The Portage between Brule Lake and Cam Lake

Click on the photos below to see the full resolution image - Use your browsers back button to close photo and return to this page.

Portaging Direction: From Cam Lake to Brule Lake

This pile of boulders is a real pain in the portage. The water of Cam Lake is quite clear, so while it may look shallow in the lower left of your view, it is deeper than you may think. Those underwater boulders are nice and slippery with slime too. If you manage to get yourself and your gear out of your canoe, you then boulder hop to that opening just right of center and then carry up a short but steep hill. At the top of the hill is a good place to drop your gear before you start the rest of the portage in earnest.

You'll need some fancy footwork to begin this portage. There is a nice place to stash gear by a large rock, which is just up the steep rocky hill from the nasty portage landing. These portages between Cherokee Lake and Brule Lake do not see a lot of traffic (and probably not a lot of maintenance either). There is usually plenty of blowdown to be found along this portage. You will also find standing water, mud and a rough treadway studded with sharp boulders. The portage crosses a dry creek bed before the trails midpoint, when heading in the direction of Brule Lake. This portage is 100 rods. It has a slight elevation loss starting around the halfway point and continuing until you reach Brule Lake.

The wide waters of big Brule Lake. The landing on this side of the portage is not great, but compared to the Cam Lake side, it is a piece of cake. Solo paddlers will have a hard time getting in and out without getting their feet wet on the Brule Lake end of this portage.

Now that you've made it over the portage, visit: BRULE LAKE

Portaging Direction: From Brule Lake to Cam Lake

Water and lake bottom are both shallow and smooth enough to stand in. Hard to get canoe wedged in close enough to shore to be able to get out without standing in the water. Other than that, not the worst pull up you'll come across. That yellow stuff in the water at the bottom center of your view is just pollen.

This is a bumpy 100 rod portage with lots of rocks along the trail. There is also a good supply of downed trees and brush to climb over or rub against. You have to watch every step which makes for slow walking. The portage is mildy uphill (perhaps 40 feet of total gain) during the first half of the portage. After that, the trail is mostly level. As you get closer to Cam Lake, there looks to be a dry creek bed that the portage crosses. Lots of rocks here. When you finally get to Cam Lake, there is a large table-like boulder in the middle of the trail where you can plop your gear while you figure out the Cam Lake canoe landing.

Cam Lake looking north. The portage to Gasket Lake is in the dead center of your vision in the far distance. This is a tough canoe landing made up of giant boulders. The water gets deep pretty quick, right off the edge of the rock pile. You will want to take your time with this one.

Now that you've made it over the portage, visit: CAM LAKE

Return to the BWCA Portage List