Scenic Boundary Waters canoeing day trips on lakes and rivers near Ely, Minnesota, take you to historic Native American pictographs, picturesque views, and fishing hot spots. This is a great way to get a sense of what the Boundary Waters is all about! No experience necessary.
A knowledgeable and friendly guide, canoes, paddles, and life jackets are included. You’ll learn some basic paddling and wilderness traveling skills, and your guide is happy to answer all your questions. The itinerary is customized to your preferences, including the time you’d like to meet for the trip and how long you’d like to be on the water. Day trip clients commonly meet at 9am and are back at the shop in mid-afternoon. Day trips launch rain or shine, so be sure to bring rain gear.
Guided canoeing day trips are $350 for a group of up to 2 people, and $500 for a group of up to 4 people. Additional guests (up to a maximum of eight guests) are $50 per person. Pricing is with guests driving their vehicle to the entry point with the canoes, using our free canoe tie-down supplies. Shuttle service for the day trip is available for an additional charge.
We do not typically have professional fishing guide availability for day trips. However, our day trip trail guides can assist with recreational fishing if you’d like to try angling.
Personal Items to Bring on Guided Day Trips
- Reliably waterproof rain gear tops and bottoms
- Sunglasses
- Brimmed hat
- Waterproof camera, or non-waterproof camera with water protection
- Sunscreen
- A bag lunch*
- Water bottle and water*
- Insect repellant
- Fishing licenses, if intending to fish
- Optional fishing gear. Free loaner fishing poles are available with advance notice.
* Note that cans and glass bottles are prohibited in the BWCAW.