BWCAW Quota Permit — Snowbank Lake Only (EP28)

Snowbank Lake Only (EP28): what makes it different

Snowbank Lake Only (EP28) is the restricted twin of Snowbank Lake (EP27). It uses the same landing off the Fernberg Road, but you must camp every night on Snowbank Lake, with paddle day trips to other lakes allowed. Its quota is 1 group a day, and no motors go with this permit.^1,2,3

Getting to the start

The Forest Service lists EP28 as an overnight, paddle-only entry in the Kawishiwi District. It says you must camp all nights on Snowbank Lake, that paddle day trips to other lakes are allowed, and that access is a boat landing or canoe launch.^1,2

From Ely, take Highway 169 east. It becomes the Fernberg Road, paved to Lake One. After about 15 miles, watch for the Snowbank Lake sign, which also serves Wilderness Bay Lodge and Smitty's on Snowbank. If you miss it, Lake One is about a quarter mile further.³

Snowbank Lake Road is unpaved but usually in good shape, short and twisty, through forest that is sometimes logged. You pass the Snowbank Lake Trail parking lot and the west end of the Kekekabic Trail.³

You can park in a loading area very close to the lake, and a sign at the lot entrance points to the restroom, which is at the motorboat landing about 200 yards from the unloading area. Day permits are in a box on the left side of the bulletin board. The walk from the lot to the water is 5 rods.³

BWCA Wild notes the same landing serves both EP27 and EP28. Canoes launch by the dock, or from the motorboat landing if you stay out of the way of trailers. The dock was not in place in October 2021, and the water is about a foot deep near shore with large boulders on the bottom.³

The first leg

There is no portage before the water. The Parent Lake carry leaves straight out from the landing, to the left.³

Since you sleep on Snowbank, the first leg is the crossing to your campsite. The lake has 13 campsites in BWCA Wild's count. Sites 2 and 3 are mainly for Snowbank Lake Trail hikers, sites 5 to 10 cluster near the Boot Lake portage, and sites 11 and 12 are on Harri Island.⁴

Terrain and difficulty

Snowbank covers 4,655 acres, runs 150 feet deep and sits at 1,425 feet. Much of the lake is outside the wilderness, with cabins and two commercial lodges on the shore. Motors up to 25 horsepower are allowed on the lake.⁴

It is large, open, clear and deep, and exposed to wind, so BWCA Wild advises against launching in strong wind. The north end near the Boot Lake portage is especially exposed, and the 1999 Independence Day windstorm and July 2016 storms left damage on the north shore and along the Disappointment portage.^3,4

The north side burned in 1910 and a large area burned in 1917, both slash fires after early logging, according to the BWCA Wild lake page.⁴

Quota at this entry point

• 2026 daily quota at Snowbank Lake Only (EP28), overnight paddle: 1 group a day. This was the most common daily total on Rec.gov across May to September 2026, shown on 130 of 153 dates. The other 23 dates showed 0. For comparison, the paddle division of Snowbank Lake (EP27) showed 8 on 129 dates.²

Rules specific to this entry point

Rec.gov's remarks say you must camp all nights on Snowbank and that there are no motors with the paddle permit. The Forest Service lists no horsepower limit for EP28.^2,1

Day trips are allowed to other lakes by paddle. Disappointment Lake can be reached over the 140-rod carry or through Parent Lake, and you return to your Snowbank site for the night.^1,3

Where it leads

Disappointment Lake is the main day trip. The 140-rod portage is well worn and crosses the Snowbank Lake Trail, and BWCA Wild measured a gain of 57 feet from Snowbank in October 2021, with the reverse trip almost all downhill.^3,5

The alternative is 80 rods to Parent Lake, then an 85-rod portage to Disappointment. It spends less time on open Snowbank, so BWCA Wild rates it better in high wind. Friends of the Boundary Waters calls the two 80-rod Parent carries mostly downhill and somewhat rocky.^3,4,7

Boot Lake is about 3.5 miles away, usually over an hour, via two portages separated by a small pond. The BWCA Wild lake page lists 80 rods then 55 rods. Friends notes that Boot Lake's two campsites are popular because of their closeness to Snowbank.^3,4,7

Flash Lake is a 145-rod portage that allows a loop back to Moose Lake, and Grub Lake is a 35-rod portage. Neither is a place to camp on this permit.^4,2

What trip reports say

A June 2018 bwca.com report by a solo paddler (handle Ausable) left the Snowbank dock about 8:30 am on a sunny day in the mid 80s with a light breeze. The 140-rod portage to Disappointment took just under two hours, and the writer called it long and tough.⁶

The same report found the Disappointment Lake route busy, with Boy Scout groups passing often, while Sagus and Raven were quiet.⁶

BWCA Wild's most recent Snowbank visit was May 1, 2024 and saw loons. It says most visitors head straight for the three major portages and that many boats fish the lake.⁴

When to go from here

Wind rules a Snowbank-only trip. BWCA Wild suggests starting early and returning around dusk to avoid large waves, and Friends says the long crossing is best made in the early morning before winds pick up. If the weather is poor, Friends suggests following the protected southern shore toward Parent Lake.^3,7

Compare with nearby entry points

• Snowbank Lake (EP27): Snowbank Lake (EP27) is the same landing without the camping rule, with a paddle quota of 8 on Rec.gov in 2026 against 1 here, and an overnight motor division besides. EP27 lets you travel on and sleep on other lakes; EP28 does not.^1,2,3
• Lake One (EP30): Lake One (EP30) is a paddle-only canoe landing further along the same Fernberg Road, about a quarter mile past the Snowbank turnoff, with no camping restriction on its main permit.^1,3
• Moose Lake (EP25): Moose Lake (EP25) is an overnight paddle or motor entry with a 25 horsepower limit, and the 145-rod Flash Lake portage from Snowbank is the loop link between the two lakes.^1,4

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, Snowbank Lake Restricted division, Recreation.gov. Read 2026-10-15.
3. Entry Point 28 - Snowbank Lake (restricted), BWCA Wild. Read 2026-10-15.
4. Snowbank Lake, BWCA Wild. Read 2026-10-15.
5. Portage between Snowbank Lake and Disappointment Lake, BWCA Wild. Read 2026-10-15.
6. Solo trip to Raven Lake (Mugwump PMA 8), 2018, bwca.com. Read 2026-10-15.
7. Loop through Parent and Disappointment Lakes, Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness. 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 Snowbank Lake Only (EP28) permit