BWCAW Quota Permit — Stuart River (EP19)

Stuart River (EP19): what makes it different

Stuart River is the long-carry entry on the Echo Trail: a 480-rod portage, roughly a mile and a half, mostly downhill through big pines to a winding river with no campsites on it. Only one group a day is allowed, and the first regular campsites are on Stuart Lake at the end of the river.^1,2,3,4

Getting to the start

The Forest Service lists EP19 in the Kawishiwi District, run from Ely, as an overnight paddle-only entry, with access by a 480-rod portage to the Stuart River. Recreation.gov gives the Kawishiwi Ranger Station number in Ely, 218-365-7561.^1,2

From Ely it is about 23 miles and 45 minutes. One guide routes you east on West Sheridan Street 1.2 miles, onto Highway 169 for a mile, left on Grant McMahan Boulevard for 2.3 miles, then right on the Echo Trail for 17.7 miles to the Stuart River sign.³

The entry is on the north side of the Echo Trail, across the road from the Big Lake (EP7) access. The lot is a fairly small roundabout, sized for a quota of one party a day. There is no restroom at EP19, and the nearest one is at the Big Lake landing across the road.³

The first leg

The 480-rod portage is the whole first leg. The entry page's header says 450 rods, the text says 480, and the Stuart River page says 450. The Forest Service and Recreation.gov say 480, so plan for that.^1,2,3,5

Going in, the carry loses about 155 feet of elevation, so it is downhill. BWCA Wild rates it easy and says it is usually in very good condition, with a few rocks, maybe a fallen tree, and huge pines along the way. Coming back out it is a gradual uphill.⁴

Landmarks, as BWCA Wild marks them: the wilderness boundary sign at about 250 rods, an unnamed creek at about 320 rods, and Swamp Creek at about 400 rods, roughly 80 rods before the river. A short boardwalk comes just before Swamp Creek, and heavy rain can flood both crossings.⁴

A faint winter ski trail crosses just past the unnamed creek and is easy to miss. The last 10 rods run through marsh along the Stuart River, and there is no formal landing.⁴

Terrain and difficulty

The Stuart River is a lazy, winding river about 9.1 miles long. It falls 161 feet from Baldpate Lake (1,410 feet) to Stuart Lake (1,249 feet), with a few minor rapids and depth over 5 feet in places. The one real drop is the waterfall where it enters Stuart Lake.^5,6

Beavers have built dams at fairly regular intervals, one about five feet high, with thigh-deep mud around them. Low water makes the river hard work.⁵

No major fire has hit the area for well over a century, according to BWCA Wild's record of fires in 1862, 1864, 1875, 1894 and 1904.⁶

Quota at this entry point

• 2026 daily quota at Stuart River (EP19), overnight paddle: 1 group a day. One was the only nonzero daily total on Rec.gov across May to September 2026. BWCA Wild also lists one party a day. The Rec.gov calendar listed no permits after early July 2026, so check it for your own dates.^2,3

Rules specific to this entry point

There are no campsites along the Stuart River, unless you hold a permit for the Sundial Lake PMA. An old site on White Feather Lake in that area needs a PMA permit, which can be requested with your regular BWCA permit.^3,5

Where it leads

Stuart Lake is 776 acres and 40 feet deep, with northern pike and many small walleye. It has five campsites, and BWCA Wild says the best is on the east shore just south of the Fox Lake portage.⁶

From Stuart Lake, carries run 118 rods to the Dahlgren River, 292 to Fox Lake and 78 back to the Stuart River. The Dahlgren leads toward Lac La Croix.⁶

Friends of the Boundary Waters describes a 5-day, 37-mile Stuart River and Iron Lake loop from this entry. It has 19 portages totaling 2,407 rods, is rated challenging, and brings you back to the 480-rod carry to finish.⁷

What trip reports say

BWCA Wild last walked the carry in September 2020 and logged an earlier visit in September 2016. It notes the quota of one means you will likely have the river mostly to yourself.^3,4

The Friends route guide says the first day starts with the 480-rod carry, then the winding river and Stuart Lake, with five more portages along the way. BWCA Wild's river page lists only a 78-rod carry into Stuart Lake, so the two do not match on the river's carry count.^7,5

BWCA Wild's river page, last visited September 2014, saw beaver and waterfowl, and says nearly all paddlers go downriver toward Stuart Lake.⁵

When to go from here

Because the first regular campsites are on Stuart Lake, an early start is recommended. Groups often arrange a pickup at another entry point so they do not have to carry back the 480 rods uphill.^3,4

Rain matters more than the calendar here, because both creek crossings on the carry can flood and low water makes the river a drag.^4,5

Compare with nearby entry points

• Angleworm Lake (EP20): Angleworm Lake (EP20) is the other long-carry entry from Ely, at 640 rods on the Forest Service list. Stuart River is shorter at 480 rods.¹
• Mudro Lake (EP23): Mudro Lake (EP23) is also paddle only out of Ely, but its three accesses range from 20 to 185 rods and Rec.gov showed 5 groups a day in 2026, against 1 here.^1,2

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, Stuart River division, Recreation.gov. Read 2026-10-15.
3. Entry Point 19 - Stuart River, BWCA Wild. Read 2026-10-15.
4. Portage between BWCA Entry Point 19 and the Stuart River, BWCA Wild. Read 2026-10-15.
5. Stuart River, BWCA Wild. Read 2026-10-15.
6. Stuart Lake, BWCA Wild. Read 2026-10-15.
7. Stuart River, Iron Lake Loop, 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 Stuart River (EP19) permit