Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Travel Guide — Things to Do, Food & Hotels
wilderness area in Minnesota
About Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
The last glacial period dramatically altered the landscape in the region which now comprises northern Minnesota and Ontario, Canada, leaving behind innumerable lakes and streams surrounded by forest. The BWCAW is located in the northern third of the Superior National Forest in northeastern Minnesota. The waterways were traveled by many Native American tribes, including Huron, Sioux, Chippewa and Cree, followed by the Dakota and the Ojibwe. Pictographs can be seen in multiple areas of the BWCAW to this day. In the 18th and 19th centuries, fur traders, the voyageurs or coureurs de bois, used the waterways for trade and transportation of furs. In the late 1800s to early 1900s, the area was heavily logged. In 1909, President Theodore Roosevelt designated an area of approximately 1 million acre
Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Travel Guide Sections
Our comprehensive guide covers 11 sections including: