The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness or BWCA is located in Minnesota in the northern third of the Superior National Forest. Over one million acres in size, the...
Superior National Forest
Established in 1909, the magnificent Superior National Forest is truly one of the crown jewels of this region. It is a boreal forest ranging from the shores of Lake Superior, up the Arrowhead region of Minnesota and into Voyageurs National Park. Its nearly 4 million acres hold more than 2,000 lakes and rivers, the Sawtooth Mountains, the Misquah Hills including Minnesota's highest point, Eagle Mountain, and the Laurentian Divide, which separates the watershed of the Great Lakes and Atlantic Ocean from Hudson Bay and the Arctic.
The Superior National Forest is also home to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Getting up close and personal with this boreal forest is as easy as walking out your door in Ely. You'll find endless opportunities to get to know this corner of the forest, whether you're camping, canoeing, kayaking, hiking or swimming in the summer, or snowmobiling, cross country skiing, snowshoeing or ice fishing in the winter.
It's all waiting for you in Ely, your gateway to the BWCAW.
