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

Trip summary: 8 days, 77 miles, 36 lakes, 2 rivers, 1 creek, 54 portages
Difficulty: Easy
Fisher maps: F-19, F-11, F-12
Travel zones: 38, 32, 29, 30, 19, 20, 21, 28, 33

This interesting loop will take you across the central part of the BWCAW nearly all the way to the Fernberg Road. From Seagull Lake you will first follow the same path as for Thunder Point Route, through Ogishkemuncie to Knife Lake. Then, instead of heading northeast along the border, you will continue to paddle west to Birch Lake. From that busy border lake, you'll steer southeast through Ensign and several smaller lakes to Ima and Thomas Lakes. After traveling straight south to Lake Insula, you will begin your trip back by following the Kawishiwi River northeast to Kivaniva and a series of small lakes that lead to Little Saganaga Lake. Then you'll paddle north, through a very scenic part of the BWCAW, en route to Ogishkemuncie Lake. Your final day will be on the same lakes that originally carried you away from Seagull Lake.

Paddling on Seagull Lake

It may seem that a route with fifty-four portages could not possibly be rated"easy." Indeed, if you detest portaging of any type, then you most likely will not consider this route easy. Only four of these carries, however, are over a hundred rods long, and even fewer offer much challenge. Spread over eight days, they should not pose much of a problem to even a poorly conditioned rookie crew.

This loop is a good introductory trip for the first-time BWCAW visitor. You'll experience both large and small lakes, tiny creeks, lovely rivers, beautiful waterfalls, Indian pictographs, large beaver homes, a good chance of seeing moose and deer, and an excellent opportunity to "run" some easy rapids.

Nearly all of the loop is well-traveled. Some parts receive heavy use, mainly from Knife Lake south to Lake Insula. Motors are no longer permitted on any part of the route.

DAY 1: Seagull Lake, portage 105 rods, Alpine Lake, portage 45 rods, Jasper Lake, portage 25 rods, Kingfisher Lake, portage 38 rods, Ogishkemuncie Lake. (See comments for Day 1, Thunder Point Route.)

DAY 2: Ogishkemuncie Lake, portage 15 rods, Annie Lake, portage 15 rods, Lake Jean, portage 15 rods, Eddy Lake, portage 25 rods, South Arm of Knife Lake, Knife Lake. (See comments for Day 2, Thunder Point Route.)

Move on to Paddling: KnifeKawishiwi Loop, Days 3-4 Return to Top

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