BWCAW Quota Permit — Wood Lake (EP26)

Wood Lake (EP26): what makes it different

Wood Lake is a paddle-only overnight entry point off the Fernberg Road near Ely that starts with a 180-rod carry from a small lot to a marshy landing. The quota is 2 groups a day, and the long first portage is the reason most reports call it a quiet way in.^1,2,3,6

Getting to the start

The Forest Service lists EP26 as an overnight, paddle-only entry in the Kawishiwi District, run from Ely. The access is a 180-rod portage to Wood Lake. Rec.gov's division text repeats it.^1,2

One guide puts the entry just under 13 miles northeast of Ely on Highway 169, on the north side of the road, which passes Fall Lake Campground on the way. The lot is small and has no restroom. The nearest one is down the road at the Tofte Lake access.³

A bulletin board stands at the trailhead with the portage trail to its right.³

The first leg

The portage is 180 rods, just over half a mile. A BWCA Wild measurement in 2016 has the trail dropping about 60 feet from the lot down to Wood Lake, passing west of a small hillock, mostly level and gently downhill, in excellent condition.^5,3

Friends of the Boundary Waters describes the trail as gently rolling, with a bridge over a low area and a smaller bridge over an intermittent stream.⁸

Coming back the other way, the first stretch after the lake climbs gradually. The 2016 visit noted heavy blowdown from a July 2016 storm, with trees leaning over the path while the trail stayed clear. A small bridge near the lot is followed by a short, mild uphill.^5,3

The landing is at the marshy south tip of Wood Lake, where views are limited. You weave through the marsh a short way to reach open water.^3,4

Terrain and difficulty

Wood Lake covers 617 acres, reaches 21 feet deep and sits at 1,343 feet. Shallow water with thick plants covers much of the lake, and the northeast bay is shallow. The south shore is the most rugged, with some cliffs, and the rest of the shore is aspen, birch, balsam fir and some pine.⁴

A 2003 portage report calls Wood clear, fairly shallow, with a few deep spots, and says its campsites are very open, so bring a tarp for shade. A 2000 report adds nesting eagles.^6,7

The lake burned in 1910, in slash left by early logging, according to the BWCA Wild lake page, which cites Heinselman.⁴

Quota at this entry point

• 2026 daily quota at Wood Lake (EP26), overnight paddle: 2 groups 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 0.²

Rules specific to this entry point

No motors. The Forest Service lists EP26 as paddle only and shows no horsepower limit.^1,2

Most Wood Lake campsites have been cleared of firewood, so you may have to gather dead timber at some of them.⁴

Where it leads

Wood Lake has five campsites. One guide lists an island site on the east side of the south bay, a southwest shore site, a mid-lake narrows site that suits large groups, a north bay site about half a mile southeast of the Hula Lake portage that has the most solitude, and a westernmost site.⁴

The only way out of Wood Lake is a 40-rod portage to Hula Lake, then on to Good Lake. From Good Lake two routes reach Basswood Lake, and other options include Indiana Lake, Wind Lake and Moose Lake.^4,3

Friends of the Boundary Waters rates the Wood Lake to Basswood Lake route as intermediate: 2 days, 11 miles and 8 portages totalling 932 rods, the longest 150 rods, ending at Hoist Bay on Basswood. The 150-rod carry into Good Lake is soft-bottomed and can turn muddy in spring or wet spells.⁸

What trip reports say

A summer 2003 portage report on Quiet Journey (handle kenwilson, low water) calls the 180 rods well kept, with length the only complaint. The landing is muddy, and outfitters sometimes leave their canoes at the far end, which crowds the landing for others. The writer says the entry sees little use because of the carry.⁶

A summer 2000 report on the same site (author Jim, average water) describes rolling ground over rock on a decent trail and a boggy landing that is hard on a loaded canoe. It suggests taking the path to the right at the end for a better launch spot.⁷

A BWCA Wild author who visited in June 2024 found a busy lake and said you will not find much solitude there. The same author watched a loon alarmed by an eagle, and saw loon and eagle on that visit.⁴

When to go from here

Water level changes the landing and the carries. The 2003 report was written at low water, and the Good Lake carry is described as a mud pit in spring or wet periods. Both older reports call the Wood Lake landing muddy or boggy.^6,8,7

Compare with nearby entry points

• Moose Lake (EP25): Moose Lake (EP25) is a boat landing or canoe launch with a 25 horsepower limit, so you put in at the water. Wood Lake is paddle only and asks for 180 rods of walking before any water.¹
• Snowbank Lake (EP27): Snowbank Lake (EP27) is also a boat landing or canoe launch with a 25 horsepower limit and many trip options. Wood Lake has one way out, through Hula and Good lakes, with no loop back to a different landing.^1,4
• Lake One (EP30): Lake One (EP30) is a paddle-only canoe landing, like Wood Lake, but it needs no portage before the water.^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, Wood Lake division, Recreation.gov. Read 2026-10-15.
3. BWCA Entry Point 26 - Wood Lake, BWCA Wild. Read 2026-10-15.
4. Wood Lake, BWCA Wild. Read 2026-10-15.
5. Portage between BWCA Entry Point 26 and Wood Lake, BWCA Wild. Read 2026-10-15.
6. Entry #26 to Wood, Quiet Journey. Read 2026-10-15.
7. Entry #26 to Wood, Quiet Journey. Read 2026-10-15.
8. Wood Lake to Basswood Lake, Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness. Read 2026-10-15.
9. Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Permits, Superior National Forest, USDA Forest Service. Read 2026-10-15.

Safety & planning

Alternatives to a Wood Lake (EP26) permit