Minnesota·United States
Photo: daakrolb@hotmail.com · Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness protects over a thousand lakes along the Canadian border, joined by old portage trails and closed to motors across most of its area. Paddlers camp on rocky islands among pines, with loons calling and moose in the shallows.
In season: Jun–Sep · Peak: Aug–Sep
Days of lake paddling and carrying boats and packs over portages, with quiet campsites and changeable weather. Most trips use canoes, and sea kayaks work on the bigger lakes.
The most-paddled loop, good for a first trip
Deep in the heart of the wilderness, no motors anywhere
Along the Canadian line, long portages and big lakes
Reserve an entry-point permit and outfit in Ely or on the Gunflint Trail, where outfitters supply boats, gear and route maps. Start with the Sawbill loop, and paddle deeper to Knife Lake or the Border Route once portaging feels easy.
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Paddling at night through water that glows blue-green with every stroke, in the brightest bioluminescent bay ever recorded.
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Sea kayaking in front of tidewater glaciers in Kenai Fjords National Park, with sea otters, puffins and whales.
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A week of sea kayaking to the calving faces of tidewater glaciers, with humpbacks, seals and bears along the shore.
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