Explore, fish and swim four different lakes on this family Northwoods adventure. Canoe through beautiful lake backcountry in Minnesota's Superior National Forest. Start the trip at Whitefish Lake, portage the group's gear and establish a base camp, perhaps on Elbow Lake. Choose from a number of routes and paddle through the mixed forest of pines, tamaracks and birches. During the days, swim and fish in the lakes. Spot loons and other woodland creatures. The Superior National Forest is a kid-friendly vacation spot and also a great vacation with teenagers. At night, enjoy the company of family and new friends around the campfire.

Sample Itinerary

Please note: While the itinerary presented is an accurate depiction of what your trip will be like, it is only an example. Our trips are real adventures in the outdoors--not pre-packaged tours that happen on a schedule.

DAY 1: Your trip starts in the afternoon at the campsite on Whitefish Lake in the Superior National Forest. Unload the trailer, repack personal gear into Duluth Packs. Set up camp the Wilderness Inquiry way. After dinner, you'll discuss expectations as a group around the campfire.

DAY 2: Get up early to make breakfast. Review canoe skills and other details necessary for a safe and fun trip. Break camp and set out on Whitefish Lake. Paddle northeast to the portage into Elbow lake. Camp on one of the sites on Elbow lake. This trip has several options for camping. You can either base camp on Elbow lake or travel and camp at different locations.

DAY 3: Spend the day canoeing and exploring 4 different lakes. From Elbow, you'll paddle north and cross the short easy portage into Timber Lake. Paddle across Timber and portage into Frear lake. Eat lunch on Frear and, if time allows, take a short swim or a couple casts of your fishing pole. We'll either camp on Frear or, paddle and portage back to Elbow lake. This will depend on whether others are camped in the area, the weather, and the inclination of the group.

DAY 4: Spend the day relaxing at camp or take a half day paddle to Finger lake and down the Cross River. Spend the night telling tales about the day's adventures around the campfire.

DAY 5: Rise with the sun and paddle across Elbow Lake. Cross the portage to Whitefish and continue back to the spot where the van is parked. Pack-up for the ride home. The trip officially ends in the early afternoon. Those who use WI's van transportation can expect to return to Minneapolis in the evening.

Travel, Terrain, Etc...

TERRAIN/ROUTE CHOICES: Timber-Frear lies on the Canadian Shield, an area characterized by exposed granite with a thin layer of top soil. This terrain is the result of glaciers scraping and grinding 10,000 years ago. The lakes and trails make this area one of the most accessible wilderness areas in the country.

TYPE OF TRAVEL/DISTANCE: You will travel in 17-foot aluminum canoes, which hold two to three paddlers, plus all necessary gear. An average day's travel consists of 2-4 hours of paddling, depending on the ages and attention spans of the children participating. Expect 1-2 portages (short trail crossings) per day. Portaging can be challenging, but only one will require carrying all of the gear. To protect the environment, WI uses Leave No Trace camping techniques.

WEATHER: Temperatures in the summer months range from 40 F to 95 F. Rainfall can vary, but you should expect at least a day or two of rain.

LODGING/BATHROOM FACILITIES: This is a camping trip. At night you will sleep in a comfortable Eureka Timberline tent. Typically, there are 3 people per 4 person tent (although other arrangements can be made). We recommend that you bring your own personal sleeping bag and "camprest" foam core inflatable mattress (a limited number of sleeping bags and mattresses are available as loaners for individuals who need them). Bathroom facilities consist of an outhouse or a foldable commode chair set up in a privacy tent. We make every effort to ensure privacy and cleanliness.

GROUP SIZE: The group size ranges from 10 to 15 participants, plus 2 or more Wilderness Inquiry staff. Each group consists of people of various ages, backgrounds and abilities, including people with disabilities.

CAMP CHORES: Our trips are cooperative in nature. WI staff will assist you in whatever areas you need, however most people pitch in where they can. Part of the adventure involves learning about daily camp activities. Kid-friendly camping and vacations with teenagers have never been so easy!

EQUIPMENT AND CLOTHING: If you are new to outdoor activities, you need not spend a lot of money on gear. Wilderness Inquiry will provide all necessary canoeing and camping equipment. All you need to provide is your personal gear, such as clothing and a sleeping bag. A detailed equipment list will be sent to you upon confirmation of your participation. If you need to borrow personal gear, that can usually be arranged.

LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY: No previous experience is needed to complete this trip. This trip is recommended for families with children age 5 and older, but it is a kid-friendly camping trip and also a great spot for a vacation with teenagers.

Wilderness Inquiry is proud to serve Caribou Coffee on all our trips. Great food, great coffee, and great company are just some of the ingredients that make Wilderness Inquiry trips special.

[ Dates & Fees ]      

The Superior National Forest (SNF) in Northern Minnesota is an area dotted with many lakes. These waters were formed by glaciation. This country is part of the Canadian Shield, a geological formation that comprises portions of the earth's most ancient exposed rock, some of which is 3 billion years old!

Two forests, the Boreal and Laurentian forests, converge to create a unique and diversified plant and animal life. Animals that would not normally be seen together, such as the white-tailed deer and the moose, have made the SNF their homes. Many birds, such as the bald eagle, loons and over 20 species of wood warblers, use the SNF as their nesting grounds.

Humans have left their mark on the area as well. Natives have inhabited the area for thousands of years, with some human relics dating back to 10,000 B.C. The Ojibwe and Dakotas have used the intricate waterways for hundreds of years. Many of the portages (paths between lakes) were first used by native peoples. Artifacts from that period still turn up on the portages. European fur traders and missionaries first came into the area in the early 1700s. A merger of sorts developed between the European Voyageurs and the Ojibwe based on trade of European goods for native knowledge and furs. This partnership ended in the mid 19th century due to the near total extinction of the beaver population and declining interest in furs as fashion.

Fur trading and logging of the SNF began to take its toll on the fragile ecosystem. People decided to act, setting aside this pristine wilderness area and working to protect it from further harm. In 1909, this area was designated as the Superior National Forest, with 1,000 acres of roadless land set aside in 1926.

This is just the beginning of your adventure to the Superior National Forest. We will continue to provide you with more history and details as you canoe through the lakes with our trip leaders.

 

For more information, visit these links:

USDA Forest Service Superior National Forest

ExploreMinnesota.com

Flora of the Superior National Forest and BWCA

[ Dates & Fees ]

WI leads trips to this destination but currently has no dates scheduled.  If you have a group of people interested, we can set up a customized adventure just for you! Please contact us if you are interested in a group trip to this destination.

info@wildernessinquiry.org
612-676-9400
800-728-0719

(Join our waiting list to be notified when WI schedules a trip to Superior National Forest Family Canoe)