Excerpted from The Boundary Waters Canoe Area, Vol. 2 by Robert Beymer

Trip summary: 4 days, 45 miles, 14 lakes, 1 river, 11 portages
Difficulty: Easy
Fisher maps: F-19, F-11
Travel zones: 29, 30, 32, 38, 39

This popular, scenic loop is highlighted by a climb up the Thunder Point Trail, overlooking beautiful Knife Lake and the Canadian wilderness to the north. From the public access at Trail's End Campground, you'll paddle southwest across beautiful Knife Lake and the Canadian borderlands. From the public access at Trail's End Campground, paddle southwest across Seagull, and through Alpine and Jasper Lakes, to ever-popular Ogishkemuncie Lake. From there you'll swing northwest to the South Arm of Knife Lake and follow it west to Thunder Point, the midpoint of this route. Then you will follow the Canadian boundary northeast through Little Knife, Ottertrack, and Swamp Lakes to big Saganaga Lake. Then you'll return to Trail's End Campground via the Seagull River and Gull Lake.

If your number-one goal is to escape from other canoeists and seek isolation from all reminders of civilization, don't take this route. All the zones through which you'll be traveling rank among the fourteen most popular (of forty-nine) in the BWCA. But if scenic lakes with crystal-clear water, panoramic vistas, a spectacular waterfall, and easy portages appeal to you, you're sure to love this easy loop.

Jasper Lake rapids

DAY 1: Seagull Lake, portage 105 rods, Alpine Lake, portage 45 rods, Jasper Lake, portage 25 rods, Kingfisher Lake, portage 38 rods, Ogishkemuncie Lake.

If you prefer getting your feet wet to portaging 105 rods, you can avoid the first carry by paddling up the channel connecting Seagull and Alpine Lakes. You'll encounter three short sets of rapids, up which you can easily walk your canoe (in normal or low-water levels). You would find it quicker to take the 105-rod portage, however. The shallow rapids connecting Kingfisher and Ogishkemuncie lakes may also be walked up without much difficulty, eliminating another thirty-eight rods of aching carries. Ogishkemuncie is a lovely lake with many fine campsites, but it is often filled to capacity. In fact, the travel zone in which it lies boasts the highest campsite occupancy rate in all of the Boundary Waters. It is a popular destination not only for those beginning their trip from the Gunflint Trail, but also for those who start at Moose Lake from the Fernberg Road in the Western Region. Find a campsite early!

Move on to Paddling: Thunder Point Route, Days 2-4 Return to Top

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