BWCAW Quota Permit — Crab Lake & Cummings Lake (EP4)

Crab Lake & Cummings Lake (EP4): what makes it different

Crab Lake and Cummings Lake are reached from a public landing on Burntside Lake, west of Ely. You paddle across big Burntside, then carry canoes and gear over a 360-rod portage of just over a mile. It is paddle only, with three groups a day.^1,2,3

Getting to the start

The Forest Service lists EP4 as overnight and paddle only, run by the Kawishiwi District out of Ely, with the route starting on Burntside Lake and a 360-rod portage to Crab Lake.^1,2

From Ely, one guide has you drive about 2.9 miles west on Highway 1, turn right in Burntside onto County Road 88, go about 2.3 miles north to Van Vac Road, turn left for 1.2 miles, then turn right at the Burntside Lake public access sign and drive 700 feet to the lot. From Tower it is about 18 miles east on Highway 1.³

There is a large main lot, an overflow lot up the hill, a boat landing and a dock. No portage is needed from the lot, the guide saw no restroom on a May 2024 visit, and day permits are in a box on the bulletin board.³

Paddle Planner lists four outfitters within about 5.5 miles of the entry point, among them Piragis Northwoods Company, Canadian Waters, Canoe Country Outfitters and Ely Outfitting Company.⁴

The first leg

The first leg is about 2.7 miles of open water west and northwest across Burntside Lake. BWCA Wild says it can be rough on a windy day, and you have to thread around islands to find the carry.³

The portage starts about a third of a mile northwest of Mocassin Island, which most maps name. From the landing the first island is about 0.7 miles away and the carry is about two miles beyond it.³

A summer 2001 reviewer on QuietJourney said the entrance is hard to spot because small islands partly hide it. That reviewer found the carry about a mile long, noted that one trip with all the gear may not be possible, and said two or three trips could mean roughly a 3-mile walk at the start.⁷

The 360-rod carry itself has a few rocky areas, some ups and downs and a few muddy spots, and BWCA Wild calls it standard for the wilderness rather than especially hard.³

Terrain and difficulty

A May 2024 visit found the Burntside lot nearly empty, but the guide warned it will be much fuller in midsummer.³

A reviewer of campsite 312 on Crab, an island site, praised soft pine needle ground, a shallow sandy narrows between the island and the mainland for soaking, and a spot off the main route.⁵

Quota at this entry point

• 2026 daily quota at Crab Lake & Cummings Lake (EP4), overnight paddle: 3 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

No motors are allowed. Paddle Planner lists the entry as overnight paddle only at three permits a day.^1,4

Paddle Planner's table of nearby outfitters for this entry marks services such as summer guiding, shuttles, tow boats and rentals, so ask an Ely outfitter whether a tow across Burntside is on offer.⁴

Where it leads

Cummings Lake lies past Crab, and Paddle Planner lists a Memorial Day 2013 report from this entry point to Lunetta and Cummings Lakes.⁴

On Crab, a reviewer of campsite 314 liked the large red pines, the fire grate and kitchen overlooking the water, bass fishing along a rocky shore and nearby trails with blueberries to wait out wind. The only good landing is a rock dock.⁶

What trip reports say

Reviewers of campsite 312 over the years called it a great site for a nine-person group, with between two and five good tent pads by their counts, and one reported a large fish taking their catch in the narrows.⁵

A May 2013 visitor to campsite 314 found the site shaded because it faces north, and noticed lots of small flying insects. A 2020 reviewer called the site lovely and said few people passed through the small bay despite the nearby portage.⁶

A 2003 QuietJourney review used the Crab River route because the direct portage was then closed in an easement dispute. The reviewer counted five short carries and a log jam and rated it difficult. Check the Forest Service for the current route before you go.⁸

When to go from here

Wind on Burntside is the timing issue, since the lake is big and BWCA Wild says it can be rough on a windy day. Paddle Planner also lists a September 2015 report for this entry, titled Seeking September solitude, that went in and out through Crab Lake.^3,4

Compare with nearby entry points

• Angleworm Lake (EP20): Angleworm Lake (EP20) is also paddle only out of Ely, but the Forest Service lists a 640-rod portage there, nearly twice the Crab carry.¹
• Mudro Lake (EP23): Mudro Lake (EP23) is paddle only too, but the Forest Service describes portages of 20 to 185 rods rather than one long 360-rod carry.¹

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, Crab Lake and Cummings Lake division, Recreation.gov. Read 2026-10-15.
3. Entry Point 4 - Crab Lake, BWCA Wild. Read 2026-10-15.
4. Entry Point 4 - Crab Lake & Cummings Lake, Paddle Planner. Read 2026-10-15.
5. BWCA Campsite 312 on Crab, Paddle Planner. Read 2026-10-15.
6. BWCA campsite on Crab Lake, Paddle Planner. Read 2026-10-15.
7. Burntside to Crab, QuietJourney portage database. Read 2026-10-15.
8. Burntside to Crab (via Crab River), QuietJourney portage database. Read 2026-10-15.
9. Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Permits, Superior National Forest, USDA Forest Service. Read 2026-10-15.

Safety & planning

Alternatives to a Crab Lake & Cummings Lake (EP4) permit