Ely, Minnesota

A trip to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area requires some planning ahead. First, you'll need acquire a permit/reservation via recreation.gov . Specify how many people are in your group, the number of watercraft you plan to use and how many days you'll be in the BWCA. You'll also need to select a gro...

The best part of Rifle Lake is how remote it is. There's no quick way to find this small, secluded lake in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. The lake supports just one campsite and is less than a half-mile long, according to rook.org. It is also part of the Rifle/Bridge Loop, which is a good option...

The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is located in the northern portion of the Superior National Forest in northeastern Minnesota. What once used to be covered by glaciers is now home to approximately 1.1 million acres of land with 1,200 miles of canoe routes. Permits are required for access...

Every Autumn, Superior National Forest in northern Minnesota designates some of it's best roads as official Fall Color Routes. These roads go deep into the forest, far from towns and cell phone reception to show off the best Minnesota has to offer. Peak season is short, only a week or two sometim...

Beth Lake is part of the "Lady Chain" of lakes in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. It's secluded, serene and worth the trip, especially if you're up for an afternoon of cliff jumping.You can reach Beth Lake in half of a day, assuming you set out in the morning and are efficient with your time. But...

A trip to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area requires some planning ahead. First, you'll need to book a permit/reservation via recreation.gov. Specify how many people are in your group, the number of watercraft you plan to use and how many days you'll be in the BWCA. You'll also need to select a grou...

Getting there:From Duluth, follow Highway 61 until you reach mile marker 65 -- shortly after this you will turn left on Lake County Road 6. Continue for just over 2 miles and the trailhead parking lot will be on your right. There is a sign with mileage to nearby backpacking campsites if you want ...

Begin your trip at the Seagull Lake boat launch at Trail's End Campground. The campground, located in Superior National Forest at the very end of the Gunflint Trail, is an hour and half drive from the nearest town of Grand Marais and is a great place to stay the night before. There are no motors ...

Trail's End Campground is located at the very end of the Gunflint Trail, a remote highway that cuts into the heart of the Minnesota Northwoods. Catch the Gunflint Trail in Grand Marais along Highway 61 on the North Shore of Lake Superior. From Grand Marais, you'll wind your way sixty miles along ...

After you drive past Tettegouche State Park, continue until you reach Highway 1. Turn left and continue on the road for 1.6 miles until you see a small gravel pull-off on the lefthand side of the road. Follow the path that leads to the river (easy to hear the waterfall). The trail will go past a ...

First, things first - plan your trip well! There are many details that need to go into planning even a short trip into the Boundary Waters. Various websites and companies exist to help you plan and check off all of the boxes prior to your departure date. The bwca.com website is one I found to be ...

Caribou Falls is a true hidden gem located along the Superior Hiking trail on Minnesota's North Shore. To access the falls, begin at the Caribou Falls State Wayside rest, off of Highway 61 just north of Little Marais. The trailhead is marked on the Superior Hiking Trail sign in the parking lot. ...

Located within Tettegouche State Park, High Falls of the Baptism river is the highest waterfall entirely in Minnesota (High Falls of the Pigeon River is higher, but half of it lies on the Ontario border). The High Falls are one of the major highlights of Tettegouche State Park. Depending on wh...

An easy hour along the North Shore Scenic Byway from Duluth, Tettagouche State Park is a rugged, 10,000 acre park on Lake Superior. Although the interior of the park offers miles of trails to waterfalls and mountain tops, the best way to see the coast is to take the easy hike to Shovel Point. Beg...

Once you pull into the Visitor Center Parking Lot, drive down towards the Baptism River and park before crossing the river. The trailhead is just on the other side of the river.  The trail follows the river towards the falls with several small trails down to enjoy the river and rapids at differen...

Just an hour north of Duluth, Palisade Head is a go-to spot for artists, rock climbers and sight-seers in Northern Minnesota. The massive rock formation rises 932 feet above the North Shore of Lake Superior. The view from the top is both spectacular and spine-tingling. The cliff edge, which runs ...