Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
IUCN Category Ib (Wilderness Area)
Location:	Minnesota, USA
Nearest city:	Ely, MN
Coordinates:	47°49′0″N, 91°12′0″W
Area:	1,090,000 acres (1,703 sq mi - 4,411 km²)[1]
Established:	1964
Governing body:	U.S. Forest Service

Canoes on Saganaga Lake

The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW or BWCA, sometimes simply the bee-dub) is a 1.09 million acre wilderness area within the Superior National Forest in northern Minnesota (USA) under the administration of the U.S. Forest Service. The BWCAW is renowned as a destination for both canoeing and fishing on its many lakes and is the most visited wilderness in the United States. The World Conservation Union or International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation. ... Broadly, a wilderness area is a region where the land is left in a state where human modifications are minimal; that is, as a wilderness. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Image File history File links US_Locator_Blank. ... Capital Saint Paul Largest city Minneapolis Area  Ranked 12th  - Total 87,014 sq mi (225,365 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 400 miles (645 km)  - % water 8. ... Ely is a city located in St. ... 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ... The USDA Forest Service, a United States government agency within the United States Department of Agriculture, is under the leadership of the United States Secretary of Agriculture. ... Two canoes paddling into the sunrise on Saganaga Lake, Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Minnesota, U.S.A. Photo created by Seth G. Cowdery on July 25, 1999. ... Two canoes paddling into the sunrise on Saganaga Lake, Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Minnesota, U.S.A. Photo created by Seth G. Cowdery on July 25, 1999. ... The Wilderness Act protects exceptional undisturbed natural areas and scenery, such as in the Ansel Adams Wilderness On federal lands in the United States, Congress may designate a wilderness area under the provisions of the Wilderness Act of 1964. ... Superior National Forest is a National_Forest located in Northeastern Minnesota between the U.S.-Canadian Border and Lake Superior. ... Capital Saint Paul Largest city Minneapolis Area  Ranked 12th  - Total 87,014 sq mi (225,365 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 400 miles (645 km)  - % water 8. ... The USDA Forest Service, a United States government agency within the United States Department of Agriculture, is under the leadership of the United States Secretary of Agriculture. ... Canoeing is the recreational or sporting activity of paddling a canoe or kayak. ... Fishing is the activity of hunting for fish by hooking, trapping, or gathering animals not classifiable as insects which breathe in water or pass their lives in water. ...

Geography

The BWCAW is located on the U.S.-Canadian border, and along with Voyageurs National Park to the west and the Canadian Quetico and La Verendrye Provincial Parks to the north, they make up a large area of contiguous wilderness lakes and forests called the "Quetico-Superior country", or simply the Boundary Waters. Lake Superior lies to the east of the Boundary Waters. Established in 1975, Voyageurs National Park is a United States National Park in northern Minnesota near the town of International Falls. ... Glacial striations on bedrock in Quetico Provincial Park Location of Quetico Provincial Park Quetico Provincial Park is a large wilderness park in northwestern Ontario, Canada, renowned for its excellent canoeing and fishing. ... La Verendrye Provincial Park is a waterway provincial park located in Ontario, Canada, on the border of Minnesota. ... The Boundary Waters is a region of wilderness and semi-wilderness lakes, rivers, and forests straddling the border between Minnesota (USA) and Ontario, Canada. ... Lake Superior, bounded by Ontario and Minnesota to the north and Wisconsin and Michigan to the south, is the largest of North Americas Great Lakes. ...

The continental divide between the Great Lakes and Hudson Bay watersheds runs northeast-southwest through the east side of the BWCAW. The crossing of the divide at Height of Land Portage was the occasion for ceremony and intitiation rites for the fur-trading Voyageurs of the 18th and 19th centuries. The wilderness also includes the highest peak in Minnesota, Eagle Mountain (2,301 feet / 701 m). A continental divide is a line of elevated terrain which forms a border between two watersheds such that water falling on one side of the line eventually travels to one ocean or body of water, and water on the other side travels to another, generally on the opposite side of... The Great Lakes from space The Great Lakes are a group of five large lakes in North America on or near the Canada-United States border. ... Hudson Bay, Canada. ... A drainage basin is the area within the drainage basin divide (yellow outline), and drains the surface runoff and river discharge (blue lines) of a contiguous area. ... Height of Land Portage is a portage along the historic Boundary Waters route between Canada and the United States. ... An Alberta fur trader in the 1890s. ... The coureurs des bois (runners of the woods) or voyageurs (travellers) is the name given to the men who engaged in the fur trade directly with the Amerindians in North America from the time of New France up through the 19th century, when much of the continent was still mostly... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Eagle Mountain is the highest point in Minnesota, at 2301 feet (701 m), located in Cook County at 47° 53′ 51″ N 90° 33′ 36″ W Categories: Mountains of the United States ...

