Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is located in Northern Minnesota. BWCAW has roughly one million acres of wilderness, over 1000 lakes and over 4000 miles of canoe trip routes. Boundary Waters Canoe Area is one of the few remaining true expanses of pure wilderness, in a world where development and sprawl are constantly encroaching on natural eco-systems, Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness remains one of the most pristine examples of wilderness preservation. In order to stay inside the boundary waters canoe area wilderness, you must have a permit. Your permit will grant you access to a particular entry point, but will not reserve a campsite. During the off season (October 1st through April 30th) over night permits are not necessary and you may pick up a day permit. Similarly during the summer, you may get a day permit if you do not plan on spending the night.

The BWCAW is a great place for backpacking and camping with over 2,200 back country campsites available for use (most of them only accessible by water, canoeing being the best mode of transportation). The BWCAW is one on Minnesota’s top tourist attractions drawing visitors from all over the United States, Canada and Abroad. The BWCAW is managed by the USDA-Forest Service, under principles of ecosystem management and multiple use, the forest provides for a diverse community of plants and animals. The most popular recreation activities in the area include fishing, hunting, camping, canoeing, swimming, hiking, snowmobiling and skiing. Over 445,000 acres of the forest is surface water. In addition, more than 1,300 miles of cold water streams and 950 miles of warm water streams flow within the boundaries of the Superior. The most abundant fish that can be found in the BWCAW are walleye, northern pike, small-mouth bass, lake trout, brook trout, rainbow trout, and brown trout.

Family vacations can be very stressful unless you plan in advance and make sure that all members of the family will have enough fun activities to do when going on a camping trip. Before planning a camping trip, decide whether your children are old enough to enjoy it. Children from about four up to nine years old, can often enjoy easy forest hiking, or riding in a slow boat with life preservers with an adult monitoring them. Playing on a sandy shoreline may also be alright, as long as they are never left by themselves on the beach.

While you are planning, it is good idea to choose a campground that has activities for children in different age groups or one that is located near such activities. Make reservations for boats, horseback riding lessons, and other activities that may require them in advance.This will save you time and will also give you a good idea of how to plan your days. Another easy way to find some family activities is if the campground is located near a small town, find out about family friendly activities that are available. Many small towns are rich with history and will be able to entertain your entire family. Keeping your children entertained while you are driving in the car will reduce the stress immensely. It is a good idea to pack plenty of books, music, DVDs and simple games on pads or magnetic boards for your children to do. That will keep their attention for several hours, and will help reduce fights and other incidents while on the road. After spending a long time sitting in a seat, children need to be able to get up and stretch their legs. Be sure to make frequent stops for bathroom breaks and let them have a few minutes to walk or move around. The children will be more content and less inclined to be cranky this way. Adults will also enjoy these breaks.