My favorite Trips in the wilderness are the ones where there is very little to do, and the experience of doing very little becomes nearly sumptuous.
We set out from Brule Lake, a two-and-a-half-hour drive northeast of Duluth, Minnesota, to spend a week idly exploring the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The park spreads over more than a million acres of boreal forest, much of it old growth. It contains more than a thousand glacial lakes. According to the U.S. Forest Service, the Boundary Waters attracts some 150,000 visitors annually—a small number considering its vastness. Which meant that, during a trip in mid-August, my crew of a half-dozen friends and I felt like we had the place to ourselves.
Days were cool and sunny, with sunlight sparkling on the water. Thankfully, we’d missed Peak Mosquito—the bugs were only bad for an hour each night, around dusk, when fish were rising. By then, we’d already made camp, and the campfire smoke generally kept the flies at bay.
At night, loon calls reverberated around the lakes. Paddlers in the Boundary Waters are all but guaranteed to spot pairs of the ghostly divers. A luckier sighting: one of the BWCA’s several thousand moose, which haunt the shallows, staring imperturbed at passing canoes. We didn’t see any, but stepping around fresh scat on a portage trail one afternoon, we wondered if we’d just missed one.
CHAIN GANG: MORE FLATWATER PADDLING MECCAS
FULTON CHAIN OF LAKES
New York
Eight crystal-blue Adirondack Lakes, ringed by forested peaks and old-school cottages.
CHAIN OF LAKES WATER TRAIL
Michigan
A paddling route of just over 100 miles, through 12 lakes and connector streams, emptying into Lake Michigan.
DEBSCONEAG LAKES WILDERNESS AREA
Maine
In the shadow of Katahdin, some 46,000 backcountry acres with an abundance of free campsites and not a motor for miles.
THOMPSON CHAIN OF LAKES STATE PARK
Montana
Shoreline access to 18 lakes and more than 80 campsites, nearly all of which look out towards the jagged Cabinet Mountains
There’s something about spending all that time around water, amid the quiet, that prompts reflection. Breaking camp in the morning, covering the miles, setting up camp again, searching for firewood and drying out gear—after a couple of days, my existence was reduced to tiny tasks. Each night, we celebrated cocktail hour. We were wiped out, sweaty and hungry, and a simple ritual of a swim, snacks, and some whiskey made the day feel like something to celebrate. We were lucky enough to enjoy clear skies all week, and by the time dinner was cleaned up, the stars would appear. We quickly learned to douse our headlamps and absorb the heavens.
Exploring wilderness in the U.S. is often about extremes. Huge mountains, dramatic swings in temperature, exposure to steep falls. The Boundary Waters is about lateral spaciousness: not Montana’s big skies, but Minnesota’s sprawling liquidity. For our final two days, we found a campsite we decided to treat like a base camp. It was practically on top of the water, with bench- es from felled trees around the firepit.
One day, all I did was nap, swim and read books. Another day, I swam, read books and napped. By the time we returned to civilization, I felt incredibly restored—as if the waters healed some part of me I didn’t know was hurt.
WHERE TO CAMP
FOUR CLASSIC NORTHWOODS OASES
TRAILS END CAMPGROUND
A 32-site USFS campground at the tail end of the 57-mile Gunflint Trail Scenic Byway—a historic and rugged wilderness access road. Nearby, exhibits at the Chik-Wauk Museum & Nature Center tell the stories of the Ojibwe people, voyageurs, foresters and others who’ve traveled it.
FALL LAKE CAMPGROUND
Just outside of Ely, the BWCA’s crunchy little unofficial gateway town, Fall Lake has a nice playground, canoe rentals, an interpretive trail, a camp store and 64 sites (50 with electrical hookups). Paddle into the wilderness area right from the boat launch.
LODGE OF WHISPERING PINES
No trailers over 20 feet or motorhomes over 25, but small-RV owners will appreciate the amenities at this nearly 90-year-old northwoods outpost: WiFi, access to a wood-fired sauna, volleyball and lawn games, a bait-and-tackle shop. Powerboat rentals and guided wilderness trips too.
GUNFLINT PINES RESORT & CAMPGROUND
Twenty sites with water and electric hook-ups on the south shore of Gunflint Lake—and looking out towards Ontario on the north shore. The rustic lodge is the place to gather for pizza, beer and root beer floats.
