Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) is a natural area located in the northern third of the Superior National Forest in northeastern Minnesota. It extends nearly 199 miles along the international boundary. The BWCAW's northern border is contiguous with Canada's Quetico Provincial Park, also managed as a wilderness area, and together they form a core wilderness area of approximately two million acres. Great glaciers carved the physical features of what is today known as the BWCAW by scraping and gouging rock. The glaciers left behind lakes and streams interspersed with islands and surrounded by rugged cliffs and crags, gentle hills, canyon walls, rocky shores, and sandy beaches.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Minnesota |
| Size | 816,244 acres |
| Designated | 1964, by Congress |
| Center point | 48.03° N, 91.39° W |
| 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, 536 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. This trail list was copied from Trailhead Atlas on November 1, 2026 and is copied again on each weekly run. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedKaw Office Piles Rx
22 mi from the center point
- PrescribedHalfway Piles Rx
22 mi from the center point
- PrescribedHunch Creek Piles Rx
26 mi from the center point
- PrescribedCaribou Rock Piles Rx
43 mi from the center point
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- under 0.1 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.
Guidebooks for Minnesota
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
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?
Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities, and the managing agency page has the permit rules. The federal campgrounds within ten miles are listed under Where to camp.
Source: Where to camp
How do I get to Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 48.029° N, 91.387° W. Grand Portage National Monument is 13 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness right now?
4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Kaw Office Piles Rx at 22 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
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?
The National Register has 19 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.