Canoeing
Boundary Waters Canoe Area (Minnesota): The mecca for canoeists, there are more than 60 entry points and hundreds of trip options in this lake dotted wilderness. For a quick trip into a good fishing area, try entry 43 at Brower Trout Lake and make sure to try your luck at Marshall Lake. For a longer trip with great fishing, solitude, and grand scenery, try entry point 44 at Ram Lake and exit at Morgan Lake (entry point 45; park a vehicle at each entry point). While short (9 miles), be warned that this horseshoe shaped route has some of the longest and toughest portages in the Boundary Waters. For a quick river trip, go down the Little Isabella River (entry point 75), connecting into the beautiful Isabella River and then up the Snake River to the exit at entry point 84. The current is not strong on any of these rivers allowing upstream travel without much difficulty. In the middle of the summer, the mosquitos, flies, and fishing can be bad, so try late August and early September if possible. Permits are required, and groups can be no larger than 9 people.
Eleven Point River (Missouri): Missouri has some wonderful rivers and some, like the Current and Jack’s Fork Rivers, have been designated National Scenic Rivers. The Eleven Point River, however, is the only river in the state that has been designated as a National Wild and Scenic River. The best stretch of the river is the 28 miles from Greer to the Narrows. Here the river is deep, clear, and cold, but it has only class 2 rapids, so it can be handled at most times by canoeists with modest skills. Along the river there are beautiful springs to explore, rope swings, nice float camps, and trout to catch and cook for dinner. Because the water is so cold, it creates a microclimate along its banks so that even in the heat of summer, the temperatures at night are comfortable for sleeping. Because the river is spring fed, it is not rain dependent and will not get too low to float during the late summer and fall. |