The two main communities with visitor services near the BWCAW are Ely and Grand Marais, Minnesota. The smaller town of Tofte is another gateway community. Several historic roads, such as the Gunflint Trail, the Echo Trail, and Fernberg Road allow access to the many wilderness entry points. Ely is a city located in St. ... A view of downtown Grand Marais, the harbor, and Lake Superior. ... Tofte Township is a township located in Cook County, Minnesota. ... The Gunflint Trail is a 57-mile paved roadway that begins in Grand Marais, Minnesota and ends at Seagull Lake in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA), near the US border with Ontario, Canada. ... The Fernberg Road, also known as St. ...

Natural history

Lake-side cliffs are common throughout the BWCAW

United States Forest Service photo of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Source URL: http://www. ... United States Forest Service photo of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Source URL: http://www. ...

Geology

The lakes of the BWCAW were carved from bedrock of the Canadian Shield by the movement of the Laurentide ice sheet during a succession of ice ages during the past two million years^[2]. Because glacial ice erodes softer and weaker rocks more easily, the size and shape of most lakes in the BWCAW were controlled both by the type of bedrock and the presence of geologic faults. The resulting depressions in the landscape later filled with water, becoming the lakes of today. The natural beauty of the BWCA can soothe anyones angry or depressed soul! Bedrock is the native consolidated rock underlying the Earths surface. ... Canadian Shield The Canadian Shield— also called the Precambrian Shield, Laurentian Shield, Bouclier Canadien (French), or Laurentian Plateau— is a large shield covered by a thin layer of soil that forms the nucleus of the North American craton. ... The Laurentide ice sheet was a massive sheet of ice that covered hundreds of thousands of square miles, including most of Canada and a large portion of the northern United States, between ~ 90,000 and ~ 18,000 years before the present day. ... Variations in CO2, temperature and dust from the Vostok ice core over the last 400 000 years For the animated movie, see Ice Age (movie). ... The Pleistocene epoch (IPA: ) is part of the geologic timescale. ... Severe soil erosion in a wheat field near Washington State University, USA. For erosion as understood by materials science, see Erosion (materials science) For erosion as an English analogy, see Erosion (figurative) For erosion as an operation of Mathematical morphology, see Erosion (morphology) Erosion is the displacement of solids (soil... Geologic faults, fault lines or simply faults are planar rock fractures, which show evidence of relative movement. ...

Many varieties of Precambrian bedrock are exposed, including granite, basalt, greenstone, gneiss, as well as metamorphic rocks derived from volcanic and sedimentary rocks. Greenstone located near Ely, Minnesota is up to 2.7 billion years old^[3], some of the oldest exposed rock in the United States. The Precambrian (or Pre-Cambrian) is an informal name for the eons of the geologic timescale that came before the current Phanerozoic eon. ... Quarrying granite for the Mormon Temple, Utah Territory. ... Basalt Basalt (IPA: ) is a common gray to black volcanic rock. ... This article is about zones of mixed sedimentary and volcanic rock sequences that often contain minable concentrations of gold, silver, copper, zinc and lead. ... Gneiss Gneiss (IPA: ) is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from preexisting formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks. ... Quartzite, a form of metamorphic rock, from the Museum of Geology at University of Tartu collection. ... Ignimbrite is a deposit of a pyroclastic flow. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Forest ecology

