Advertisement: A up-and-down trek through a variety of forests and over rocky ridges. Take a swim every afternoon at a lake campsite.
More photographs.
Difficulty: 30 miles, 2300 ft of total elevation gain
Preparation: Book ferries in advance; they can fill up and they don't run every day. No need to reserve permits as of this writing (spots are naturally limited by ferries).
Flora and fauna: There are a lot of mosquitoes, so have an outer layer or bug spray. Stop by the visitor's center on the way and take a picture of the list of berries that you can eat and cannot eat (when we went, thimbleberries were plentiful). Bring a map and be careful about navigation. Beavers create dams that can wipe out the trail in the lowlands, where it is easiest to get lost. Beavers sometimes create "channels" to swim in which can look like trails, so really use your map and have an idea of where you are trying to go.
Itinerary (from Grand Portage, MN):
Day 0: Get to or near Grand Portage, MN. Sleep somewhere.
Day 1: Take the ferry to McCargoe Cove. We arrived around 1pm. Stop by the Minong Mine on the way to Todd Harbor, 6.6 miles total with minor elevation. Campsites limited; you may have to share or try to find space at the group site.
Day 2: Go to Little Todd Harbor, easy flat 7 miles. The lakeside campsites here are really fantastic, since you "get" a section of the beach. Our favorite campsite.
Day 3: Steep up-and-down trail on the ridge to Lake Desor, 6 miles. Lake Desor is a bit muddy and hard to swim in due to the algae on the rocks.
Day 4: Longest and hardest 12 mile day to Washington Creek with some elevation change. Beavers wiped out a section of the trail for us in the lowlands and we got a little lost. Not a lot of good intermediate campsites: the only water tends to be via beaver dam, which tends to be swampy. Moose hang out in the river starting evening until morning eating underwater vegetation and make a lot of splashing noise.
Summary: A varied trek with lots of wildlife sighting opportunities and opportunities to swim in lakes. Walking through aspen and birch forest is pleasant as it is light and you can listen to the rustling of the leaves high above. Thumbleberries growing along the trail provided frequent snacks.
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| Relaxing on the pier at Todd Harbor |
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| The trail crosses underneath a beaver dam |
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| Thimbleberries taste delicious |
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| Light penetrates the aspen and birch forest |
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| The beach at Little Todd Harbor |
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| The view from the rocky part of Minong Ridge |
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| The rocky shores of inland Lake Desor |
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| A moose eats breakfast in Washington Creek |
More photographs.
Difficulty: 30 miles, 2300 ft of total elevation gain
Preparation: Book ferries in advance; they can fill up and they don't run every day. No need to reserve permits as of this writing (spots are naturally limited by ferries).
Flora and fauna: There are a lot of mosquitoes, so have an outer layer or bug spray. Stop by the visitor's center on the way and take a picture of the list of berries that you can eat and cannot eat (when we went, thimbleberries were plentiful). Bring a map and be careful about navigation. Beavers create dams that can wipe out the trail in the lowlands, where it is easiest to get lost. Beavers sometimes create "channels" to swim in which can look like trails, so really use your map and have an idea of where you are trying to go.
Itinerary (from Grand Portage, MN):
Day 0: Get to or near Grand Portage, MN. Sleep somewhere.
Day 1: Take the ferry to McCargoe Cove. We arrived around 1pm. Stop by the Minong Mine on the way to Todd Harbor, 6.6 miles total with minor elevation. Campsites limited; you may have to share or try to find space at the group site.
Day 2: Go to Little Todd Harbor, easy flat 7 miles. The lakeside campsites here are really fantastic, since you "get" a section of the beach. Our favorite campsite.
Day 3: Steep up-and-down trail on the ridge to Lake Desor, 6 miles. Lake Desor is a bit muddy and hard to swim in due to the algae on the rocks.
Day 4: Longest and hardest 12 mile day to Washington Creek with some elevation change. Beavers wiped out a section of the trail for us in the lowlands and we got a little lost. Not a lot of good intermediate campsites: the only water tends to be via beaver dam, which tends to be swampy. Moose hang out in the river starting evening until morning eating underwater vegetation and make a lot of splashing noise.
Summary: A varied trek with lots of wildlife sighting opportunities and opportunities to swim in lakes. Walking through aspen and birch forest is pleasant as it is light and you can listen to the rustling of the leaves high above. Thumbleberries growing along the trail provided frequent snacks.
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