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Outdoors

Boundary Waters Canoe Day

Carry your canoe a short way to South Hegman Lake, paddle north into North Hegman Lake and find the Hegman Lake pictographs: red ochre paintings of a bull moose, another four-legged animal, canoes and a human figure on the granite cliff, thought to be 500 to 1,000 years old. The Boundary Waters covers more than a million acres of lakes and forest along the Canadian border.

For The Reps · Updated

canoe trip scenery for Boundary Waters Canoe Day near Minnesota
Photo: Boundary Waters July 09 019 by Knowltp, CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0). Via Wikimedia Commons.
Where
Minnesota, USA

The route

South Hegman Lake (Entry Point 77) to the Hegman Lake pictographs on North Hegman Lake.

Entry Point 77 (South Hegman Lake) is on the Echo Trail about 24 km (15 miles) northeast of Ely. Access is an 80-rod portage (about 400 m) to South Hegman Lake. Ely has many outfitters, several of them Forest Service permit issue stations, if you need to rent a canoe.

When to go

Permits are needed all year. The overnight quota season runs from 1 May to 30 September, but day paddlers use the free self-issued permit at any time of year.

Permits and fees

Non-motorised day visitors need a free self-issued permit all year, filled in at the entry point kiosk or a Forest Service office. Overnight trips from 1 May to 30 September need a quota permit reserved on Recreation.gov ($16 per adult per trip in 2026).

Before you go

  • Cans and glass bottles are banned in the wilderness; bring food and drinks in reusable containers.
  • Leave rock painting sites undisturbed.
  • Groups are limited to nine people and four watercraft at any time.
  • If you fish with live bait, empty the bait bucket water before each portage and refill it on the other side, to stop spiny water fleas spreading.

What to bring

  • A buoyancy aid, worn rather than stowed
  • A dry bag for your phone and keys
  • Water and snacks
  • Sun cream, a hat and sunglasses
  • A warm layer, even on a hot day

Getting ready for it

Paddling works your back, shoulders and core more than your arms.

A few weeks of rows, pull-ups or pulldowns and some rotational core work will make a full day far more comfortable.

Staying safe

  • Black bears live here: never leave food unattended on portages, and follow the Forest Service's bear-aware food storage order.
  • Check the wind and water forecast before launching.
  • Tell someone your route and when you expect to be back.

Route details checked September 30, 2026 against fs.usda.gov, fs.usda.gov, fs.usda.gov, recreation.gov, en.wikipedia.org and queticosuperior.org. Rules and closures change, so check before you go.