JUNO LAKE CAMPSITES: Campsite 1 (#958): Middle of the three campsites located along the north shoreline of the lake. Campsite 2 (#959): Easternmost of the three campsites located along the north shoreline of the lake.
Campsite 3 (#960): Westernmost of the three campsites located along the north shoreline of the lake.
Juno Lake is a long skinny lake that can be very attractive to canoists, since you can explore both shorelines of the lake rather easily. Vern Lake is similar to Juno Lake in this regard. Homer Lake is also fairly narrow. A nice day trip is to start at either the Brule Lake or Homer Lake entry point and make a loop between these two entry points. If you have two cars, leave one at each entry point. Otherwise, it is less than a two mile walk between them along a quiet forest road.
The lake contains a good supply of walleye and some northern pike.
The portage between Juno Lake and Vern Lake is rather rocky. It is now a single portage. Some old maps show it as two portages separated by a pond. The portage to Brule Lake is very straightforward.
You'll notice that the campsites on this lake have lots of exposed soil. This isn't from overuse, but rather due to the fire that occurred here in 1996. It ravaged the campsites. The soil hasn't recovered yet.
Logging operations were extensive around Juno Lake. They were carried out by the General Logging Company. There was a dedicated railroad spur that was built to the shore of Juno Lake. They started logging this area around 1919. However, even though this was a huge operation, three key factors greatly reduced the work in this area starting in 1929: The big fire of 1929, the start of the Great Depression which caused lumber prices to plummet, and extensive heart rot in the large white pines growing in this area at the time. By 1931, the logging efforts in this area were nearly over. The railroad accessing this area was removed from the wilderness near the start of World War II (Heinselman).
Juno Lake drains out via the creek located in the southwest corner of the lake that is next to the Vern Lake portage. A creek flowing from Whip Lake and Squire Lake drains into Juno Lake along the south shoreline, just east of BWCA Campsite 959.
A fire of about 4,450 acres started on June 14, 1996 as a result of a lightning strike. This fire burned from the eastern side of South Temperance Lake toward the southeast. The fire spread along the southwestern corner of Brule Lake, to the west end of Juno Lake and portions of Vern Lake and the Vern River. The fire was mostly out by the end of the month (Hansen, 2007). The fire cost and estimated $1.5 million (Beymer, 2006).
The windstorm that occurred on July 4, 1999 also damaged or felled many trees in this area.
The name Juno may come from Roman mythology. Juno was the wife of Jupiter. Juno was known as Hera in Greek mythology. Juno is also the name of the third asteroid ever discovered (1804).
References:
Beymer, Robert, Boundary Waters Canoe Area – Volume 2 – Eastern Region (Berkeley: Wilderness Press, 2006), 75, 77.
Hansen, Mary Alice, Sawbill: History and Tales (Tofte: Sawbill Press, 2007)
Heinselman, Miron, The Boundary Waters Wilderness Ecosystem (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1999), 107, 108.
Pauly, Daniel, Exploring the Boundary Waters (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2005), 265-266.
Click on the photos below to see the full resolution image - Use your browsers back button to close photo and return to this page.
PADDLING FROM THE BRULE LAKE PORTAGE TO BWCA CAMPSITE 959
Following the north shoreline of Juno Lake, heading westbound from the portage to the campsite.
Juno Lake looking southeast from the campsite. Visit BWCA Campsite 959 -or- Explore Another Route ***********************************************END OF ROUTE***********************************************
PADDLING FROM BWCA CAMPSITE 959 TO BWCA CAMPSITE 958
Paddling west along the north shoreline of the lake between these two campsites. Visit BWCA Campsite 958 -or- Explore Another Route ***********************************************END OF ROUTE***********************************************
PADDLING FROM BWCA CAMPSITE 958 TO THE VERN LAKE PORTAGE
Paddling west from the campsite to the western end of Juno Lake. When we arrive at this part of the lake, we see that BWCA Campsite 960 is occupied by a group of campers. So we head to the portage to Vern Lake, which is in the lakes southwest corner. Portage to Vern Lake -or- Explore Another Route ***********************************************END OF ROUTE***********************************************