A water lily near Jordan Lake

The plants and animals of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area are representative of the boreal forest biome, and their ranges continue into southern Canada and the rest of the upper Great Lakes region. Trees found within the wilderness area include red pine, eastern white pine, jack pine, birch, balsam fir, white spruce, and white cedar. Blueberries are common in many parts of the BWCAW, as are raspberries. The BWCAW is estimated to contain some 400,000 acres of old growth forest, woods which may have burned but which have never been logged.^[4] Forest fires were a natural part of the Boundary Waters ecosystem before fire suppression efforts during the 20th century, with recurrence intervals of 30 - 300 years in most areas. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2576 × 1932 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2576 × 1932 pixel, file size: 1. ... Taiga (SAMPA /taIg@/, from Russian тайга́) is a biome characterized by its coniferous forests. ... In ecology, a biome is a major regional group of distinctive plant and animal communities best adapted to the regions physical natural environment, latitude, elevation, and terrain. ... The Great Lakes from space The Great Lakes are a group of five large lakes in North America on or near the Canada-United States border. ... Binomial name Pinus resinosa The Red Pine (Pinus resinosa), is a North American pine, occurring from Newfoundland west to southeast Manitoba, and south to northern Illinois and Pennsylvania, with a small outlying population in the Appalachian Mountains in West Virginia. ... Binomial name Pinus strobus L. Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus) is a large pine native to eastern North America, occurring from Newfoundland west to Minnesota and southeasternmost Manitoba, and south along the Appalachian Mountains to the extreme north of Georgia. ... Binomial name Pinus banksiana Lamb. ... Species Many species; see text and classification Birch is the name of any tree of the genus Betula, in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. ... Binomial name Abies balsamea (L.) Mill. ... Species About 35; see text. ... Species Thuja occidentalis Eastern Arborvitae, Thuja occidentalis, a species of thuja, is an evergreen coniferous tree in the cypress family Cupressaceae, native to the northeastern US and southeastern Canada, from central Saskatchewan east to New Brunswick, and south to eastern Tennessee in the Appalachian Mountains. ... Species See text. ... Binomial name Rubus idaeus L. The Raspberry or Red Raspberry (Rubus idaeus) is a plant that produces a tart, sweet, red composite fruit in summer or early autumn. ... Old growth forest, sometimes called , ancient forest, virgin forest, primary forest or ancient woodland is an area of forest that has attained great age and exhibits unique biological features. ... Bitterroot National Forest wildfire A wildfire, also known as a wildland fire, forest fire, vegetation fire, grass fire, brush fire, peat fire (gambut in Indonesia), bushfire (in Australasia), or hill fire, is an uncontrolled fire often occurring in wildland areas, but which can also consume houses or agricultural resources. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999...

Evidence of past forest fire on Saganaga Lake

On July 4, 1999, a powerful wind storm, or derecho, swept across Minnesota and southern Canada, knocking down millions of trees and affecting about 370,000 acres (1,500 km²) within the BWCAW. This event became known officially as the Boundary Waters-Canadian Derecho, commonly referred to as "the Boundary Waters blowdown". Although campsites and portages were quickly cleared after the storm, an increased risk of wildfire continues to remain a concern due to the large number of downed trees. The U.S. Forest Service has undertaken a schedule of prescribed burns to reduce the forest fuel load in the event of a wildfire. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Fire in San Bernardino, California Mountains (image taken from the International Space Station) A wildfire, also known as a forest fire, vegetation fire, grass fire, or bushfire (in Australasia), is an uncontrolled fire in wildland often caused by lightning; other common causes are human carelessness and arson. ... For the United States holiday, the Fourth of July, see Independence Day (United States). ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... A derecho is a widespread and long-lived, violent convectively induced windstorm that is associated with a fast-moving band of severe thunderstorms usually taking the form of a bow echo. ... The Boundary Waters-Canadian Derecho, also commonly called the Boundary Waters Blowdown, was an international derecho that occurred during the afternoon and evening hours of July 4 and the early morning hours of July 5, 1999. ... Campsites are often situated in or near forests. ... Igniting a controlled burn. ...

The first major wildfire within the blowdown occurred in August 2005, burning approximately 1,400 acres (5.7 km²) north of Seagull Lake in the northeastern BWCAW. In July 2006 the Cavity Lake fire burned over 30,000 acres (125 km²)^[5], while the Turtle Lake Fire burned 2,000 acres (8 km²).^[6] 2005 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December- → Deaths in August August 31: Michael Sheard August 26: Lord Fitt August 24: Jack Slipper August 24: Maurice Cowling August 24: Dr. Tom Pashby August 23: Brock Peters August 22: Lord Lane August 21: Robert Moog August... Early elections in November are announced in the Netherlands. ...

