Custom Guided Camping Trips
Guided Boundary Waters Camping Canoe Trips in Ely, Minnesota
The professional guides of Boundary Waters Guide Service are experienced outdoor educators, savvy anglers, and just plain fun people to have along on your trip.
Let us unlock the mysteries of the Boundary Waters and take the hassle and worry out of day-to-day decisions. Expect the best, most knowledgeable and friendliest guides in the business. Our guides are licensed through the US Forest Service and committed to your successful adventure. They’re a wealth of information, and their advice will help you get the most from your wilderness experience.
With over a million acres, a thousand lakes, and 1,200 miles of canoe routes, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is full of options. Let us understand your goals and we’ll email you custom route options that fit your unique interests and expectations. Click here for our Trip Routing Form.
What Is Included
Our professionally guided camping trips are completely outfitted with the best ultralight canoes and top-notch camping equipment. We even provide your comfy, freshly-laundered sleeping bag and camp pillow. In addition to the self-guided complete outfitting package gear, guided trips include optional Big Agnes camp chairs and fishing poles. They also include a gravity water filtration system. All you need to bring are your clothes and be ready for fun! Your guide prepares mouthwatering meals, and is focused on you having an amazing canoe camping adventure.
A Knowledgeable, professional guide
Planning and Preparation
- Expert trip planning and routing advice
- Thorough pre-trip orientation at our shop. We review your outfitting, show you how to use everything, answer your questions, and do a complete route-out sharing our favorite campsites, fishing hotspots, and points of interest. We also share advice on navigation, safety, leave-no-trace ethics, and how to get the most from your trip.
Traveling System
- Ultralight canoes with comfy portage pads
- Performance paddles
- Premium, comfortable life vests
- Detailed waterproof navigation maps of your route (One free set per group. Yes, take these home with you!)
- Navigation compass with lanyard
- Specialized portage packs (for camping equipment, clothing, and personal items), with waterproof liners
- Nylon stuff sacks to stow clothes in your portage pack
Sleep System
- Ultralight backcountry tents (in sizes rated for 1, 2, 3 or 4 people)
- Comfy, freshly laundered Big Agnes sleeping bags rated to 20 degrees F
- Thick, light, comfy, inflatable Big Agnes Rapide SL full-length sleeping pads
- Therm-A-Rest pack pillow
Deluxe Camping Food
- Deluxe camping food – Click here for our exclusive mouthwatering menu including fresh food options. Our guests rave about the menu. You’ll find signature local items made in Ely as well as Ely’s own gourmet coffee. We even pack snacks, s’mores, and optional individual packets of tartar sauce, lemon juice, and malt vinegar for your lakeside fish fry. With advance notice, we can accommodate many dietary restrictions. Our food packages comply with BWCAW rules prohibiting metal cans and glass bottles. A great trip deserves great food!
- Color-coded food packing system
- Specialized food pack, with waterproof liner
Camp Kitchen
- Camp stove with pressurized fuel
- Nesting cooking pots
- Deluxe fry pan griddle
- Specialized pot and griddle gripper handle
- Trail coffee press
- Plates, bowls, and cups
- Specialized northwoods utensil bag designed to tie on a tree trunk for off-the-ground drying and storage
- Utensils including forks, spoons, knives, serving spoon, ladle, and spatula
- Folding bucket (for doing dishes and dousing your campfire)
- Dishcleaning kit, including biodegradable soap, sponge, abrasive cleaning pad (SOS pad), and non-scratch pot scraper
- Bear rope system for hanging food
- Cook grate and trowel (Quetico only. BWCAW campsites have iron grates and latrines.)
Hydration
- SteriPEN drinking water sterilization device
- Gravity drinking water filtration device
- Souvenir Nalgene 1 liter personal water bottle for each participant (Yes, take these home with you!)
Camp Comfort
- Crazy Creek camp chairs that also work for canoeing back support
- Compact trail hammock
- Slap straps for safe, simple and tree-friendly hanging of hammock
Camp Essentials
- Quality lightweight coated nylon 10′ x 12′ rain tarp (ie, dining canopy) with attached rope
- Matches and lighter
- Trail saw
- Toilet paper
- Hand sanitizer
- 50′ of utility cord (handy for a clothes line, extra guyline, securing a canoe, etc.)
- Small roll of duct tape
- A group first aid kit
Fishing
- Fishing poles, live bait, & the tackle to fish with live bait
Hot showers & a cold beverage on your return
The EOC Experience
- Superior service every step of the way
- A friend-helping-friend vibe
2026 Per Person Rates
Fully Outfitted and Guided Custom Boundary Waters Canoe Trips
10% off adult price for youth under 18 years. One youth discount per adult at full price.
