The outline is the official 1,097,112-acre Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness boundary. Light lines are the 718 portage and trail segments the Forest Service maps inside the wilderness — about 375.3 miles of verified carry and trail geometry. Numbered markers show selected travel stops; they do not represent verified campsites.
The Forest Service does not publish coordinates for the roughly 2,000 designated backcountry campsites, so this map deliberately does not guess at them. Pick up an official BWCAW map (Fisher or McKenzie) for campsite locations, and check the Superior National Forest entry point list before you go.
USDA Forest Service inventory
Boundary Waters canoe route planner
Official portage/trail lengths are verified. Paddle links and traveler-placed points are unverified; lines can cross land. Overnight lake names are planning notes, not campsite locations or reservations. Confirm safe connections, designated campsites and closures with your outfitter and official maps.
LaCroix/Cook · Overnight Paddle or Motor Access from Vermilion Lake via a 60-rod canoe portage or 180-rod portage that allows the use of portage wheels. Check permit availability ↗ · Entry selection does not place an exact launch on the map.
Your kind of canoe trip
3 travel days · up to 1 layover days, reserving one day in and one day out.
Motor-free portions of mixed-use lakes are excluded too because their zones are not mapped here. Outside-wilderness approach waters and safe connections still need checking. Forest Service motor rules ↗
Verified waterfall matches are ranked first. Fishing, cliffs, wildlife and quiet-lake interests are saved for your plan; lake-specific fishing, cliffs, wildlife sightings and solitude are not yet verified.
1. Trout
Connections use official portage names. Paddle links between carries and exact launches still need official-map confirmation.
718 official portages/trails · Showing first 60; narrow by lake name
Day 1
0.0 mi lake-path paddle estimate · 0.00 mi mapped carry · 0.00 mi walked · ~0.0 moving hours
No travel stops selected.
Day 2
0.0 mi lake-path paddle estimate · 0.00 mi mapped carry · 0.00 mi walked · ~0.0 moving hours
No travel stops selected.
Day 3
0.0 mi lake-path paddle estimate · 0.00 mi mapped carry · 0.00 mi walked · ~0.0 moving hours
No travel stops selected.
Paddle assumptions: 2 / 2.5 / 3 mph for relaxed / average / strong pace. Each carry includes 10 minutes of loading; 2 loaded carries means walking the trail 3 times. No travel time before the first selected stop is included. Wind, breaks and finding a campsite require extra time.
