ROUTES/PORTAGES FROM WEST BEARSKIN LAKE:
To BWCA Entry Point 60: There is no portage. Parking lot right on the lake.
To BWCA Entry Point 61: There is no portage. Parking lot right on the lake.
To Daniels Lake: Walk the 60 rod portage
To Duncan Lake: Walk the 75 rod portage
To Hungry Jack Lake: Walk the 21 rod portage (outside of the BWCA)
West Bearskin Lake
Gunflint Ranger District
WEST BEARSKIN LAKE CAMPSITE:
Campsite 1 (#666): The only campsite on this lake. No permit required as the campsite is outside of the BWCA
This lake is also known as Bearskin Lake, especially on older maps.
This lake lies outside of the BWCA, but is noteworthy as it is the location of the entry point parking lot for both BWCA Entry Point 60 - Duncan Lake and BWCA Entry Point 61 - Daniels Lake. This entry point is on the south side of the lake accessible from Hungry Jack Lake Road. There is a portage to Hungry Jack Lake through this parking lot.
YMCA Camp Menogyn is located along the south shore of the lake just down the road from the entry point parking lot.
There is a single campsite on West Bearskin Lake, just west of the Daniels Lake portage. Since this lake isn't in the BWCA, no permit is required to camp there.
The Caribou Rock Trail is accessible from West Bearskin Lake from the portage between West Bearskin Lake and Duncan Lake.
References:
Beymer, Robert, Boundary Waters Canoe Area – Volume 2 – Eastern Region (Berkeley: Wilderness Press, 2006), 210, 220, 221, 223, 227, 230.
Heinselman, Miron, The Boundary Waters Wilderness Ecosystem (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1999), 107, 210.
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PADDLING FROM THE BWCA ENTRY POINT 60/61 LANDING TO THE DUNCAN LAKE PORTAGE
This is West Bearskin Lake from the Duncan Lake/Daniels Lake entry point landing. This is also the start of the short portage leading to Hungry Jack Lake.
After leaving the landing, paddle straight north toward the point right out in front of the entry point. Round the point and head to the left (northwest) to the Duncan Lake portage. Portage to Duncan Lake -or- Explore Another Route ***********************************************END OF ROUTE***********************************************
PADDLING FROM THE DUNCAN LAKE PORTAGE TO THE BWCA ENTRY POINT 60/61 LANDING
Head to the southeast and paddle around the point. Then head south the short distance left to the BWCA Entry Point landing and parking area. Explore BWCA Entry Point 60 -or- Explore BWCA Entry Point 61 -or- Explore Another Route ***********************************************END OF ROUTE***********************************************
VIEW OF WEST BEARSKIN LAKE FROM THE CARIBOU ROCK TRAIL
View from above the south arm of West Bearskin Lake looking east from the Caribou Rock Trail overlook. Explore Another Route ***********************************************END OF ROUTE***********************************************
Route Connections for West Bearskin Lake
From West Bearskin Lake you can portage to Daniels Lake, Duncan Lake and Hungry Jack Lake. The portage to Hungry Jack Lake lies outside of the BWCA. This portage runs through the BWCA Entry Point 60 and 61 parking lot. You can also exit or enter the BWCA at the BWCA Entry Point 60 or BWCA Entry Point 61 parking lot.