Fauna

Gray wolf

Animals native to the region include moose, beaver, bears, bobcats, bald eagles, peregrine falcons and loons. The Boundary Waters is within the range of the largest population of wolves in the continental United States, as well as an unknown number of Canada lynx. Woodland caribou once inhabited the region but have disappeared due to loss of habitat, encroachment by deer, and the brainworm parasite carried by deer which is lethal to caribou.^[7][8][9] Increasing deer numbers may also affect the future of vegetation in this region as they favor some species over others, such as white cedar. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (3914x4886, 6382 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Carnivora Gray Wolf Cephalic index Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness User:Zetawoof Wikipedia:Todays featured article/October... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (3914x4886, 6382 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Carnivora Gray Wolf Cephalic index Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness User:Zetawoof Wikipedia:Todays featured article/October... Binomial name Alces alces (Linnaeus, 1758) Moose range map The moose (so named in North America) or elk (in Europe), Alces alces, is the largest member of the deer family Cervidae, distinguished from the others by the palmate antlers of its males. ... Binomial name Castor canadensis Kuhl, 1820 A taxidermied American Beaver The American Beaver (Castor canadensis) is a large semi-aquatic rodent native to Canada, most of the United States and parts of northern Mexico. ... Binomial name Ursus americanus Pallas, 1780 Black Bear redirects here. ... Binomial name Lynx rufus Schreber, 1777 Bobcat (Lynx rufus, or commonly felis rufus) is a wild cat native to North America. ... Binomial name Haliaeetus leucocephalus (Linnaeus, 1766) Subspecies (Linnaeus, 1766) Southern Bald Eagle Audubon, 1827) Northern Bald Eagle or Washingtons Eagle Synonyms Falco leucocephalus Linnaeus, 1766 The Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), also known in North America as the American Eagle, is a bird of prey found in North America, most... Binomial name Falco peregrinus Tunstall, 1771 The Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus), sometimes formerly known in North America as Duck Hawk, is a medium-sized falcon about the size of a large crow: 380-530 millimetres (15-21 in) long. ... Binomial name Gavia immer (Brunnich, 1764) The Great Northern Diver, known in North America as the Common Loon (Gavia immer), is a large member of the loon, or diver, family. ... Wolf Wolf Man Mount Wolf Wolf Prizes Wolf Spider Wolf 424 Wolf 359 Wolf Point Wolf-herring Frank Wolf Friedrich Wolf Friedrich August Wolf Hugo Wolf Johannes Wolf Julius Wolf Max Franz Joseph Cornelius Wolf Maximilian Wolf Rudolf Wolf Thomas Wolf As Name Wolf Breidenbach Wolf Hirshorn Other The call... Depending on usage, the term continental United States can refer to either: the 48 contiguous states plus the District of Columbia; or the 48 contiguous states plus the District of Columbia and Alaska. ... Binomial name Lynx canadensis Kerr, 1792 The Canada Lynx (Lynx canadensis) is a close relative of the Eurasian Lynx. ... Binomial name Rangifer tarandus (Linnaeus, 1758) The reindeer, known as caribou when wild in North America, is an Arctic and Subarctic-dwelling deer (Rangifer tarandus). ... Binomial name Odocoileus virginianus Zimmermann, 1780 The white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), also known as the Virginia deer, that has wings and shoots terds out its ass, when it flys. ... Parelaphostrongylus tenuis or brainworm is a small parasitic nematode that infects the brain of many ungulates. ...

Human history

Native peoples

Within the BWCAW are hundreds of prehistoric pictographs and petroglyphs on rock ledges and cliffs. The BWCAW is part of the historic homeland of the Ojibwe people, who traveled the waterways in canoes made of birch bark. Prior to Ojibwe settlement, the area was sparsely populated by the Sioux who dispersed westward following the arrival of the Ojibwe. The Grand Portage Indian Reservation, just east of the BWCAW at the settlement of Grand Portage, is home to a number of Ojibwe to this day. Cave, or rock, paintings are paintings painted on cave or rock walls and ceilings, usually dating to pre-historic times. ... Petroglyphs on Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument, southern Utah, USA Petroglyphs are images incised in rock, usually by prehistoric, especially Neolithic, peoples. ... Chippewa redirects here. ... A wood-and-canvas canoe evokes the heritage of canoeing in North America A canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, but also commonly sailed. ... Species Many species; see text and classification Birch is the name of any tree of the genus Betula, in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. ... For other meanings of bark, see Bark (disambiguation). ... Wahktageli (Gallant Warrior), a Yankton Sioux chief (Karl Bodmer) Funeral scaffold of a Sioux chief (Karl Bodmer) Horse racing of the Sioux Indians (Karl Bodmer) The Sioux (IPA ) are a Native American people. ... The Grand Portage Indian Reservation is located in Cook County near the tip of Minnesotas Arrowhead Region in the extreme northeast part of the state. ... Grand Portage is an unorganized territory located in Cook County, Minnesota, on Lake Superior, at the northeast corner of the state near the Ontario border. ...

