BWCAW Quota Permit — Pine Lake (EP68)

Pine Lake (EP68): what makes it different

Pine Lake is a paddle-only entry that launches from McFarland Lake Campground at the end of the Arrowhead Trail. You paddle about 2.5 miles down cabin-lined McFarland Lake to a short liftover into Pine, a deep 2,122-acre lake nearly eight miles long. The permit is one-way toward Pine, and only one group a day gets it.^1,2,3,4

Getting to the start

The Forest Service lists EP68 in the Gunflint District as an overnight paddle-only entry, with access through McFarland Lake and a 2-rod portage.^1,2

From Grand Marais, one guide has you go north on Highway 61 for 19.0 miles, turn left on the Arrowhead Trail (County Road 16), and follow it north 18.0 miles to McFarland Lake Campground. At the split in the road you bear left into the campground.³

The lot is inside the campground, beside McFarland Lake, and is the closest lot for a group on an EP68 permit. There is no portage from the lot to the water, just a dock and a landing ramp.³

The campground has about eight primitive first-come sites, each with an open area, a fire ring and a picnic table, plus an outhouse. The John Lake (EP69) and North Fowl Lake (EP70) entries use a different lot on Little John Lake just before the bridge.³

The first leg

First water is McFarland Lake. You paddle most of its length, about 2.5 miles, to reach the liftover into Pine Lake.^3,5

The Forest Service says the link to Pine is a 2-rod portage, and BWCA Wild's Pine Lake page agrees with 2 rods, or a paddle in. The McFarland Lake page calls it 5 rods. Either way it is a step over a bit of ground.^1,4,5

McFarland is 386 acres and 49 feet deep, and a couple dozen cabins and lake homes line its north shore. The water flows from Pine into McFarland as part of the Crocodile River system.⁵

Terrain and difficulty

Pine Lake runs nearly eight miles east to west, covers 2,122 acres, and reaches 113 feet deep, the 31st deepest lake in the BWCA. Ridgelines rise up to 500 feet above the water.⁴

The page warns that strong wind builds large waves on this big lake and makes it very treacherous. The EP68 page adds that a strong west wind can make Pine very rough.^4,3

A prescribed burn took place on the southwestern end of Pine at some point between 1990 and 2005. Lake trout are the main target, with a few northern pike, plus smallmouth bass and walleye.⁴

Quota at this entry point

• 2026 daily quota at Pine Lake (EP68), overnight paddle: 1 group a day. One was the most common daily total on Rec.gov across May to September 2026. BWCA Wild also lists a daily quota of 1.^2,3

Rules specific to this entry point

The EP68 permit is one-way toward Pine Lake. You cannot use it to paddle north through Little John Lake and John Lake. To loop back to the entry, head west across Pine and return through other lakes.³

Where it leads

Pine Lake lists 11 active campsites, and one (#716) is closed. Most are on the north shore, and #731 is the only one on the south shore. Sites 3 through 7 cluster between the Little Caribou and West Pike portages. Site 754 sits beside the McFarland liftover, and #753 is about 800 yards west of the channel.^4,3

From Pine, an 80-rod carry leads to Little Caribou Lake. Others go to Gadwall (85 rods), Vale (62), Long Lake (150), Canoe Lake (232 rods, about 300 feet of climb over three hills) and West Pike (317 rods, continuing to East Pike).⁴

BWCA Wild suggests two loops back toward this area: Pine, Little Caribou, Caribou, Clearwater, West Pike, East Pike, John and Little John; and a bigger one that adds Mountain, Moose, North Fowl and the Royal River.³

What trip reports say

An August 2020 six-day loop report did not start at EP68, but it ended with a night on Pine Lake. The writer spent night five at one of the few campsites on the south shore, where a dead pine had fallen across the landing and the group cleared it.⁶

On the last day they paddled early to the east end of Pine, ran very small rapids into McFarland, and passed cabins as they neared the road, which is the entry route run in reverse.⁶

BWCA Wild's McFarland Lake page, last visited October 8, 2023, describes the unmaintained 230-rod carry from McFarland to East Pike as tough, with a very steep climb and often blowdown. Its Pine page is dated October 3, 2022.^5,4

When to go from here

The guides stress wind over season here. Pine runs nearly eight miles east to west, and BWCA Wild says a strong west wind can make it very rough.^4,3

Compare with nearby entry points

• John Lake (EP69): John Lake (EP69) leaves from Little John Lake over a 10-rod portage, using the separate lot just before the bridge. Pine's permit is one-way toward Pine and cannot be used to go north through Little John and John lakes.^1,3
• North Fowl Lake (EP70): North Fowl Lake (EP70) also starts from Little John Lake, but with 88-rod and 160-rod portages on the way to a border lake. Pine starts with a 2-rod liftover after a 2.5-mile paddle.^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, Pine Lake division, Recreation.gov. Read 2026-10-15.
3. Entry Point 68 - Pine Lake, BWCA Wild. Read 2026-10-15.
4. Pine Lake, BWCA Wild. Read 2026-10-15.
5. McFarland Lake, BWCA Wild. Read 2026-10-15.
6. BWCA Mountain Lake excursion, Canoe Rambler (Substack). Read 2026-10-15.
7. Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Permits, Superior National Forest, USDA Forest Service. Read 2026-10-15.

Safety & planning

Alternatives to a Pine Lake (EP68) permit