Minnesota resident Michael Sakowski, of the website CanoeCampFish.com, brings us some tips for wilderness camping in the Boundary Waters area in this guest post.
If you haven’t tried camping in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area of northern Minnesota yet, you are missing out on one of nature’s finest experiences. This area is closed off to all vehicular, motorized boat, and air traffic. So, when you are settled into your campsite, all you hear are the waves washing against the shore and the loons singing on the lake. You will often encounter moose, deer, and perhaps even an occasional wolf or bear. The fishing is fantastic and offers prime walleye, northern pike, bass, and lake trout fishing. Each lake contains only about 1-5 campsites so you will have a lot of room to yourself.
4 Tips for Camping in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area:
- You should try to visit this area before school lets out in the spring or after school is back in session in the fall.
- Due to the popularity of this area, you may find yourself competing with other campers for the few authorized campsites on a lake. You need to reserve a permit for your trip in advance. Go to www.recreation.gov for information on reserving a permit and to find permit availability online.
- You need the proper gear for this type of camping. You need a large capacity canoe pack, compact cooking gear, sleeping gear, a lightweight tent, as well as other equipment. I’ve put together a comprehensive list of camping equipment needed on my website.
- A good canoe for this type of trip is a light canoe that is fairly wide and stable.
Plan your trip well. You will be on your own with no car to jump in and run for supplies, and probably no phone service (even if you have a cell phone) to call for some help. But, then again, nobody will be able to contact you either—enjoy the solace!
