Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
National Wilderness Area · Ely, Minnesota
Over a million acres of lake, bog and boreal forest along 150 miles of the Canadian border inside Superior National Forest — roughly 1,100 lakes and 1,200 miles of canoe route, joined by portage trails and almost entirely closed to motors. It is the most visited wilderness area in the United States, and it is visited in a particular way: you carry a canoe on your shoulders between lakes, camp on rock, and see nobody for days. Protected as wilderness in 1964 and given its present form by an Act of Congress in 1978, it is also a certified Dark Sky Sanctuary.
Superior National Forest, Ely, Minnesota, 55731, United States
Open year round, with no gate and no opening hours. Overnight travel from May 1 to September 30 requires a quota permit tied to a specific entry point and date, reserved through recreation.gov — these release on a single day in late January and the popular entry points are gone within hours. Day-use paddle permits are free and self-issued at the entry points. Permits must be collected in person from a cooperating outfitter or Forest Service office. Winter access is by ski, snowshoe and dog sled.
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