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Hope Creek

Fungus Lake PMA

Hope Creek starts in Maniwaki Lake, flows for about a half mile and drains into South Hope Lake. Along this stretch there used to be a 140 rod portage on the north bank from Maniwaki Lake to the point where Hope Creek turns north towards Hope Lake. This 140 rod portage is shown on both the 1993 and 2001 Fisher F-5 map. The creek then continues out the otherside of South Hope Lake and after a little less than a mile of flowing to the northwest, it pours into the south side of Hope Lake. The creek then continues after a short distance into an unnamed lake (North Hope Lake) and from there flows another mile or so into Lake Insula. The section of Hope Creek between South Hope Lake and Hope Lake is quite wide. Coming out of South Hope Lake, the creek flows over a short rapids. There used to be a short portage on the north side of the creek at this point to skirt these rapids. Just before flowing into Hope Lake, the Hope Creek passes through another small rapids. Coming out of the northwest side of Hope Lake, there used to be a 40 rod portage along the south side of the creek that ended at the unnamed lake (North Hope Lake). This old portage is shown on at least the Fisher F-4 map printed in 1993. Coming out of North Hope Lake, another 50 rod portage also shown on the circa 1993 Fisher F-4 map traces a line along the west side of Hope Creek. From there one paddles the remainder of the way to Lake Insula.

This area was scorched by the 2011 Pagami Creek Fire that burned much of the southwestern part of the BWCA and was the largest fire in recorded history at about 100,000 acres (almost 10% of the entire BWCA).

There was a large fire in this area around 1863-1864. This fire is known as the North Kawishiwi River/Alice Lake/Cypress Lake/Saganaga Lake Complex. This burn began south of the current BWCAW's southern boundary near the town of Isabella, Minnesota.

Paddling Hope Creek

Most of the creek passes through marshy and boggy terrain. Surrounded the peat bogs are endless stretches of burned forest, the result of the 2011 Pagami Creek Fire.