ELY KAYAK FIELD GUIDE
Five Days of Silent Pines, Portages and Loons: A Boundary Waters Canoe Passage from Ely
A five-day guided canoe trip that moves through the pristine lakes and portages of the Boundary Waters, ideal for travelers seeking solitude, campfires and star-filled nights.
Five Days of Silent Pines, Portages and Loons: A Boundary Waters Canoe Passage from Ely.
Along the Canadian border, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness unfurls as an expanse of mirror-still lakes threaded with narrow portages and ringed by pines, birch and cedar. Over five days you paddle between quiet campsites, wake to loon calls, gather at evening campfires and, on clear nights, watch for northern lights — a slow, elemental immersion in northern Minnesota’s most remote water country.
Highlights
Outing Highlights
Paddle pristine, mirror-still water
The trip threads a chain of lakes famed for still water and early-morning mist — ideal conditions for quiet paddling, wildlife listening and photography.
Stillness, solitude and loon calls
Days are spent moving through forested shorelines and listening to loons rise with the sun; evenings come with campfires, stars and the chance of northern lights.
Lightweight Wenonah canoes and managed portages
The program uses lightweight Wenonah canoes designed to ease paddling and portaging, smoothing transitions between lakes and campsites.
What the day feels like
What five days on the water feels like
The trip unfolds as a sequence of paddles, short portages and quiet campsite evenings. Over five days you move from lake to lake in light Wenonah canoes, lay over for a full day to explore or rest, and finish with an early morning paddle before farewells — all framed by dense pines, birch and cedar and the regular soundtrack of loons.
Suitability
Who it's for
Who this trip suits — and where limits apply.
Practical planner
Details to review before reserving
Trips use lightweight Wenonah canoes to make paddling and portaging easier.
This is a five-day trip through the Boundary Waters with paddles, portages and a scheduled layover day.
Review cancellation policies before reserving.
Frequently asked questions
Planning Your Outing
How long is the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Paddle Adventure?
The trip is five days long.
Where do I meet for the trip?
Meeting locations include Ely, Grand Marais, or Tofte, Minnesota; the exact meeting location is provided upon confirmation.
What is the recommended minimum age?
Recommended ages are 10 and up.
How large can a traveling group be in the Boundary Waters?
A group of nine people is the largest that can travel together within the Boundary Waters.
Can we bring wheelchairs on the trip?
Manual wheelchairs can be accommodated on Boundary Waters trips; power chairs are typically too big and heavy to fit in the canoes.