The Boundary Waters is a web of lakes stitched together by portages — the foot trails where you carry your canoe from one lake to the next, measured in rods (a rod is one canoe length, 16.5 feet). Below are recommended routes for every skill level, each tied to a real entry point and showing the water-quality grade of every lake you'll paddle. Turn on the portage layer on the map to see all 1,344 carries that connect them.
The portage network
Every graded lake, colored by water quality, with all 1,344 portages drawn as dashed trails. Toggle the portage layer with the button on the map.
Recommended routes
The Numbered Lakes Loop
BeginnerThe classic first-timer's route out of Lake One. Short portages link a chain of open lakes east toward Insula, with easy bail-out options and reliable campsites the whole way.
Moose Lake to Basswood
IntermediateThe busiest and most storied corridor in the Boundary Waters: a tow-friendly chain from Moose up to giant Basswood, gateway to the border route and Canada. The 20-rod Prairie Portage is the crux.
Snowbank Lake Loop
IntermediateA true loop that never repeats water, circling from deep, clear Snowbank through Disappointment and Ensign. Grade-A clarity and lake trout in the deep basins.
Sawbill & Alton
BeginnerThe easiest way into the central wilderness from the North Shore. A short first portage from Sawbill drops you onto Alton, an ideal base camp with dozens of campsites and gentle day-trip options.
Sea Gull to Saganaga
IntermediateA big-water tour of the Gunflint's crown jewels — island-studded Sea Gull, a short hop to Alpine and Red Rock, and out onto border-water Saganaga. Nearly every lake grades A or B.
Mudro to the Horse River Loop
IntermediateA quieter western loop through the Fourtown–Horse chain. More portages and marshy stretches than the Ely corridor, but far fewer people and excellent fishing.
Lac La Croix Expedition
AdvancedA committing northwest expedition up the Moose and Nina Moose rivers to Agnes and the 29,000-acre international-border lake Lac La Croix, home to pictographs and Warrior Hill. The bog-stained river lakes contrast sharply with the clear border water.
Brule Lake Base Camp
BeginnerOne of the largest lakes reachable with a single short portage. Brule's dozens of islands and bays make it a superb base camp — set up once and explore for days without breaking camp.
Legendary portages
The longest carries in the wilderness, by rod length (1 rod = 16.5 ft). Source: OpenStreetMap.
| Portage | Rods | Miles |
|---|---|---|
| Four Mile Portage | 1,324 | 4.14 |
| Dawson Portage | 1,203 | 3.76 |
| Stuart Portage | 434 | 1.36 |
| Morgan Lake Portage | 342 | 1.07 |
| Fowl Portage | 342 | 1.07 |
| West Pike - Pine Portage | 314 | 0.98 |
| Hobo Lake Hiking Trail | 313 | 0.98 |
| Portage | 305 | 0.95 |
| Basswood Lake-Basswood River Portage #5111 | 246 | 0.77 |
| Eat 'em Up Portage | 214 | 0.67 |
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Frequently Asked Questions
The Numbered Lakes loop from Lake One (Entry Point 30) has the shortest, gentlest portages and reliable campsites, with the option to bail out early. Sawbill and Alton, and a base camp on Brule, are also excellent first trips.
Portages are measured in rods — one rod is 16.5 feet, about a canoe length. Most Boundary Waters portages run 20 to 80 rods; the map here draws all 1,344 of them. The longest, the Four Mile Portage, is over 1,300 rods (about 4 miles).
Start with your entry point and its permit quota, then chain lakes together by their portages. Each route below lists its entry point, the lakes you paddle (with our water-quality grade), difficulty, and days. Turn on the portage layer on any map to see the connections.
Both. Some classic routes are true loops that never repeat water (Snowbank, Mudro–Horse), while others are out-and-back or point-to-point (Moose to Basswood, Lac La Croix). Loops are noted in each route below.
Portage geometry and names: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Entry points: Recreation.gov / USDA Forest Service, Superior National Forest. Route distances and days are approximate — always carry a current map and check conditions.