With more than 200,000 visitors annually, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is among the most alluring wilderness areas in the country, unique because it is most often explored by canoe. Comprised of more than one million acres, the BWCAW is an exceptional combination of expansive wilderness, abundant wildlife, and fascinating natural and human history. Exploring the Boundary Waters is the most comprehensive trip planner to the BWCAW, giving travelers an overview of each entry point into the wilderness area as well as detailed descriptions of more than one hundred specific routes—including a ranking of their difficulty level and maps that feature the major waterways, portages, and the designated campsites. The book is crafted so that readers can design their own route through the almost inexhaustible network of lakes and streams. Daniel Pauly, Boundary Waters expert, worked with the U.S. Forest Service, the Minnesota DNR, and local outfitters to collect and present crucial information here: instructions on about how to obtain a permit, the rules and regulations of the park, safety tips, and suggestions about how to help maintain the ecological integrity of the wilderness. As engaging as it is informative, Exploring the Boundary Waters not only contributes advice on the pros and cons of each route, but also brings the reader a natural and historical context for the journey by offering insight into the pictographs, mining sites, logging railroads, and ruins one may encounter on an expedition. With its accessible and personal style, Exploring the Boundary Waters is the perfect guide for anyone—novice or seasoned veteran—arranging a trip to the BWCAW. A companion Web site for this book, http://www.boundarywatersguide.com, presents useful information that can be downloaded for planning a trip, including gear lists, overview maps, and route updates.

Find your way into the eastern BWCAW via 28 entry points, accessible near Grand Marais, Minnesota, from the Sawbill and Gunflint trails. The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) in northeastern Minnesota—over a million acres of wilderness on the US-Canada border—is a magnet for visitors seeking to explore some of the most beautiful waterways in the world. With a canoe or kayak, you can paddle its remote lakes, rivers, waterfalls, forests, and trails. Boundary Waters Canoe Area: Eastern Region by Robert Beymer and Louis Dzierzak helps you select the perfect trip for your schedule, ability, and interests. This classic guide—along with its companion volume, Boundary Waters Canoe Area: Western Region—has been the trusted source for more than 40 years on where to go in the BWCAW and its 1,000+ lakes. Now fully updated, it’s the bible to the 1,200 miles of canoe routes and 154 miles of portage trails in the wilderness. The guide describes 28 entry points in the eastern part of the BWCAW—those accessible near Grand Marais, Minnesota, from the Sawbill Trail and the Gunflint Trail. For each entry point, both a short and a long route are described, along with all the information you’ll need to plan a successful trip. Inside you’ll find: Complete trip data, including total distance, time, difficulty, required Fisher maps, and permit and quota requirements Day-by-day details, such as number and difficulty of portages and recommended campsites Fishing recommendations for surrounding lakes and rivers Wise advice on navigation and points of interest Added bonus: “Lake Index for Fishing,” covering the 242 lakes that lie on this book’s described routes

The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is a natural landscape largely unchanged by human hands. If you haven't seen it, you're missing a great life experience. The 20 trips in this book are designed to give beginners confidence. They also offer features that even experienced canoeists will appreciate, like easier access points and manageable routes that lead to great campsites and impressive scenery. Get ready for a Boundary Waters adventure you'll never forget.

An ice-cold glass of root beer and a warm welcome greeted thousands of weary paddlers who stopped at the Isle of Pines to meet Dorothy Molter, the courageous, independent woman who became a North Woods legend. Bob Cary, Dorothy's longtime friend, captures her life and spirit in Root Beer Lady. Book jacket.

Teasing out the history of a place celebrated for timelessness--where countless paddle strokes have disappeared into clear waters--requires a sure and attentive hand. Stephen Wilbers's account reaches back to the glaciers that first carved out the Boundary Waters and to the original inhabitants, as well as to generations of wilderness explorers, both past and present. He does so without losing the personal relationship built through a lifetime of pilgrimages (anchored by almost three decades of trips with his father). This story captures the untold broader narrative of the region, as well as a thousand different details sure to be recognized by fellow pilgrims, like the grinding rhythm of a long portage or the loon call that slips into that last moment before sleep.

"True survival odysseys of two wilderness adventurers who entered the woods in search of tranquility-- but found something else entirely"--Page 4 of cover.