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Boundary Waters Canoe Area - Aldo Leopold

Center, MN/WI

Our most popular of trips and one of our favorite places to return year after year, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) is a place everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime.   Situated in Northern Minnesota, these 1.1 million acres of lakes and forest within Superior National Forest offers solitude, nature and adventure at its best.   For this extended canoe camping trip, we head to the less visited and more pristine Eastern part of the BWCAW.  We will paddle part of the Voyageurs Route that runs along the US-Canadian border in true wilderness fashion which offers excellent fishing, scenic waterfalls, high cliffs, island campsites and plenty of wildlife.  This trip also includes a visit and tour of the Aldo Leopold Center in Baraboo, Wisconsin; a lighthouse tour on Lake Superior; and a museum visit honoring the great North woods of Minnesota, giving this departure the perfect blend of history and adventure! The adventure portion offers a great mix of river and lake canoeing for enhancing your paddling skills. 

This trip begins and ends in Louisville, Kentucky, from where roundtrip ground transportation is provided.  Enroute includes scenic stops at Split Rock Lighthouse and beautiful lakeside Grand Marais, Minnesota.   

Our canoe route covers 35-45 miles over five days with plenty of opportunity for fishing, exploring, or just plain relaxing. Our final day, we paddle back to civilization where a hot shower awaits, but we leave behind the sublime beauty and incredible sunsets that have hosted us the past five days.   To help with this transition, we will visit the newly opened Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center that highlights the history and beauty of the area. 

Afterwards, it’s just a short drive to our overnight accommodations for our final evening in Minnesota, where we’ll enjoy a celebration dinner and can catch another wonderful sunset.  The following day we head for home and take a tour of the Aldo Leopold Center in Baraboo, Wisconsin. 

This is an ideal trip for individuals, couples, families, a group of friends or anyone who wants to experience pure wilderness beauty sprinkled with historical side trips. 

Trip Dates: August 11-19, 2012 or choose your own dates
Days: 9 (1 night bunkhouse lodging, 6 nights camping, 1 night lodging)
Price: Starting at $995 per person (based on double occupancy)
Trip Rating: out of
Price Includes

Professional guiding; roundtrip ground transportation from Louisville, Kentucky; overnight camping enroute and return, Aldo Leopold tour; lighthouse tour; all meals except dinner on Day 2; 1 night bunkhouse lodging; all group gear, including ultra-light canoes, paddles, PFD’s, dry packs, dry bags, tents, stoves and cooking gear, group first aid kit, water filter, and food storage system; museum admission; 1 night lodging; and shuttle transportation.

Not Included

Personal equipment; dinner in Grand Marais on Day 2; insurance of any kind; extra snacks and energy food/drinks; guide gratuities; and items of a personal nature.

Additional Fees

Single supplement - $155 (a private room is not available in the bunkhouse)

Daily Itinerary

Day 1: Depart from Louisville, KY at 7:00am at a location to be determined.   Travel to Eau Claire, Wisconsin for overnight camping. 

Day 2: Continue traveling up the North Shore of Lake Superior, with a picnic lunch, lighthouse tour and dinner and shopping in Grand Marais, MN.  Overnight lakeside bunkhouse lodging in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.  

Days 3-6: After breakfast, we will review personal gear, sort group gear, pack up and head to our launch point. After reviewing safety and basic paddling strokes, we begin canoeing and portaging from pristine lake to pristine lake, enjoying waterfalls and wildlife along the way. Each day we will paddle about 5 or 6 hours, finishing each day an hour or two before dinner. Each evening we will overnight in a wilderness campsite that offer plenty of opportunities for exploration, fishing, relaxing and enjoying the nature and solitude that abounds. Daily mileage is flexible to accommodate the group so the canoeing pace will be moderate but efficient.

Day 7: Today, our last day on the water, tends to be bittersweet. As we make our final paddle back to civilization and arriving midday, a hot shower awaits. But we leave behind the sublime beauty and incredible sunsets that have hosted us the past five days. To help with this transition, we will visit the newly opened Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center that highlights the history and beauty of the area. Afterwards, it’s just a short drive to our comfortable accommodations for our final evening together where we’ll enjoy a celebration dinner and can catch one last sunset.

Day 8: Early morning departure and travel to Baraboo, Wisconsin and visit/tour of the Aldo Leopold Center.  Overnight camping at a nearby state park. 

Day 9: Continue traveling and return to Louisville before 9 pm. 

Upon registration, a $300 deposit is required to hold your spot with final payment due 30 days prior to departure. All trips are subject to an overall minimum group size.


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