Northern Lakes Canoe Base

Located 20 miles north of Ely, MN, just a short paddle from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, this wilderness tripping camp offers completely outfitted canoe trips.  Girls ages 12-18 -- and adults -- come on 3, 5, 7, and 10 day canoe trips.  Participants come from Minnesota, Wisconsin, and throughout the United States.  Guides are certified in Lifeguarding and Wilderness First Aid.

Each summer we host a Girl Scouts of the USA destination from the Canoe Base called North Country Rock-N-Wilderness.  For more information, visit http://www.studio2b.org/escape

Trip Activities

Arrival Day
We meet mid-day in Ely to travel to the canoe base.  After splitting into canoeing groups, training begins. Girls learn about paddling, portaging and canoe safety. We spend the first night in tents at the canoe base.

Adventure Begins
The following morning after breakfast, we are off on the wilderness adventure of a lifetime! We enjoy the eagles and loons as we paddle and portage to new lakes. Each day we will arrive at a new camp site where we will pitch tents and spend the afternoon and evening swimming, relaxing, journaling, exploring, and laughing with new and old friends.

Layover Day
We wake up to a pancake feast. Some of us take a short day trip to see pictographs, waterfalls or the Root Beer Lady’s old homestead.

Final Day
We paddle back into the base singing and talking about our new skills and accomplishments.  We unpack our bags, take a hot shower, visit the trading post and start planning for next year!

Bring a friend

Girl Scouts can bring friends, even if they are not currently Girl Scouts. The friend's camp session costs the registration fee plus $12 and registers them as a Girl Scout.  To bring a friend, complete separate registrations and mail in the same envelope. Girls must put each other's name on the registration form and register for the same session.