The fur trade

A Voyageur canoe during the fur trade era

In 1688, the French explorer Jacques de Noyon became the first European to travel through the Boundary Waters. Later during the 1730s, La Verendrye and others opened the region to trade, mainly in beaver pelts. By the end of the 18th century, the fur trade had been organized into groups of canoe-paddling voyageurs working for the competing North West and Hudson's Bay Companies, with a North West Company fort located at Grand Portage on Lake Superior. Image File history File links Voyageur_canoe. ... Image File history File links Voyageur_canoe. ... The coureurs des bois (runners of the woods) or voyageurs (travellers) is the name given to the men who engaged in the fur trade directly with the Amerindians in North America from the time of New France up through the 19th century, when much of the continent was still mostly... // Events A high-powered conspiracy of notables, the Immortal Seven, invite William and Mary to depose James II of England. ... This article is 150 kilobytes or more in size. ... Events and Trends The Great Awakening - A Protestant religious movement active in the British colonies of North America Sextant invented (probably around 1730) independently by John Hadley in Great Britain and Thomas Godfrey in the American colonies World leaders Louis XV King of France (king from 1715 to 1774) George... Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de La Vérendrye (born November 17, 1685 - died December 5, 1749) was a French-Canadian military officer, fur trader and explorer. ... An Alberta fur trader in the 1890s. ... The coureurs des bois (runners of the woods) or voyageurs (travellers) is the name given to the men who engaged in the fur trade directly with the Amerindians in North America from the time of New France up through the 19th century, when much of the continent was still mostly... Today, the North West Company is a grocery vendor in remote communities across northern Canada, Alaska and Greenland. ... The Hudsons Bay Company (HBC; Compagnie de la Baie dHudson in French) is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and is one of the oldest in the world. ... Grand Portage is an unorganized territory located in Cook County, Minnesota, on Lake Superior, at the northeast corner of the state near the Ontario border. ...

Development and protection

In the 1920s Edward Backus, a local industrialist, proposed building several dams in the region, which was successfully opposed by Ernest Oberholtzer. By 1926, the Superior Roadless Area had been designated by the U.S. Forest Service, offering some protection from mining, logging, and hydroelectric projects. The Wilderness Act of 1964 made the BWCAW legal wilderness as a unit of the National Wilderness Preservation System, while the 1978 BWCA Act established the Boundary Waters regulations much as they are today with motors allowed only on a few large entry point lakes. The 1920s is a decade sometimes referred to as the Jazz Age or the Roaring Twenties, usually applied to America. ... Edward Wellington Backus (1861 - October 29, 1934) was a timber baron, dam builder, mill owner, financier, developer of the northern reaches of Minnesota, and President of the Ontario & Minnesota Power Company and Minnesota and Ontario Paper Company. ... Year 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar). ... This article is about mineral extraction. ... Loggers on break, c. ... Hydraulic turbine and electrical generator. ... President Lyndon Johnson signs the Wilderness Act of 1964 in the White House Rose Garden. ... 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ... The National Wilderness Preservation System protects federally managed land areas that are of a pristine condition. ... 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday. ...

Several aspects of the management of the BWCAW remain controversial today, including the use of motorboats, snowmobiles, motorized portages, permit availability and allocation, as well as suggestions to expand the wilderness area. A 1962 Rebel. A wooden speedboat with an outboard engine. ... A snowmobile tour at Yellowstone National Park, note the mixture of exhaust and snowdust in the air (NPS Photo) A 1997 Arctic Cat ZR 580 EFI Snowmobile A snowmobile (or snow cat, skidoo or snow scooter, often referred to by enthusiasts as a sled and in the Canadian north and... For the Gentoo Linux package manager, see Portage (software). ...

