Sport & Outdoor
Outdoor AdventureLutsen Mountains
$50+Ski and ride across four peaks above Lake Superior, or take a summer gondola and alpine slide in the Sawtooth Mountains.
Photo: R27182818 at English Wikipedia ( Original text: Reid Priedhorsky ( R27182818 ) ), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.
Sport & OutdoorIconicOutdoor Adventure
Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
Northern Superior National Forest, along the Canadian border · Ely, MN
Why you should go…
The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness covers more than one million acres of Superior National Forest and stretches nearly 150 miles along the international boundary. You travel by canoe across more than 1,100 lakes linked by over 1,200 miles of routes, and camp at nearly 2,000 designated sites, each with a fire grate and latrine. A permit is required all year, and quota permits reserved through Recreation.gov apply to overnight trips from May 1 through September 30.
- #canoeing
- #wilderness
- #backcountry camping
- #fishing
- #superior national forest
Good to know
General sport & outdoor guidance
Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.
Weather calls the shots
Check the forecast the morning of and keep an indoor backup in your pocket for the day it turns.
Shoes, water, sun cover
The three things that decide whether you last the whole outing or cut it short after an hour.
Parking and launches fill early
On a nice weekend, lots and trailheads are often full by mid-morning.
Daylight shrinks in shoulder season
Spring and fall visits need an earlier start than the same trip in July.
What's around here?
The closest stops to Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.
