Interactive Map - Map & Location Details
Map Details
Left-clicking anywhere on the map will display the latitude and longitude of the location in the lower left corner of the map. It will also show the Fisher, McKenzie, and Voyageur maps that cover that location. You can click on the map name to display the area that the map covers. Click on "Hide Maps" to hide the map boundaries.
Features
Entry points, primitive management areas, and some other features are available at all zoom levels. Campsites, portages, and lakes will not appear until you zoom in. This helps the map run faster and more smoothly. Every location marker (campsite, portage, lake, and entry point) will show a popup window if you click on it. The popup window shows some basic information as well as some icons to show what additional information is available. Clicking on the location's name in the popup window will show you the additional information.
Ratings/Comments Available (for Campsites and Portages)
Photos of Location Available (for Entry Points, Campsites, and Portages)
Trip Reports Available (for Lakes and Entry Points)
Fish Data Available (for Lakes)
Lake Contours Available (for Lakes)
Most locations also have a "Add to RouteFinder" link that allows you to add the location to your RouteFinder destination list.
Campsites
Clicking on a campsite will show the campsite number (just an identifying number) and the average user rating (if any). Closed/unverified campsites are gray. However, there are few campsites shown as active that really are closed. Therefore, verify all information obtained from this map with other sources. Getting to a campsite and then finding it closed can be at best an inconvenience and at worst dangerous.
Quetico Campsites
In May 2014, J. Archer Harris transferred the Paddler's Campsite Database (PCD) to Paddle Planner. Unlike the BWCA, the Quetico does not have designated campsites. Commercial maps sometimes show places that are often used as campsites. The PCD obtained data about potential campsites from a few sources, including commercial maps, the
Legacy Forest Internet Map Server, and user input. A red/pink campsite means that the data came from a semi-reliable source (commercial maps, user input, or has been verified). Gray campsites came from the Legacy Forest Internet Map Server and have not been verified to be actual campsites. The "campsites" from the Legacy Forest Server are especially unreliable because they sometimes represent places such as lunch spots rather than places that you could set up camp. View these campsites with great suspicion.
Entry Points
Clicking on an entry point will show the entry point number, its name, the type of entry point, the daily permit quota, and a link to see more information on the entry point. The entry points are positioned at a likely parking lot or trailhead, not at the entry itself. In some cases, especially with the Quetico southern entries, the entry point represents a point on the lake that the entry point represents.
Photos
Photos uploaded by members of this site are displayed if they were tagged with a location. To upload your own photo, make sure you are logged in, right-click on the location, and select "Add Photo." You will only be given this option if you are zoomed in far enough to see campsites on the map. Clicking on a photo icon on the map will show the photo in the browser. You can hover over the top of the photo to see the photo name and photographer with a link to the photo's page and/or member's profile.
Lake Information
Clicking on a lake will show a window with the lake name and, if available, a link to the appropriate state or province page for that lake. Most lakes have this link. The states and/or provinces have compiled a lot of data for lakes, including fish species, stocking information, lake maps, water quality, and water levels. Not all information is available for all lakes. For some lakes on the map, a link will be included, but nothing will appear on the state/province website, meaning no information is available. Some states/provinces do not have individual pages for lakes. In these cases, the link will take you to a different tool provided by the state/province.
Right-clicking on lake may give you an option to view an overlay of the contours. This option is not available for all lakes. I am working on getting the lake contours put in, and I am generally starting at the large lakes and working down to the small ones. To hide the lake contours, right-click on the lake again and select "Hide Lake Contours."
In Internet Explorer versions 8 and below, you must click on the blue lake icons instead of clicking anywhere on the lake as is available in other browsers.
Portages
Clicking on a portage will show the portage number (just an identifying number) and the number of rods (1 rod = 16.5 feet).
The portage lengths were calculated using GPS coordinates and probably are not 100% accurate. Because the length is not totally accurate, it is only included to give a general idea of the distance. The position of the portage also may not be exact. In some cases, the portage shown is old and has been changed since the data was compiled.
If you have the appropriate membership level, the portage detail information includes a graph showing the elevation in meters at 2-rod intervals. The graph gives a general idea of the elevation profile of the portage. The first time a portage's elevation data is retrieved may take a few seconds, so be patient. After it is loaded the first time, it will load much more quickly in the future.
Important note about the elevation graph: The graph uses the USGS's elevation service to obtain the elevation data. This data may include approximations, so it cannot be considered 100% accurate. The graph is included to show an approximation of the terrain you will have to traverse on the portage. You should also consider the scale of the graph. The graph may make the portage look very hilly, but the scale on the left of the map may only change by a few meters, meaning that the portage actually is very flat. On the other hand, the graph may look smooth, but the scale may change by several dozen meters, making the portage very hilly. (The first situation is much more common than the second.)
Hiking Trails
Currently, the only information available for hiking trails is the name of the trail. Not all hiking trails are included on the map.
Boundaries
The boundaries for the paddling areas are shown. No information is available by clicking on them.
Primitive Management Areas
There are 12 Primitive Management Areas (PMAs) in the BWCA. These are areas that have no designated campsites or maintained portages. They can be very challenging both physically and mentally. Though you can enter them on day trips, you must obtain a special permit to be able to camp overnight in them (contact the applicable
ranger district for more information). Each PMA is divided into zones. Only one party per night may camp in a zone. Clicking on a PMA will show the PMA name and the zone.
All campsites in PMAs are shown as gray dots (closed). These are old campsites that may or may not be serviceable to those staying in a PMA. The portage data I obtained included portages in PMAs. However, portages in PMAs are not maintained. These portages probably are just faint trails through the woods (if even that). I have left them on the map for informational purposes.
Burn Areas
The approximate boundaries for seven major fires are shown: Turtle Lake (2005), Alpine Lake (2005), Cavity Lake (2006), Famine Lake (2006), Red Eye Lake (2006), Ham Lake (2007), and Pagami Creek (2011). Only these seven burn areas are shown even though there are many other areas that have burned recently. You should also note that portions within the burn area may not have burned at all.