Oyster, Ge-Be-On-E-Quet,
La Croix Loop

This challenging loop out of Nina Moose is remarkable for its beauty, which is enhanced by numerous groves of red and white pine you will paddle past or portage through. Indeed, this route takes you through some of the most stunning examples of old-growth forest in the BWCAW..

Detailed Route Info

The 160-rod portage from the parking lot down a great trail will bring you to the edge of the Moose River. After several short portages, you will paddle up the Moose River to where it drops into Nina Moose Lake. This easy stretch of river may have a couple beaver dams, but soon widens into Nina Moose Lake, which is a great lake to spend your first evening.

As you paddle along the Nina Moose River, you’ll take two portages to reach Lake Agnes, both of which are about average in difficulty. Lake Agnes is one of the main paddling intersections in the western BWCAW, and a wonderful destination or stopover in its own right. Seventeen campsites are positioned along its shores, and the relatively murky waters are rich in nutrients for the healthy populations of pike and walleye.

Take the 160-rod portage from Lake Agnes over to the Oyster River (which is a much better option than paddling up the length of the Oyster River and taking a 20-rod portage along the way). The northern half of the Oyster River (reached from the 160-rod portage) is much easier to navigate than the southern half, and leads to the final 63-rod portage to Oyster Lake.

Oyster Lake, has three great campsites on peninsulas. The lake is also in an area that is home to some of the oldest red and white pine. There are numerous groves of mixed aged trees, some more than 200 years old. The southern and eastern campsites on Oyster are also nice, a few having decent sandy shorelines for swimming.

Head north out of Oyster Lake and on to Ge-be-on-e-quet Lake by way of Rocky and Green Lakes. This is a beautiful stretch of small lakes with steep shorelines. There is a small display of pictographs on the western shore of Rocky Lake. The 120-rod portage from Green Lake over to Ge-be-on-e-quet climbs gradually for about 90 rods before dropping steeply down into Ge-be-on-e-quet Lake, which you leave via a 35-rod portage into Ge-be-on-e-quet Creek.

Once on Lac La Croix you have what seems like an ocean of islands and bays to explore. Motorboats are permitted on all of the Canadian side of Lac La Croix, and a few tow services actually travel all the way across Lac La Croix to Bottle portage on the far eastern edge of the lake.

Paddle across Lac La Croix and portage 115-rods to Lake Agnes. From here, you’ll be in familiar territory. Explore the bays and islands you may have missed and paddle back to the parking lot

*Route information provided courtesy of Dan Pauly, and have been modified from his book, Exploring the Boundary Waters: A Trip Planner and Guide to the BWCAW. University of Minnesota Press, 2004