to toss at them so dad can take "just a few more casts" is also a power move if the fishing is good. We always make sure to pack a lot "surprise" snacks for the kids - the look on their little faces when you pull out a bag of goodies that they had no idea you were stashing is always priceless.

Last but not least, invest in or rent a bug tarp. Nothing can ruin your trip like unrelenting black flies and mosquitos. Having a place to get relief from bugs is absolutely paramount for kid camping.

Otherwise be safe and enjoy!

Many great suggestions here. My most recent trip with my then-7yo daughter was at the Homer entry point. We stayed at the site on the west side of the lake and enjoyed great fishing and day-tripping. As others have suggested, this area has an abundance of great camping, fishing and travel options on National Forest lands outside the wilderness boundary, including 2 nice paddle-in sites on Homer. I will likely return to this area without a permit and find a first-come site as part of the adventure.

There are some quieter areas of the Superior National Forest like the Timber-Frear Loop and the Hogback Lake Area that might be a great fit for your young family.

SNF "Fee" and "Rustic" Campgrounds
Gunflint and Tofte Ranger District Backcountry Sites
Kawishiwi District Backcountry Sites

I'll add Wood and Slim to the list. Both have fairly smooth portages which is super helpful for littles. They're also close to town if you need to abandon ship. And, yes, snacks, treats, snacks, and more treats!

I took my 2 year old years back. Just be prepared for them tripping a lot on the rocks and roots. But overall a good experience

We took our kids into Sag and stayed on 572 on Horseshoe island. It was a pretty easy paddle for us adults. Our kids loved the day trips around the various islands and the bit of fishing and exploration that we did. It's a beautiful area for a first time trip.

Fall lake would be a good option. There Is a big forest service campground right at the entry point. Two short portages into Pipestone Bay. There are campsites that have beaches if you are able to get one of them. Day trip option to Basswood Falls. The falls are pretty neat.

Tony