North Country Canoe Outfitters

North Country Canoe Outfitters Outfitting canoe / camping trips into Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) and Canada's Quetico Park wilderness. http://boundarywaters.com

North Country Canoe Outfitters (http://boundarywaters.com) provides complete and partial Boundary Waters canoe outfitting for trips into the 2.3 million acre Boundary Waters / Quetico international wilderness. Direct paddle access to/from the BWCA via the Kawishiwi River, bordering on the north side of our outfitting base, providing the unique opportunity to start and/or end your trip by paddling

to our docks. We also have van service to many remote landings, as well as float plane access to the western edge of Canada's Quetico park. Discounted rates for non-profit youth groups such as Girl and Boy Scouts, Church and School groups. Bunkhouse and motel style lodging choices for before and after the canoe trip adventure.

218-365-5581 for 44-page brochure planning booklet and award winning DVD.

Congratulations to Leo Close for landing a beautiful walleye during his family trip to the Lake One chain. Base camping ...
06/07/2026

Congratulations to Leo Close for landing a beautiful walleye during his family trip to the Lake One chain. Base camping for the week they took day-trips to surrounding lakes …. capitalizing on a couple of North Country’s secret spots.

With a mid-week start for their Kawishiwi River canoe trip for the Collins family (suburban Chicago) Dad, Mom, and their...
05/31/2026

With a mid-week start for their Kawishiwi River canoe trip for the Collins family (suburban Chicago) Dad, Mom, and their two daughters got in a bunch of fishing. As a repeat party, they knew to request some of North Country’s fish breading …. and put it to good use !

05/25/2026

Friends, we've had a busy start to the season, and we're at the start of the long holiday weekend. As you make plans to go out and enjoy all that our region has to offer, be safe: remember to bring the right equipment, operate safely based on the circumstances and the weather, communicate with your friends and family about your plans if you're going into the backcountry, and wear your life jackets on the water.

Today's photo comes from the May 14 rescue that's been in the news this week. It was a happy ending to a rough day for a couple of canoeists. Pictured are two of our canoe teams battling the fading daylight as they prepare to paddle toward the pair of stranded canoeists, marooned on an island near Lake One.

The team faced a multitude of challenges, including rain, high water, rapids, and several portages, for a wilderness rescue in the heart of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Ultimately, the pair of stranded canoeists were rescued by the Minnesota Air Rescue Team once storms had passed and they were clear to fly. But our team was there, just in case, because even the best laid plans need contingency plans. (Jordan 7365 photo)

Minnesota has the best fishing of any state, which might or might not be true, depending on how they’re biting.Alaska, o...
04/01/2026

Minnesota has the best fishing of any state, which might or might not be true, depending on how they’re biting.

Alaska, of course, has great fishing, as do Florida and the Western states, with their crystalline rivers and hungry trout dimpling the waters’ surfaces.

But none of these match the fishing in the North Star state as April looms, and, soon thereafter, in May.

Like no other month, April yields these and other transitions, inspiring in all living things — perhaps people especially — the promise of better days ahead.

Nowhere is this stirring more evident than in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness after ice pulls away from shorelines, then disappears altogether.

On March 20th, the arrival of the vernal equinox suggested winter’s end. But in April and even in May, snow can pile on a paddler’s tent, and trees toppled during winter might block some portages. Also, dry firewood can be tough to find in this shoulder season, making smoky campfires common.

Yet on the upside, during early ice-out in the BWCAW, there are no bugs. Or people. Or sounds, other than the soft whistle of wind wafting through pine boughs.

Yet, seasons come and go, and lake trout, for instance, don’t do this forever: swim in the shallows. Summer arrives, waters warm, and these fish return to their deeper, colder homes, getting on with their lives, as do we.

Still, at this time of year, on April’s doorstep, in my mind’s eye I can see ice pulling away from the shores of lakes everywhere in the Boundary Waters.

Better days are ahead.

By Denny Anderson

03/06/2026

Let’s talk over your wilderness wish list snd see if North Country can make your day dreams come true: BoundaryWaters.com

We’ll be at the Fargo Sportsmen’s Show March 5-8 (FargoDome). Let’s talk over your plans fir a week of adventures and de...
02/26/2026

We’ll be at the Fargo Sportsmen’s Show March 5-8 (FargoDome). Let’s talk over your plans fir a week of adventures and decompression during this summer.

Come over to the Sportsmen’s Show and let’s plan your Minnesota Boundary Waters Wilderness adventure.
02/26/2026

Come over to the Sportsmen’s Show and let’s plan your Minnesota Boundary Waters Wilderness adventure.

The Boundary Waters is the crown jewel of the U.S. Wilderness System. Let’s talk about YOUR wilderness adventure.
02/26/2026

The Boundary Waters is the crown jewel of the U.S. Wilderness System. Let’s talk about YOUR wilderness adventure.

Let’s talk over a custom planned wilderness canoe trip adventure at the FargoDome. Beginner to veteran tripper. Or cal...
02/20/2026

Let’s talk over a custom planned wilderness canoe trip adventure at the FargoDome. Beginner to veteran tripper. Or call us for our 44-Page booklet brochure: 218-365-5581.

Address

474 Kawishiwi Trl
Ely, MN
55731

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 8pm
Tuesday 8am - 8pm
Wednesday 8am - 8pm
Thursday 8am - 8pm
Friday 8am - 8pm
Saturday 8am - 8pm
Sunday 12pm - 8pm

Telephone

+12183655581

Website

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