These rates include your licensed guide, ultralight canoes, specialized camping equipment and trail food outfitting. Customers do not pay Minnesota sales tax on professionally guided trips.
| 8 people | 7 people | 6 people | 5 people | 4 people | 3 people | 2 people | 1 person | |
| 2 Days | $390 | $460 | $490 | $505 | $530 | $610 | $780 | $1,295 |
| 3 Days | $580 | $635 | $670 | $720 | $795 | $920 | $1,170 | $1,950 |
| 4 Days | $775 | $845 | $895 | $960 | $995 | $1,225 | $1,560 | $2,600 |
| 5 Days | $965 | $1,005 | $1,115 | $1,175 | $1,275 | $1,530 | $1,950 | $3,250 |
| 6 Days | $1,155 | $1,210 | $1,340 | $1,395 | $1,525 | $1,840 | $2,340 | $3,900 |
| 7 Days | $1,345 | $1,410 | $1,560 | $1,595 | $1,855 | $2,145 | $2,730 | $4,550 |
| 8 Days | $1,540 | $1,610 | $1,785 | $1,875 | $2,085 | $2,450 | $3,120 | $5,200 |
For trips of 9 or more days, please call 218-343-7951 for pricing.
The above rates do not include BWCAW or Quetico Provincial Park entry permit fees, entry point transportation fees, individual fishing licenses, or guide gratuity.
Discounts are not cumulative. First and last days count as full days.
FAQs
Why professionally guided?
A professionally guided canoe trip makes your trip planning simple, and ensures you have a knowledgeable person along every step of the way. Our professional guides provide a wealth of canoeing and wilderness skills. And they’re happy to share. Take the worry out of navigation and basic wilderness travel issues and let our guides share the wilderness with you. You’ll learn more and, if you’re fishing, you’ll catch more fish with a professional guide along.
Is a professional guide necessary?
Most BWCAW groups travel self-guided without a professional guide along. While a guide may not be necessary, our clients love the guided experience.
How many people can I bring?
The US Forest Service limits the BWCAW group size to nine people. Your guide is included in this number. Thus, you can bring up to eight people per traveling group. If your group has more than eight people, then you must split into two separate groups with two separate permits. Even with multiple permits, no more than nine people or four watercraft can be grouped together at any time in the Wilderness. Oftentimes, large groups will separate into multiple traveling parties based on different ability levels and interests.
Does our Guide do the trail cooking?
Your guide takes the lead on cooking, which is a real trail skill. We encourage participants to be as involved as they'd like to be in all parts of the trail experience. Definitely feel free to jump in and help out with meal prep and cleanup.
Where Does The Guide Sleep?
The guide has their own tent.
Can I talk with my guide before the trip?
Our guides typically touch base with you about a week before the trip. This timing may vary depending on factors such as the guide's trail schedule. Although a guide is often assigned well before your trip, we are unable to guarantee particular guides due to changing staffing needs. Our knowledgable outfitting staff is happy to help you with any pre-trip questions.
When should I arrive for my trip?
We recommend arriving the afternoon before your canoe trip launches. This gives you time to meet your guide, take care of last minute details, and finish packing so you're ready to get a prompt (ie, 7 or 7:30a) start on your first morning. If your schedule doesn't allow that, you will meet your guide and get outfitted the morning your trip launches.
What time will we get off trail on our last day?
Groups commonly get off trail between 1 and 2p. However, this custom trip allows you to select a time that fits perfectly with your schedule and preferences. Groups commonly begin their travels home (sometimes catching a flight) on the same day they get off trail.
Photos
Happy Campers
"We were a group of four women and our guide, Megan, was awesome. From our first contact with Ely Outfitting Company to turning in our soiled camping and canoeing equipment they were supportive, professional and informative. Megan, small but mighty, added so much value to our Boundary Waters experience. We wanted solitude and a great get-away and this trip satisfied all those requirement and more. We will definitely be back and use Ely Outfitting Company. It was a perfect trip to an enchanting and beautiful place. Thank you"
-Cindy Kindred
If you've ever wanted to explore the Boundary Waters Canoe Area but weren't sure where to start, Ely Outfitting Company is the answer. We booked a fully guided trip and could not have been happier with the experience. They provided everything we needed - quality camping gear, all meals, and expert guidance - so all we had to bring were our clothes and fishing gear.
Our guide, Dave Freeman, was exceptional. His professionalism, deep knowledge of the area, and easygoing personality made every day enjoyable and stress-free. Dave's unique experience of spending a full year in the BWCA with his wife shows in his ability to navigate, teach, and inspire. We always felt safe and well taken care of, and his efficiency on the trail and in camp was impressive.
The food was excellent - hearty, delicious, and plentiful. We never went hungry, and every meal felt like a welcome reward after a day of paddling and portaging.
The entire Ely Outfitting staff deserves recognition. Everyone we met was warm, welcoming, and highly skilled at their jobs. Their passion for the Boundary Waters is contagious, and they truly make you feel like part of the wilderness community.
For anyone hesitant about a BWCA trip, especially first-time campers, I wholeheartedly recommend going with Ely Outfitting Company. They take the uncertainty out of the equation, allowing you to focus on enjoying one of the most beautiful places in the world.