Exploring the Boundary Waters: A Trip Planner and Guide to the BWCAW

by Daniel Pauly

With more than 200,000 visitors annually, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is among the most alluring wilderness areas in the country, unique because it is most often explored by canoe. Comprised of more than one million acres, the BWCAW is an exceptional combination of expansive wilderness, abundant wildlife, and fascinating natural and human history. Exploring the Boundary Waters is the most comprehensive trip planner to the BWCAW, giving travelers an overview of each entry point into the wilderness area as well as detailed descriptions of more than one hundred specific routes—including a ranking of their difficulty level and maps that feature the major waterways, portages, and the designated campsites. The book is crafted so that readers can design their own route through the almost inexhaustible network of lakes and streams. Daniel Pauly, Boundary Waters expert, worked with the U.S. Forest Service, the Minnesota DNR, and local outfitters to collect and present crucial information instructions on about how to obtain a permit, the rules and regulations of the park, safety tips, and suggestions about how to help maintain the ecological integrity of the wilderness. As engaging as it is informative, Exploring the Boundary Waters not only contributes advice on the pros and cons of each route, but also brings the reader a natural and historical context for the journey by offering insight into the pictographs, mining sites, logging railroads, and ruins one may encounter on an expedition. With its accessible and personal style, Exploring the Boundary Waters is the perfect guide for anyone—novice or seasoned veteran—arranging a trip to the BWCAW. A companion Web site for this book, , presents useful information that can be downloaded for planning a trip, including gear lists, overview maps, and route updates.

Genres: Outdoors, Nonfiction

659 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 21, 2005

Reviews

[Joy Harding · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book if you're planning a trip to the BWCA. Many different canoe camping trips of all skill levels are described in detail. This has a permanent place on our shelves, especially because we want to avoid those long portages. :-)

[Pat Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is chock full of info about the Boundary Waters. I've used it to plan my first trip there

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Planning my trip next year.