BWCAW Quota Permit — Brant Lake (EP52)

Brant Lake (EP52): what makes it different

Brant Lake is a paddle-only entry that starts at the Round Lake canoe landing off the Gunflint Trail and takes a chain of small lakes and portages before you reach the wilderness boundary. The lake is small and burned, it has three campsites, and only four groups a day can enter.^1,2,3,4

Getting to the start

The Forest Service lists EP52 as overnight and paddle only, run by the Gunflint District, with a canoe landing at Round Lake. Rec.gov repeats that text and sets no motor option.^1,2

From Grand Marais you drive the Gunflint Trail about 45 miles to Round Lake Road, which turns off just past the Gunflint Lake Overlook. The road runs beside the Cross River, and about a mile in you pass the sign and lot for Cross Bay Lake (EP50).³

At the next intersection the sign reads Tuscarora or Round Lake. Tuscarora there means the lodge, so head for Round Lake, about a mile farther.³

The lot is shared with Missing Link Lake (EP51) and has a restroom. Day permits for both entry points are in a box on the left of the bulletin board, and Tuscarora Lodge and Canoe Outfitters on Round Lake rents gear and rooms.³

The first leg

You carry gear down steps from the lot to a gravel dock on Round Lake. BWCA Wild lists the walk from the lot as 5 rods.³

Brant is not on Round Lake. The route is Round Lake, a portage along the right shoreline to West Round Lake, a paddle across it, a portage to Edith Lake, a paddle across Edith, then a 33-rod portage to Brant. That last carry crosses a burn, is flat and is often muddy, and the wilderness boundary comes as you leave Edith.³

The West Round to Edith carry is 47 rods and rated easy, but a large part of it runs over a plank walkway of at least 20 rods across soggy ground. The wetter the season, the more of the trail you spend on the boards.⁵

The official figure is different. The Forest Service describes two 85-rod portages from Round Lake to Brant, and BWCA Wild lists 47 and 33. The sources do not agree, so check a current map for rod counts.^1,3,5

Terrain and difficulty

Brant covers 104 acres with about four miles of shoreline and drops to 80 feet in a small area at the north end. Northern pike are the only game fish, and the guide calls them plentiful.⁴

The 2007 Ham Lake Fire burned nearly all the shoreline except the south and southeast. That opened up several high cliffs and rock outcrops, which the guide calls impressive views, and the 2006 Cavity Lake Fire also touched the approach.^4,3

Quota at this entry point

• 2026 daily quota at Brant Lake (EP52), overnight paddle: 4 groups a day. This was the most common daily total on Rec.gov across May to September 2026.²

Rules specific to this entry point

Brant Lake has three campsites, all in the burned part of the lake, and BWCA Wild notes that they get used. Edith Lake before it has none, so Brant holds the first sites on the route.^4,3

Where it leads

North of Brant, a portage of 88 rods leads to Gotter Lake. BWCA Wild calls it steep and demanding, with views along the way, and says it is the hardest part of a route through here.⁴

Lakes beyond Brant, especially the north end of Flying Lake, see light traffic, while Brant itself gets steady use because it is so close to Round Lake.⁴

What trip reports say

A reviewer on QuietJourney in the spring of 1999 measured the Edith to Brant carry at 35 rods, rated it easy, found it small and flat, and met no downed trees.⁶

The same reviewer rated the Brant to Gotter carry difficult at 100 rods. It climbs steeply about 30 feet from Brant, descends gradually, then makes a steep 40 to 50 foot climb near the middle that is muddy when wet, with logs laid across the hillside to help.⁷

After one more climb of about 15 feet the trail drops to Gotter. That reviewer found the landing sandy and shallow for about 15 feet out and said you can skirt the drop to the north.⁷

When to go from here

Brant has only three campsites and the quota is four groups, so an early start matters if you want one of them. Wet spells make the boardwalk and the last carry slower.^4,2,5

Compare with nearby entry points

• Missing Link Lake (EP51): Missing Link Lake (EP51) shares the Round Lake landing and lot, but the Forest Service describes a single 142-rod portage from Round Lake rather than a chain of small lakes. Both are paddle only.^1,3
• Cross Bay Lake (EP50): Cross Bay Lake (EP50) is a mile back down Round Lake Road and starts on the Cross River. The Forest Service describes the route as a river and a series of portages to Ham Lake, and a 24-rod carry into Cross Bay.^1,3

Sources

1. Boundary Water Canoe Area Wilderness Entry Points, Superior National Forest, USDA Forest Service. Read 2026-10-15.
2. Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Permit, Brant Lake division, Recreation.gov. Read 2026-10-15.
3. Entry Point 52 - Brant Lake, BWCA Wild. Read 2026-10-15.
4. Brant Lake, BWCA Wild. Read 2026-10-15.
5. Portage from West Round Lake to Edith Lake, BWCA Wild. Read 2026-10-15.
6. Edith to Brant, QuietJourney portage database. Read 2026-10-15.
7. Brant to Gotter, QuietJourney portage database. Read 2026-10-15.
8. Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Permits, Superior National Forest, USDA Forest Service. Read 2026-10-15.

Safety & planning

Alternatives to a Brant Lake (EP52) permit