BWCAW Quota Permit — Little Indian Sioux River South (EP9)

Little Indian Sioux River South (EP9): what makes it different

Little Indian Sioux River South is a paddle-only overnight entry on the Echo Trail with the smallest quota BWCA Wild knows of: one group every other day. You carry 8 rods across the road to the river and follow it south toward Bootleg Lake, about 9 river miles away, on a route the Forest Service calls difficult.^1,3,2

Getting to the start

The Forest Service lists EP9 as overnight and paddle only, run by the LaCroix District in Cook, heading south from the Echo Trail. Its remark is that the route is difficult, with four portages to Bootleg Lake.¹

From Ely you drive to the Echo Trail and go west about 39 miles. BWCA Wild says the road gets wider and less curvy once you pass Big Lake (EP7). The lot sits right along the road on the right, and there is no restroom. EP14, a few hundred feet further west, has one.³

Forest Road 464 is close by, and the Moose River landing used by EP8 can be seen from this lot.³

The first leg

You haul your gear across the Echo Trail and down to the river on an 8-rod trail. BWCA Wild rates the carry easy and calls the landing very good, which is not true of the boulder landing at EP14 just up the road.^3,6,4

A second trail marked only with a sign reading Trail runs from the lot to the EP14 landing. It is there for loop trips along this stretch, not for crossing between the two permits.³

Bootleg Lake is 9 river miles from the landing. There are no campsites and no portages between the EP9 landing and Sioux Falls, and few places to pull out.^3,6

Terrain and difficulty

The Little Indian Sioux is about 29 miles long and falls roughly 9.5 feet per mile. BWCA Wild says it is lightly traveled, that beaver dams need lifting over, and that by midsummer wild rice fills much of the river and makes the main channel hard to find in places.⁶

The river cuts through exposed Vermilion Batholith granite. Sioux Falls has a 10-rod bypass portage, the portage to Bootleg Lake is listed at 205 rods, and the one to Little Trout Lake at 290 rods.⁶

A fall 1999 reviewer described the Sioux Falls approach as a long swampy tailwater where you hear the falls well before you see them, with rugged ground and holes hidden under needles and leaves.⁸

Quota at this entry point

• 2026 daily quota at Little Indian Sioux River South (EP9), overnight paddle: 1 group a day. This was the daily total on the dates Recreation.gov listed from May to September 2026. BWCA Wild calls it one group every other day and the most restricted quota in the BWCA.²

Rules specific to this entry point

An EP9 permit goes south only. BWCA Wild says you may not portage over to the EP14 landing and head north with it, and Recreation.gov's division text tells you to use EP14 for travel north of the Echo Trail.^3,2

Where it leads

Bootleg Lake is the first lake and the nearest campsites are there. BWCA Wild also points to the Little Pony River, whose mouth is about a mile south of Sioux Falls, as another way to reach Bootleg.³

From Bootleg the river system connects by portage to Little Trout Lake and Otter Lake. BWCA Wild notes a loop of at least 90 miles is possible using both Little Indian Sioux entries and the Big Lake and Stuart River entries.⁶

What trip reports say

A solo paddler who started at EP9 in May of a high-water year, writing in Paddling Light in 2008, reached Bootleg on day one. After a loop through Little Trout, Chad, Glenmore and Otter lakes he came back to Bootleg and shared its campsite with a family of four.⁷

On the way back he paddled from Bootleg to the Echo Trail bridge in about 3.5 hours into a headwind, and saw a moose and calf cross the river.⁷

A fall 1999 Quiet Journey reviewer found the Sioux Falls carry easy at 10 rods, saw wolf sign and scat along the trails, found campsites scarce, and advised against running the rapids above the portage because the water was cold.⁸

Another fall 1999 reviewer rated the Bootleg to river portage average at 280 rods, said the lakeshore end is overgrown and hard to find, and saw moose near the river in the late afternoon.⁹

When to go from here

Wild rice thickens the channel by midsummer and beaver dams need lifting over. The 2008 solo paddler went in during May at high water, high enough to pass beaver dams.^6,7

Compare with nearby entry points

• Little Indian Sioux River North (EP14): EP14 is a few hundred feet down the road, has a restroom and a 40-rod portage over bare rock to a boulder landing, and takes up to 4 groups a day heading north to the Pauness lakes. EP9 takes one and heads south to Bootleg.^4,1,2
• Moose River South (EP8): Moose River South (EP8) is the other quota-of-one entry on this road. It reaches Big Moose Lake over two long portages, while EP9 follows a river with an 8-rod carry at the start.^5,1

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, Little Indian Sioux SOUTH division, Recreation.gov. Read 2026-10-15.
3. Entry Point 9 - Little Indian Sioux River South, BWCA Wild. Read 2026-10-15.
4. Entry Point 14 - Little Indian Sioux River North, BWCA Wild. Read 2026-10-15.
5. Entry Point 8 - Moose River South, BWCA Wild. Read 2026-10-15.
6. Little Indian Sioux River, BWCA Wild. Read 2026-10-15.
7. Up a Lazy River: A Solo Canoe Trip in the Boundary Waters, Paddling Light. Read 2026-10-15.
8. Little Indian Sioux River, Sioux Falls (fall 1999 report), Quiet Journey. Read 2026-10-15.
9. Bootleg to Little Indian Sioux River (fall 1999 report), Quiet Journey. 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 Little Indian Sioux River South (EP9) permit