Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness — Attraction in Fall Lake Township

Here's me. I'm an actor, I'm a writer and I travel everywhere. One would figure that I have an interesting life and by and large I suppose I do. But coming to the Boundary Waters and stopping in the small city of Ely for a clucky and a bucky burger is one of the things that even after returning from Paris or Rome, I find myself talking about time and time again.

It won't always be easy when you go, I've obsessively watched video's on youtube of people swimming having fun and splashing about. Our trip wasn't like that, our trip had flash floods for four days out of six, it was 30 degree's outside and the water was normally 20. Everything was always wet and always cold. Our tent leaked and we sank in the mud. My friend and I spent one day just sitting in a tent and wiping everything down with towels and ringing them out while we ate granola. It was the worst moment of my life. And in retrospect, it was the best. I can't say I've ever laughed so hard I cried that many times in that short of time. I love to laugh and at least a few times a month I laugh until I cry. But then and there, freezing in that tent and pooping in those woods and listening to wolves howl me to sleep I laughed so hard I cried more than four times a day. You can't help it. You have nothing else to worry about but the idea of having fun. There are times you look up from paddling and see a Bald Eagle flying and you can't help but remind yourself to breath. The first time I seen one, I yelled at it, we were in day X of rain and day X of cold and everything was miserable and my friend from the back of the canoe said to look up, I did so and watched a Bald Eagle soar above us. And all I could think was, I'm sick of eating granola. We didn't catch a fish for 4 days and when we did we almost had panic attacks of joy. We'd seen another Eagle. Those birds are monster, truly birds of prey and it is something to see them in the wild. To step in bear poop and to see a moose. There are days even now, I find myself talking at great lengths about that trip. About fish, about the tent that cost me $35 dollars and how the hat I wore cost me $45. This isn't parking lot camping, this is the most beautiful and what could possibly be the most terrifying camping. But I'd do it again. I'd do it every single day if I could. I honestly, honestly would.

I think, anyone fortunate enough to go and be in a canoe on a nice day is seeing something that billions of other people on Earth will never see. And so you should take advantage of that. You'll learn things about yourself. How to be productive. How often you eat at home because of boredom and not out of necessity.

But if you ever get the chance to sit in a metal canoe in the middle of the lake during a thunder and lighting storm where visibility through fog and rain is ten feet all around you and you don't know where to go to get to shore, and you've been arguing about a map for ten minutes and you are certain that your shoes are wearing are not lighting proof, or certified conductor of whatever that is that you wish you knew, then, until then you really haven't lived have you. Because those are the stories I still...

Planned out the perfect intro trip to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness for my seven year old son and his friend and father. Hit the water nice and early Friday morning for an estimated 30 minute – 1.5 hour paddle. We passed by 15 different campsites between two lakes never finder a spot because they were all occupied, spending the better part an entire day paddling into the wind. We packed up the truck and then did some dispersed camping in the national forest. According to the guide service and park rangers, COVID brought a new type of traveler into the BWCA which also came with relentless crowds and historic amounts of rubbish to the area. It was extremely troubling to see the trash and crowds in this so called “wilderness”. At entry point 41 there is also the known issue of overbooking permits that should be addressed immediately.

I will never forget the look on my son’s face when we had to make the decision to go back to the truck and abandon our plans. It is unimaginably disappointing for a person that spent a good part of their childhood exploring the lakes and amassing 25+ trips in four different decades. Summer, Spring, Fall, and even some Winter trips, river trips, fishing trips, hunting trips, you name it - we did it. I remember when the BWCA was for the hardcore outdoors crowd, now it just doesn’t seem very...

I think even the least outdoorsy person would be enchanted by the BWCA and it’s pristine waters and wilderness.

Time and budgetary constraints (but mostly time) didn’t allow us to canoe and camp deep into the backcountry like we wanted but it was still a wonderful experience. Once you get off Fall Lake it’s pretty quiet and you don’t run into many people.

The scenery is spectacular and the quietness is a great respite from everyday noise and distractions.

We will return someday and fulfill our dreams of getting deep into the wilderness and completely unplugging from the modern world and I can’t wait.

Now, please, for love of all that is holy and sacred, LEAVE YOUR BLUETOOTH SPEAKER AT HOME! No one wants to hear your music, no matter what you are listening to, when we’re in nature and trying to get away from all the hubbub. If you just can’t go without BTS or Taylor for 48 hours then bring some earbuds and enjoy it alone. Your taste in music isn’t a great as you...