Canoe Trip Planning

Quetico Park and Boundary Waters Trip Planning

Getting your feet wet and sliding your canoe or kayak into Seagull Lake makes all of the Quetico Park and Boundary Waters canoe trip planning worth the time and effort. From the bug spray to the meals, it’s a lot to think about and the team here on Seagull Lake goes out of their way to make your Quetico and BWCA trip a breeze.

Why choose Seagull Outfitters?

At the end of our dock sits over 2 million acres of protected paddling and camping wilderness! Seize the opportunity to experience a vacation in Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area and Canada’s Quetico Provincial Park. Give yourself a break from your daily life. With your family and friends, step outside your comfort zone. Camp in a tent under the starry night sky, fall asleep to the call of loons, cook over a campfire, swim in our clear water lakes, and feel the tug of a walleye on the end of your fishing pole! We can make it all happen for you! Based on your experience level, makeup of the group, and focus of the trip; we are happy to make trip recommendations. We supply everything you need to enjoy the wilderness including all food, camping equipment, canoes and permits. Check out the menu or follow this link to our Complete Boundary Waters & Quetico Canoe Trip Packages. All you bring is your fishing gear and clothing!

Below are a few things to help you start planning your canoe country trip. We’ll cover:

Who/How many people are going on the trip?
Do you want to go to the Boundary Waters, Quetico Park, or both?
What permits do you need?
How to make a reservation?
How many days do you want to be out and what canoe route should you take?
Are you canoeing and camping with kids?
What you need to know about fishing in the Boundary Waters and Quetico Park?

As you read through this page, follow the links to the recommended pages. They’ll answer a lot of questions and when in doubt, call us. We’re happy to chat.

Who’s going on the Canoe Trip?

Planning a canoe and camping trip with a group requires different elements to consider. They include the experience or age of each person, route planning and discussing the focus of the trip, cooking, paddling instructions, portaging instructions, and learning how to pitch your tent and hang a kitchen fly. All of this can be found in our BWCA first-timers guide. We highly recommend this read for first and returning paddlers.

Family Quetico and BWCA Canoe Trips

We often say heading out on a family canoe trip is an investment in your family. While you’re planning your family Quetico – Boundary Water trip, group/party size limits within the BWCA are limited to nine (9) persons and four (4) canoes. Party size in the Quetico is limited to nine (9) persons; however, there is no limit on the number of canoes in the party. You’ll want to review our Quetico Permits and BWCA Permits pages to get complete details.

Canoeing with Kids

Don’t delay a camping trip with your kids in the canoe country! No cell service, no interruptions. Teach them how to set up a tent, how to gather branches and wood to make a fire, how to roast marshmallows, how to cook over a stove, how to catch a fish, how to look at the night sky, and how to identify a birch tree, a pine tree, and a cedar tree. Family bonding in the wilderness will be cherished for years. We have both 3 and 4 seat Kevlar canoes so that you can all paddle in the same canoe.

Camping with Kids Tips

If this is your first camping experience, let us custom design the best trip for your family based on the ages of your children and how many vacation days you have available. Make sure you bring along some ideas to keep the kids busy at camp like a treasure hunt or a camping coloring book. You can get more ideas on our, Camping with Kids Checklist and Hacks page.

Boundary Waters & Quetico Park Group Canoe Trips

In both the Boundary Waters & Quetico canoe country wilderness, party size is limited to 9 persons maximum per campsite. So, if you are planning to get together with another family, you would want to limit your party size to 9 people total. No aluminum cans, metal cans or glass bottles are allowed in the wilderness. For more details, hop over to our Quetico Permits and BWCA Permits pages for all the details.

Solo Canoe Trips

We recommend purchasing a Garmin InReach 2 way satellite based texting device to stay in touch with your family at home. And, if you were to have an emergency out in the woods, the SOS button will alert authorities. Make sure your family has a map of where you plan to be camping and your canoe route.

Group Canoe Trip Ideas

Choosing a Quetico-Boundary Waters Canoe Routes

Whether you’re new to the canoe country or an old pro, we have Quetico-BWCA canoe routes that will pique your interest and challenge your abilities. However, if moving each morning isn’t your idea of fun, set up camp and enjoy nature, the quiet, swimming and the world renowned Quetico and BWCA fishing. Take a look at our suggested canoe routes descriptions or pickup your phone and give us a call at 218-388-2216. We’ll help guide you through the process. We want to make sure we have the best fit for you in terms of trip routing, permits and equipment. We have been in business at Seagull Canoe Outfitters for 32 years. We have much to share with you to make this a seamless and unforgettable experience for all!

Oooh, Quetico and Boundary Waters Fishing

We get a lot of questions about Quetico-BWCA fishing and what tackle is essential to hooking the big one. Whether you’re looking for walleye, smallmouth bass, northern pike, or lake trout; we have an angler’s list of lures for catching each type of fish and where to find them. We also sell tackle at our store.

Make your Quetico-BWCA Reservation

Once you’ve decided to make the drive up the Gunflint Trail to Seagull Lake, you’ll want to make your Quetico and BWCA reservations early, as there are a limited number of permits available and they fill fast. For the first timers, we highly recommend the Complete Canoe Trip Packages where we pack everything you need for your trip including the food. You bring your fishing gear and clothing!

Great, I have a Quetico – BWCA Reservation, Now What? Take a look at our suggested trip packing checklist and start thinking about what you want to bring for clothing, rain gear, and personal items. For those Canoeing Quetico, don’t forget to take care of your RABC permit. You can also purchase both your Canadian and Minnesota fishing licenses in advance.

We’re so happy you’ve chosen Seagull Outfitters. You’re in for an experience of a lifetime! Let us know how we can help you and make it very special!