That is if you think someplace that sees more than 250,000 canoeist a year is a secret! Yet despite the traffic the Quetico Superior Wilderness is more than 2,000,000 acres of some of the most pristine wilderness found southern Canada or the continental United States.

In the Untied States the area consists of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA)which is the northern third of the Superior National Forest and in Canada it includes Quetico Provincial Forest.

In the BWCA there alone there are more than 1.3 million acres, 1200 miles of canoe routes, 2000 designated camp sites, and some of the most scenic country in north America. The BWCA extends 150 miles along the US/Canadian boundaries.

The geography was formed when glaciers ground their way through the hard rock leaving behind a land of rugged cliffs, gentle hills, tall rock formations, rocky shorelines in some places and sandy beaches in others. Another gift of the glaciers are several thousand interconnected lakes and streams that lie within the boundaries of the area and the countless islands that speckle the lakes.

It had been years since I have been to the BWCA area. But this spring my daughter and a friend spent a week canoeing on the BWCA side of the Quetico-Superior wilderness. When she came back she told me she couldn’t believe how isolated and wild the area was.

Her stories of her adventure brought back memories when my best friend and I had traversed the waters of both sides of the border of that great wilderness area. It was there I saw my first bald eagles and ospreys fishing, where I again heard the voice of the loons, and heard for the first time the lonesome howl of timber wolves. At that time this was the only area of the continental United States where there was an indigenous timber wolf population.

When we made camp we were warned not to eat or keep any food in our tents, and to throw a rope over a high limb and haul our food packs out of bears’ way.I was amazed by the size of some of the white pines we saw. Most of the area has not known the thump of an ax or the rhythm of a saw since the early 20^th century.

Of course some things have changed since the last time I was in the Quetico-Superior wilderness. There are more people, especially on the U.S. side, and there are the restrictions on use that come with the need to protect the area from the population pressure.

However, the permit system keeps the crowds under control. Another thing that keeps the crowds under control is the fact that there are no highways or easy access into the interior of the area. Most of us are arm chair naturalist and it seems to be a rule of thumb than even in the most crowed National Parks, less than 10 percent of the visitors roam more than a mile away from the roads and centers. Good I say for those who get their appetite filled on the nature channel watching rather than doing. Stay away. Keep your highways, your RVs and campers, the drone of your outboard engines, and all your other gadgets where it belongs, out of the wilderness.

The area is mostly flat water canoeing so the novice can feel comfortable. But, if you like challenges the wilderness area can challenge the experience canoeist also. If you aren't an avid canoeist and don't have the equipment there isn’t the need to purchase all the gear you require. In fact outfitters will provide you everything you need except for your personal and fishing gear.

Frankly, even if you have camping gear I would recommend using an outfitter. Most provide a choice of either light weight or ultra light weight gear. Or, if you have some gear such as a good light weight canoe, and sleeping bags, most outfitters will be pleased to provide you the the equipment you need to fill in the gaps.

I don’t recall what we paid. However, I remember the price was reasonable. The quality of the food and gear was good, and it saved us the headache of packing and hauling all that stuff from the Chicago area. That is about a 600 mile drive to Moose Lake which was where the Tom and Woods Moose Lake Lodge was located.

I googled Tom and Woods Moose Lake Lodge. They were the outfitters we used, and I must say I thought they were great. However, they sold out and retired in 1994. According to Charlene Hall, they are the third owners to run the lodge. The first owner was pioneering outfitter Don Beland who was outfitting canoeist back in the early 60’s. To gain an idea as to what cost are involved you can go to the Williams and Hall web site (see link at end of hub), or check other outfitter’s web sites.

Whether you bring your own or use an outfitter, make sure you have good quality equipment that is light in weight. Ideally, you should want to have only one pack per person in your group. Why? Because more than one pack means when you portage you will have to go back and retrieve the additional packs. While it may seem this is not such a bad thing when your are sitting at home, it could be irritating or even uncomfortable or incredibly fatiguing to have to make additional carries when you are portaging in the wilderness.

The other reason to make sure you have the best equipment possible is your comfort or even your life may depend on it. There is nothing more irritating than being in a tent that has leaks on a rainy night. There is little that is more dangerous than being on a cold wind swept lake with white caps in a canoe that is meant more for a suburban pond than the north woods.

Doing research on the area and the outfitters is also a good idea. Many times outfitters follow the outdoor show circuit in the winter months. If you are interested in going to the BWCA check your local outdoors shows and see if any BWCA outfillters are attending. Go to the show and talk to them. This is a great way to develop some personal contact with the outfitters and to learn what each has to offer. If you can’t make it to an outdoors show, or you live in an area of the country that may not have shows that feature BWCA outfitters, google the BWCA and find some. Don’t be afraid to call them and talk to them personally. Although I might suggest you call in the fall or winter months, rather than in the summer or late spring which is the height of their season.

Let your outfitter knows what kind of trip appeals to you. Some people enjoy canoeing from point A to point B but don’t like portages. Other people like to have a tough portage into their first water, because that will get them away from the more travelled routes. Others prefer finding a place to make a base camp and then exploring or fishing the area around the camp. Let your outfitter know what you enjoy, and he should be able to provide suggestions along with maps.

Be prepared for good weather or bad weather, warm weather or cool to cold weather, bugs to no bugs. There will be no guarantees about what nature will dish out, remember this is the north woods and you will be far from a central heating and a car. Also be prepared for some the most beautiful scenery you have ever seen, seeing some incredible wild life, and experiencing something that no arm chair adventurer has ever experienced.