Recreation

The BWCAW contains over a thousand lakes and attracts visitors with its reputation for canoeing, canoe touring, fishing, backpacking, dog sledding, and remote wilderness character. Permits are required for all overnight visits to the wilderness area.^[10] The BWCAW is one of Minnesota's top tourist attractions, drawing visitors from all over the United States as well as abroad. Canoeing is the recreational or sporting activity of paddling a canoe or kayak. ... Canoe camping in the Adirondacks. ... Fishing is the activity of hunting for fish by hooking, trapping, or gathering animals not classifiable as insects which breathe in water or pass their lives in water. ... Backpacking in the Grand Teton National Park, United States Backpacking (also tramping or trekking or bushwalking in some countries) combines hiking and camping in a single trip. ... A team of six white, husky-type dogs Mushing also means playing on a MUSH. Mushing also can be used to describe the kneading behavior of domestic cats when they are content or are preparing to settle for a nap. ... Wilderness is generally defined as a natural environment on Earth that has not been modified by human activity. ...

Canoeing

Canoe campers on a trip in the BWCAW

Although there are numerous campgrounds surrounding the wilderness, most campsites in the BWCAW are accessible only by water. As of 1999, about 75% of the BWCAW's water area was reserved for non-motorized boat travel. Most lakes and rivers are interconnected by portage trails, resulting in over 1000 miles (1,600 km) of canoe routes. Routes are easily chosen by selecting chains of lakes and portages of any length and difficulty. Some of the most popular entry points include Lake One, Trout Lake, Moose Lake, and Snowbank Lake near Ely, Saganaga Lake and Seagull Lake at the end of the Gunflint Trail, and Sawbill Lake near Tofte. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A campsite (or campground) is a place used for camping. ... Campsites are often situated in or near forests. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... For the Gentoo Linux package manager, see Portage (software). ... A wood-and-canvas canoe evokes the heritage of canoeing in North America A canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, but also commonly sailed. ... The Gunflint Trail is a 57-mile paved roadway that begins in Grand Marais, Minnesota and ends at Seagull Lake in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA), near the US border with Ontario, Canada. ... Sawbill Lake is a lake in Cook County, Minnesota. ...

Canoe campers often use Duluth packs, designed for easy portaging and loading in canoes, to carry their gear. A Duluth pack, or portage pack, is a traditional piece of luggage used in canoe travel, particularly in the Boundary Waters region of northern Minnesota and Ontario. ...

Fishing

Fishing in the BWCAW can be some of the best in Minnesota. Game species include northern pike, walleye, largemouth and smallmouth bass, yellow perch, whitefish, and lake trout, among others. Popular lures include rapalas, jigs, and spoons, while live bait such as leeches are also used. Multi-sectioned or collapsible fishing rods are often used for ease in carrying while portaging. caught by an angler in the river Dráva, Hungary. ... Binomial name Sander vitreus (Mitchill, 1818) Subspecies S. v. ... Binomial name Micropterus salmoides The Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) is a species of fish. ... Binomial name Micropterus dolomieu Lacépède, 1802 The smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family (Centrarchidae) of order Perciformes. ... For the unit of measurement, see pole. ... Binomial name Coregonus lavaretus (Linnaeus, 1758) The common whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus) is a species of freshwater fish in the salmon family (family Salmonidae). ... Binomial name Salvelinus namaycush (Walbaum, 1792) Lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) is a freshwater char living mainly in lakes in northern North America. ... Spinner lure with ring, dish, body/weight and hook In terms of sport fishing, a lure is an object, often designed to resemble fish prey, equipped with one or many hooks that is used to catch fish. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion, because: Wikipedia is not a pronunciation guide If you disagree with its speedy deletion, please explain why on its talk page or at Wikipedia:Speedy deletions. ... Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... A spoon lure is, in terms of sport fishing an oblong, concave metal piece resembling a spoon. ... Orders Arhynchobdellida or Rhynchobdellida There is some dispute as to whether Hirudinea should be a class itself, or a subclass of the Clitellata. ... A fiberglass spinning rod and reel circa 1997. ...

Hiking

Sunset over Pose Lake, a small lake accessible only by foot.

