bwcaw

I would like to take a friend of mine up to paddle in the BWCAW next spring. Been there a few times and love it. Problem is - its probably been almost 20 years since I was there. Are there places to park a vehicle for a week safely at the entrances?



P.S To anyone who has not been there - go. BWCAW will take your breath away.

Safety at EP’s
Been on 30 “Something” trips up there, most on the Gunflint Trail. NEVER had a problem with break in’s. Only problem was the time I left some smelt in the back of my Ranger; lucky Mr. Bear didn’t open up the camper top to investigate it! If you’re going to worry about it, though, most outfitters on the Gunflint Trail will let you use their parking lot if you throw some business their way. I HIGHLY recomend Hungry Jack Outfitters and Clearwater Outfitters. WW

BWCA parking
I’ve left my vehicle in the public parking lots (primarily at Moose Lake) on the Ely side as well as Brule, Sawbill, Clearwater, West Bearskin, and Sea Gull lots on the east side for over 400 nights over the years and never had a problem. But there have been occasional reports of break-ins over the years and it seems more so on the Ely side and the remote parking lots in Ontario for Quetico entry points, so it is something that could happen.



I’ll second WW’s advice, "If you are going to worry about it while you are out on the trail, give some business to an outfitter and park your car in their lot.