will paddle are the very same water trails used for countless generations by the ancestral Native Americans and by the French-Canadian fur traders, known as Voyageurs. Jacques de Noyons, in about 1688, was probably the first European to paddle through the lakes and streams that now comprise the BWCAW. At that time, the Assiniboine and Cree tribal groups may have lived in the area, but by the time of the French-Canadian fur traders, the Anishinaabe had moved into the region from the east, displacing original groups that eventually moved west to the plains.
Throughout the 18th century, the French Canadian Voyageurs paddled their birch-bark canoes from the hinterlands of northwestern Canada to the shores of Lake Superior, transporting furs from trappers toward the European markets. But the Voyageurs era was short-lived. By the mid-1800s, the populations of fur-bearing animals that had once flourished in the region were nearly depleted. The trappers moved on to more promising areas and the colorful Voyageur era came to an end.
After years of boundary disputes between the British and Americans, the two governments signed the Webster-Ashburton Treaty in 1842. It established the international boundary along the “customary” route of the fur traders. The Americans had argued that the customary route of the Voyageurs was along the Kaministikwia and Maligne rivers to the north. The British had claimed that the St. Louis River, far to the south, should constitute the boundary. The existing boundary was a compromise.
During the latter half of the 19th century, settlers moving into the area took up farming, logging, and mining. Mineral prospectors first sought gold along the border region, and a short-lived gold rush attracted considerable attention to the area. Far more important to northeastern Minnesota, however, was the discovery of high-grade iron ore. Numerous mines sprung up at the present sites of Ely and Soudan, and in the area southwest of those towns. After the railroad penetrated this part of the country, extensive logging and mining operations threatened to devastate the entire region.
Establishing the BWCA
The use of wilderness lands has been debated ever since Minnesota achieved statehood in 1858. On one side are logging and mining interests that would draw on the natural resources. On the other are those who see recreation as the greater value. As decades passed, the wilderness area has benefited from legislation and court decisions. A summary of key decisions follows:
| 1909: | President Theodore Roosevelt creates the Superior National Forest. | |
| 1926: | Approximately one thousand acres are set aside as a primitive roadless area within the forest. This area is enlarged in the 1930s. | |
| 1938: | U.S. Forest Service (USFS) establishes the Superior Roadless Primitive Area with boundaries similar to today’s BWCA Wilderness. | |
| 1958: | The name of the Superior Roadless Area is changed by the USFS to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. | |
| 1964: | Congress passes the Wilderness Act and the BWCA becomes part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. | |
| 1978: | Congress passes the BWCA Wilderness Act and President Jimmy Carter signs it into law. The bill establishes the current boundaries, containing 1,075,000 acres. It eliminates logging and snowmobiling, restricts mining, and limits the use of motorboats to 24 percent of the total water area on just a few large perimeter lakes. | |
| 1993: | The Superior National Forest BWCA Wilderness Management Plan is approved. Opponents appeal but the plan is upheld by the 8th District Court. Challenges and controversy continue as parties with varied interests try to shift the way the wilderness is used, enjoyed, and protected. | |
| 2008: | The 30th anniversary of the BWCAW Act is celebrated. |
Wildlife
Perhaps nothing represents the Boundary Waters to its visitors better than the eerie wail of the common loon, the Minnesota State Bird. Before long, nearly every visitor finds him- or herself trying to imitate the distinctive call. But many other birds are equally at home here, including the bald eagle, herring gull, great blue heron, osprey, Canadian jay, and several varieties of hawks and owls. The tranquilizing song of a white-throated sparrow is as much a part of the wilderness experience as is the scolding chirp of a red squirrel.
The BWCAW hosts the nation’s largest population of timber wolves outside Alaska, as well as large populations of moose, white-tailed deer, black bears, beavers, and red fox. Other less visible mammals include otters, lynx, fishers, mink, muskrats, martens, weasels, and squirrels. The more quietly you travel through the wilderness, the greater are your chances of catching a glimpse of the wild creatures that make their home within the BWCAW.
The North American moose is the largest mammal living within the BWCAW, and the most sought after “did you see” animal for most visitors. Paddling around a bend to find oneself face to face with a cow moose and her offspring is an experience of a lifetime. Males, called bulls, can weigh an average of 1,200 lbs and stand 6.5 to 7.5 feet tall at the shoulder. The distinctive antlers can sprout more than 20 tines.
Where will you see moose? Probably the most common place to see these magnificent creatures is at the water’s edge, where they like to feed on aquatic vegetation. But they are also abundant in large open areas that have been cleared or have recently burned. The Turtle Lake, Cavity Lake, and Ham Lake fires all resulted in substantial clearing, creating habitat that is quite favorable to moose and other wildlife. As the forest in these areas grows back to maturity, the moose will move on to other regions. Fire is a natural cycle that is essential to sustaining the population of these burly beasts.
While traveling throughout the BWCAW, always treat the wildlife and their habitat with respect. Remember that you are a visitor in the wilderness but the wild animals are residents. Don’t try to feed the animals or interfere with their normal routines. Should you find yourself near nesting birds, observe them from a distance. Human disturbance at a nest site may lead to nest abandonment and loss of eggs.
The predominant game fishes are northern pike, walleyes, smallmouth bass, and lake trout. Black crappies and bluegills are also plentiful in many of the lakes. Even rainbow and brook trout have been stocked in some lakes.
Contrary to the perception of most paddlers, water covers only about 12 percent of the BWCAW. A coniferous forest of jack pine, red pine, white pine, tamarack, black spruce, white spruce, balsam fir, and white cedar covers most of this region. There are also extensive stands of deciduous trees, including paper birch and quaking aspen. Very few dry land areas in the BWCAW are not forested. Bogs occupy the rest of the region that is not covered by lakes or forests.
Bears
Black bears are common throughout the BWCAW. Although they are not considered to be dangerous and are usually quite shy around campers, they may be pests when they are searching for food—your food. Over the years bears have learned that canoe campers always travel with food packs and (unfortunately) often leave food scraps and garbage lying around their campsites. Where people most frequently camp, bears are most frequently a problem. Actually bears are not the problem, people are. Where campsites are kept clean and food packs are suspended properly, bears are not a problem. Nor are the smaller creatures that might come to depend on humans for their daily sustenance (chipmunks, mice, and the like).
Seeing a bear on a canoe trip should be a treat, not a tragedy. Nevertheless, an unpleasant encounter with a bear could bring an abrupt end to your canoe trip—regardless