In addition to shorter trails to Eagle Mountain, Magnetic Rock, and Angleworm Lake, the Boundary Waters has several long-distance trails. The Border Route Trail runs east-west for over 60 miles through the eastern BWCAW, following the ridges between the long border lakes such as Loon, South, and Rose. Eventually, a connection is planned from the eastern end of the Border Route Trail to the northern end of the Superior Hiking Trail. The Kekekabic Trail traverses the Boundary Waters from the Gunflint Trail on the east to Snowbank Lake on the west and is the only footpath through the center of the wilderness. There are also three longer loop trails in the Boundary Waters: the Pow Wow Trail, the Snowbank Trail, and the Sioux-Hustler Trail. These longer trails see a variable amount of maintenance; current conditions should be determined locally before use. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2592x1944, 899 KB) I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2592x1944, 899 KB) I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Eagle Mountain is the highest point in Minnesota, at 2301 feet (701 m), located in Cook County at 47° 53′ 51″ N 90° 33′ 36″ W Categories: Mountains of the United States ... Long-distance trails (or long-distance tracks, paths, footpaths or greenways) are trails or footpaths covering large distances, typically 50 kilometers (31 miles) or more, used for rambling (that is, hiking or backpacking). ... The Border Route Trail is a 65-mile long hiking trail that crosses the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) in the far northeast corner of Minnesota (Arrowhead) and follows the international border between Minnesota and Ontario, Canada. ... The Superior Hiking Trail is a 205-mile long distance hiking trail along the rocky ridgeline above Lake Superior in northeastern Minnesota. ... The Kekekabic Trail, commonly refered to as The Kek is a trail that runs from the Fernberg outside Ely, Minnesota to the Gunflint Trail outside Grand Marais, Minnesota. ... A cairn trail marker on Snowbank Trail. ...

Notable people

• Sigurd Olson, Minnesota author and conservationist, wrote extensively about the Boundary Waters and worked to ensure preservation of the wilderness.
• Dorothy Molter, known as the "Rootbeer Lady," lived alone in the BWCAW for 56 years until her death in 1986.

Sigurd F. Olson (April 4, 1899 - January 13, 1982) was an American author, environmentalist, and advocate for the protection of wilderness. ... Conservationists are those people who tend to more highly rank the wise use of the Earths resources and ecosystems. ... Dorothy Molter Dorothy Molter lived alone on Knife lake in the BWCA for 56 years. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

Cited references

General references

See also

• List of U.S. Wilderness Areas
• Superior National Forest
• Boundary Waters-Canadian Derecho
• Hegman Lake Pictograph
• The Boundary Waters region
  • Voyageurs National Park
  • Quetico Provincial Park
  • La Verendrye Provincial Park
• North Shore (Lake Superior)
  • Grand Portage National Monument

Four federal agencies of the United States government administer the U.S. Wilderness Areas, which includes 680 wilderness areas and 105,695,176 acres (427,733 km²). These agencies are: United States Forest Service United States National Park Service United States Bureau of Land Management United States Fish and Wildlife... Superior National Forest is a National_Forest located in Northeastern Minnesota between the U.S.-Canadian Border and Lake Superior. ... The Boundary Waters-Canadian Derecho, also commonly called the Boundary Waters Blowdown, was an international derecho that occurred during the afternoon and evening hours of July 4 and the early morning hours of July 5, 1999. ... An example of a Native American pictograph located on Hegman Lake in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. ... The Boundary Waters is a region of wilderness and semi-wilderness lakes, rivers, and forests straddling the border between Minnesota (USA) and Ontario, Canada. ... Established in 1975, Voyageurs National Park is a United States National Park in northern Minnesota near the town of International Falls. ... Glacial striations on bedrock in Quetico Provincial Park Location of Quetico Provincial Park Quetico Provincial Park is a large wilderness park in northwestern Ontario, Canada, renowned for its excellent canoeing and fishing. ... La Verendrye Provincial Park is a waterway provincial park located in Ontario, Canada, on the border of Minnesota. ... The North Shore of Lake Superior runs from Duluth, Minnesota, USA in the southwest to Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada in the north to Sault Ste. ... Grand Portage National Monument, located within the boreal forest on the north shore of Lake Superior in northeastern Minnesota, preserves a vital center of fur trade activity and Anishinaabeg Ojibwe heritage dating back to the 18th century. ...

External links

• Superior National Forest: BWCAW
• The BWCAWiki, a wiki compendium of BWCAW knowledge
• Wilderness.net: BWCAW
• Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness (political advocacy)
• Conservationists with Common Sense (political advocacy)
• the Boundary Waters Journal (magazine)
• Canada lynx research at the University of Minnesota - Duluth
• MNICS Current Fire/Incident Information