Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) is a unique natural area located in the northern third of the Superior National Forest in northeastern Minnesota. It extends nearly 199 miles along the...
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Minnesota |
| Size | 816,244 acres (Wilderness Connect) |
| Designated | 1964, by Congress |
| Center point | 48.0286, -91.3872 |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 9) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground Forest Service recreation site
The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.
Weather by month
Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.
Where to camp
1 federal campground sits inside the boundary and 31 more are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Show 4 moreHide
20 more within ten miles are not listed here.
Trailheads and sites
The Forest Service lists 1 recreation site inside this wilderness, among them 1 campground. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- 29 miBaker Lake Rustic Campground ↗Campground · May 15 to October 1
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
781 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 537 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Border Route ↗ | 46.1 | |
| Kekekabic ↗ | 32.1 | |
| Powwow ↗ | 27.2 | |
| Banadad ↗ | 26.3 | |
| Sioux Hustler ↗ | 25.6 | |
| Snowbank ↗ | 14.3 | |
| Angleworm ↗ | 11.8 | |
| Cgt-Old Logging Camp Main ↗ | 11.2 | |
| Thomas Lake Winter ↗ | 9.4 | |
| Norway ↗ | 8.6 |
Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas, refreshed September 18, 2026. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 0 miHeight of Land ↗Grand Marais, MN
- 0.5 miClearwater Lodge ↗Grand Marais, MN
- 2.7 miIngersoll, William, Estate ↗Crane Lake, MN
- 3.6 miHalfway Ranger Station ↗Ely, MN
- 6 mi
- 6.3 miTanner's Hospital ↗Ely, MN
- 6.4 miEly State Theater ↗Ely, MN
- 6.6 mi
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness?
816,244 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in?
Minnesota.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1964.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness?
1 federal campground sits inside the boundary, including Baker Lake Rustic Campground. 32 in all are within ten miles. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit rules.
Source: Where to camp
Where are the trailheads in Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness?
The Forest Service lists 1 recreation site here, including 1 campground campground. Each one links to its Forest Service page.
Source: Trailheads and sites
How do I get to Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 48.029, -91.387. Grand Portage National Monument is 13 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
How dark is the night sky at Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness?
NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 9 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.
Source: NASA Black Marble
Which national parks are near Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness?
Grand Portage National Monument (13 mi) and Voyageurs National Park (21 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness?
19 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Height of Land and Clearwater Lodge.
Source: Register Atlas
Sources
- Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
- Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
- Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
- Trails: the Trailhead Atlas open-data file of Forest Service trails, matched on the wilderness each trail enters.
- Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
- Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.