Weekend (2 nights)
Enter, paddle and portage to a base camp one or two lakes in, spend the middle day fishing or day-tripping without the packs, and paddle out the same way.
Plan with verified data
Boundary Waters trip tools
Before you go
Pick a trip length
Five days (4 nights)
Enough to get past the busy entry lakes. A common shape is two travel days in, one layover day, and two travel days out — or a loop that exits at a nearby entry point with a short shuttle.
A full week (6+ nights)
Long enough for a real loop deep into the interior. Build in at least one layover day for wind: big lakes can pin a group on shore for a day, and a schedule with no slack forces risky crossings.
How much portaging fits in a day
Time on a 100-rod (about 0.3 mile) portage, including 10 minutes to load and unload. Double-carrying means walking the trail three times. These are the same pace settings the Wild10 route builder uses.
| Pace | Hours moving per day | 100-rod portage, single carry | 100-rod portage, double carry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Relaxed | 5 | 23 min | 48 min |
| Average | 6 | 19 min | 38 min |
| Strong | 8 | 17 min | 33 min |
Build a route on the map — choose an entry point, pace and days, then arrange official portages and lake stops. Paddle links are unverified estimates, not confirmed water routes.
Overnight paddling entry points by district
Your permit is tied to one entry point and one start date. 59 of the 85 official entry points allow overnight paddling.
LaCroix/Cook
- #1 Trout Lake*
- #8 Moose River South
- #9 Little Indian Sioux River South
- #12 Little Vermilion Lake"
- #12A Lac La Croix Only""
- #14 Little Indian Sioux River North
- #16 Moose/Portage River North
Kawishiwi/Ely
- #4 Crab Lake & Cummings Lake
- #6 Slim Lake
- #7 From Big Lake
- #19 Stuart River
- #20 Angleworm Lake
- #22 Mudro Lake—Restricted
- #23 Mudro Lake
- #24 Fall Lake*
- #25 Moose Lake*
- #26 Wood Lake
- #27 Snowbank Lake*
- #28 Snowbank Lake Only
- #29 North Kawishiwi River
- #30 Lake One
- #31 Farm Lake*
- #32 South Kawishiwi River
- #33 Little Gabbro Lake
- #77 South Hegman Lake
Tofte/Tofte
- #34 Island River
- #35 Isabella Lake
- #36 Hog Creek
- #37 Kawishiwi Lake
- #38 Sawbill Lake
- #39 Baker Lake
- #40 Homer Lake
- #41 Brule Lake
- #67 Bog Lake
- #75 Little Isabella River
- #84 Snake River
Gunflint/Grand Marais
- #43 Bower Trout lake
- #44 Ram Lake
- #45 Morgan Lake
- #47 Lizz & Swamp Lakes
- #48 Meeds Lake
- #49 Skipper & Portage Lakes
- #50 Cross Bay Lake
- #51 Missing Link Lake
- #52 Brant Lake
- #54 Seagull Lake^^
- #55 Saganaga Lake**
- #57 Magnetic Lake
- #58 South Lake
- #60 Duncan Lake
- #61 Daniels Lake
- #62 Clearwater Lake^
- #64 East Bearskin Lake*
- #66 Crocodile River
- #68 Pine Lake
- #69 John Lake
- #70 North Fowl Lake
- #80 Larch Creek
Kawishiwi/Ely/ LaCroix/Cook Gunflint/Grand Marais
- #71 From Canada
Turn it into your plan
The Wild10 trip planner builds your day-by-day itinerary, packing list, meals and weather around your dates and group.
Plan your Boundary Waters trip
Entry points from the USDA Forest Service; read the official Trip Planning Guide before you go.