Quetico Portage 5316 (Tanner)

Past comments describe this portage accurately in my opinion. Since the fire in 2021, this portage was seldomly used and overgrown. Just commenting to say this portage was cleared by Quetico Portage crews in September of 2024. Due to a dry fall and a scorched, exposed landscape, the portage was much drier than I was expecting. I would still expect it to be very wet in June.

I've complete this portage (Eat em Up) 3 times. Each time North to South (1995, 2015, 2019) and it has basically been the same each time. Lots of moose muck, pretty buggy, and the swamp area about 3/4 through the portage is especially moose mucky (crotch deep in parts). Most importantly, however, is that the north egress onto the portage is incorrectly located on PaddlePlanner, McKenzie, and Fisher maps. The north egress is actually located directly south of the tip of the large, southmost island in Tanner lake (as opposed to at the south creek). Of course, the official Quetico Park map accurately marks the portage.

This portage sucked. Top 2 worst portages I have done. There is a bog right in the middle that the trail runs straight through. One step and you go hip deep (no exaggeration). Hopefully you don't lose a shoe or boot. Heck of a lot longer than 199 rods too. Will avoid doing this one again. Also, Andrews Creek now has three beaver dams you have to lift your canoe over.

Not as bad as the name (Eat 'em up) implies. We got very wet from the heavy growth of brush. Some nasty mud in the middle.