BWCAW Quota Permit — John Lake (EP69)

John Lake (EP69): what makes it different

John Lake is a paddle-only Gunflint District entry point on the Arrowhead Trail with the smallest quota of the group, one party a day. You cross tiny Little John Lake, reach John Lake, and your permit then sends you out the west side through East Pike Lake.^1,2,3

Getting to the start

The Forest Service lists EP69 as overnight paddle only, in the Gunflint District out of Grand Marais, with a 10-rod portage from Little John Lake. Rec.gov says the same and names John Lake as the entry.^1,2

BWCA Wild gives the drive as 19.0 miles north on MN-61 from Grand Marais, then left on the Arrowhead Trail (County Road 16) for 18.0 miles to the McFarland Lake Campground. Stay right at the split instead of turning into the campground, and the lot is a few hundred feet on, on the right.³

The lot sits on Little John Lake just before the bridge and is shared with EP70 (North Fowl Lake) and the Border Route Trail's east end. You may pull close to the water to unload, and the walk to the landings is short. There is an outhouse at the McFarland Lake Campground.³

The McFarland Lake Campground has about eight primitive first-come sites, each with a fire ring and picnic table. The Gunflint Ranger Station in Grand Marais is the nearest ranger station.³

The first leg

Little John Lake is 40 acres and 8 feet deep, has no campsites, and sits just outside the wilderness. Every EP69 and EP70 party paddles across it. The 10-rod portage to John Lake is optional because a short channel can be run instead, though a beaver dam often sits in it.^5,4

On a spring 2004 report at average water, the party skipped the 10-rod carry and ran the creek into John Lake. Paddling back up it on the way out got them stuck, and they wished they had marked the portage at the John Lake end.⁸

Terrain and difficulty

John Lake covers 191 acres, is about 20 feet deep, and has three campsites. A ridge on the south side rises 339 feet above the lake, and the Border Route Trail runs along it. The Crocodile River comes in and the Royal River leaves from the southeast corner.⁴

The one long carry is the 210-rod portage north to East Pike Lake. BWCA Wild rates it average and says the walking is easy with no steep sections, but it gains about 68 feet. The East Pike landing is a flat slab of rock that gets slick when algae grows on it.^6,4

Quiet Journey's spring 2004 report measured that carry at 180 rods and called it above average, with a steep climb at each end and mud in the middle. The John Lake end was running water on the way in and much drier a few days later.⁷

Quota at this entry point

• 2026 daily quota at John Lake (EP69), overnight paddle: 1 group a day. This was the most common daily total on Rec.gov across May to September 2026. A handful of July dates read zero.²

Rules specific to this entry point

BWCA Wild reads the permit as allowing only one exit from John Lake: west into East Pike Lake. You cannot go down the Royal River to North Fowl Lake on an EP69 permit, because that leaves the wilderness and re-entry is not allowed. Reaching North Fowl directly takes an EP70 permit.³

BWCA Wild also notes that day permits can cover overnight trips in the off-season, October 1 through April 30.³

Where it leads

BWCA Wild sketches two loops. One runs John, East Pike, West Pike, Clearwater, Mountain, Moose and North Fowl lakes and comes back up the Royal River. The other runs John, East Pike, West Pike, Clearwater, then east through Caribou and Pine lakes and across McFarland Lake to the start.³

Friends of the Boundary Waters has a four-day, 33-mile Pike and Pine Lake loop that includes this stretch. It calls the route challenging, mentions long portages and wind on big lakes, praises the very clear water of East and West Pike, and notes that Pine Lake has eleven campsites on its sunny north shore.⁹

What trip reports say

TomM's spring 2004 report on Quiet Journey says the John Lake to East Pike carry is a bit longer than a popular guidebook lists, with a stiff climb at each end. Boots got wet in the muddy middle, and a steep rocky stretch near the East Pike end was a small test going downhill when wet.⁷

The same reporter found East Pike murkier at its east end after a long wind fetch and rain, and clearer toward the west end. He thought the cloudiness was mostly organic material.⁷

BWCA Wild's October 2023 visit calls John Lake small but busy with canoes from three routes, and says the two south-end campsites fill first. Campsite 3, toward mid-lake on the north shore, gives more privacy.⁴

When to go from here

Rec.gov showed a quota of 1 on nearly every day from May to September 2026, so only one party can start from this entry on a given date.²

The 2004 Quiet Journey reporter noted that the boggy ends of the East Pike carry changed with rain, running wet on the way in and dry after a few days.⁷

Compare with nearby entry points

• North Fowl Lake (EP70): North Fowl Lake (EP70) starts from the same lot and the same Little John Lake, but its permit goes down the Royal River with 88-rod and 160-rod portages. John Lake permits are limited to the west exit through East Pike.^1,3
• Pine Lake (EP68): Pine Lake (EP68) is entered through McFarland Lake with a 2-rod portage, and its parking is inside the campground. John Lake parking is the separate lot on Little John Lake.^1,3
• Clearwater Lake (EP62): Clearwater Lake (EP62) is overnight paddle or motor with a 10 horsepower limit on Clearwater only. John Lake is paddle only and shares no lake with it until you reach West Pike and Clearwater by portage.^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, John Lake division, Recreation.gov. Read 2026-10-15.
3. Entry Point 69 - John Lake, BWCA Wild. Read 2026-10-15.
4. John Lake, BWCA Wild. Read 2026-10-15.
5. Little John Lake, BWCA Wild. Read 2026-10-15.
6. Portage between John Lake and East Pike Lake, BWCA Wild. Read 2026-10-15.
7. John to East Pike, Quiet Journey portage database. Read 2026-10-15.
8. Little John to John, Quiet Journey portage database. Read 2026-10-15.
9. Pike and Pine Lake Loop, Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness. Read 2026-10-15.
10. Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Permits, Superior National Forest, USDA Forest Service. Read 2026-10-15.

Safety & planning

Alternatives to a John Lake (EP69) permit