The Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) is located on the border of Minnesota and Ontario with over a million acres of wilderness and 1,100+ lakes. The majority of these lakes ban motorized vessels, making it the perfect place to be on a SUP. Sprinkle in some rivers, streams, around 2,000 campsites, portaging, fantastic fishing, and a few waterfalls to make it an awesome paddling destination.

The best part, you can go days without seeing a single person. Routes will vary based on your skill level and what you would like to see and experience. It is not a forgiving place, you need to be ready for anything Mother Nature throws at you. Wind, waves, rain, and temperature drops can all happen in the Mid-West, without notice.

If it's your first time, please go with someone that has experience paddling in this area. I have been SUPing in the BWCA for a few years now, which most years I try to get up there 2+ times. I am always willing to tag along on your trip too, just let me know. The Boundary Waters is truly a MUST paddle for all. Here are a few reasons why.

Being away for multiple days is a fantastic way to detach, become one with Mother Nature, and enjoy the little things in life. Hiking to lakes, portaging, finding hidden waterfalls, kicking back and relaxing, swimming around, or casting away SUP Fishing are just some of the ways to enjoy your time from sun up to sun down. There is a huge diversity of plants and animals. Bugs, moose, beavers, birds, ducks, deer, fish, and bears can all be spotted in the BWCA. Plus, cell service is limited and a select number or people are allowed to enter in a given day. Take the time to disconnect from the concrete jungle and connect with nature.

Time to combined your paddling skills with camping, packing, navigating, rationing food, route planning, exploring, SUP fishing (if desired), and much more. Spending multiple days in the backcountry of BWCA is lovely. I always view the BWCA as two major routes one could take. Base Camp or Portaging Route, depending on what the experience you would like to have. Base Camp Route, you establish a single site and explore from there. Makes getting around during hte day light and fast. Portaging Route, you will be hopping lake to lake to lake in a giant circle, this will challenge you, but you get to see the diversity of the BWCA

Every direction you look is a another beautiful view. Catch the sunrise or sunset to see how the sky puts on a show. Wake up in the middle of the night to see countless stars shining bright. Take a hike to checkout a waterfall, bluff views, or see what other sites you can find. Beautiful weather or “bad” weather will provide a different experience, which makes it fun. No two trips are the same and with 1,100+ lakes to pick from, you could spend years going up here and never seeing the same sites. 

Awesome BWCA Resources:

You can always contact me for information! Checkout my adventure logs (above) for what I've documented on all my BWCA trips too.

*Permits: Recreation.gov - A permit is needed if staying overnight in the BWCA from May 1 to September 30

Great Websites:

bwca.com - Planning, maps, outfitters, lodging, books, and much more. I use a it a lot

Save the BWCA - See that is happening in the BWCA, how to protect, blogs, issues in BWCA, events, and more

SUPing in the BWCA - Save the BWCA Blog I wrote for them

Friends of the BWCA - Information, protect, blog, and more

USDA - United States Department of Agriculture - Superior National Forest - Government website

Ely Outfitters - Ely, Minnesota is a main city on the edge of the BWCA

There are a ton more resources, books, maps, outfitters, and so much more about the BWCA. I just wanted to get ya some of the main resources I use.