With 56 entry points and 1,200 miles of canoe route, recommending where to paddle is simply not possible in this travel guide; for that you will need to rely on a Boundary Waters–specific guidebook or, much better, get local advice. But, before deciding where you want to go, you must determine what sort of trip you want, and there are as many possibilities as there are lakes.

Some people will want to pick a single base camp and spend a weekend there. Others may want to head out for 10 days of exploration, packing up and heading to a new camp every day. Many come with a single purpose, such as seeing the northern lights, spotting a moose, or casting for trout.

Whatever kind of trip you choose, it can’t be stressed strongly enough that when poring over maps or discussing routing with an outfitter you need to be realistic about your strength and skills. It is wise to plan a couple of layover days. Regardless of whether you use these to relax or cover more territory (there is less gear to haul over portages), they will keep you on schedule if rough weather slows you down.

You don’t have to head deep into the wilderness to enjoy the BWCAW’s beauty, but during the summer this is a near necessity for finding solitude. The best advice for getting away from other paddlers is to portage often—the longer the better. Most portages are a quarter mile or less, though some are over a mile.

Don’t forget that, unlike most other paddling trips, weight matters here. Also, remember that elevation change rather than distance is usually a better indication of a portage’s difficulty. Portage lengths are usually given in rods; one rod equals 16.5 feet.

The number of permits available for each entry point (the quota corresponds to the number of campsites available) is also a good general rule for determining the number of other canoes you will encounter, but there is not a direct correlation since some people won’t portage, and there is no limit on day-trippers.

Generally there are more bugs and portages on the smaller lakes, so the more willing you are to “sweat and swat” the more privacy you will get. The other bonus from the smaller lakes is that most people consider them more beautiful. On lakes where motors are still allowed, you can use a towboat service to get you out to the edge of the real wilderness faster.