Short BWCA Trip – Cache Bay Pictographs
Have you ever seen pictographs?
Better question, have you ever seen really clear pictographs?
Often times you have to squint to really make out the images but not in Cache Bay! The pictographs on the east side of the bay are plain as day and make for a good excuse to plan a trip.
My partner, Stryde, who you might know from my Rose Lake Post, and Arlo came with me on this short adventure. We made it into a jampacked overnight trip but you could easily stretch it into a weekend trip. This one is great for beginner paddlers and kids!
I’ll list the main attractions, point out some good campsites, and share a couple of suggestions but first, have a look at the map:
You’ll start your adventure at the public landing at the end of the Gunflint Trail. You can park your car in the public parking lot, paddle through Gull Lake and down the Seagull River to pick up your permit at Voyageur Canoe Outfitters then through entry point 55 into Sagnanaga.
- Total miles (straight to pictographs): 11.5 miles
- Average paddle time: 4 hours (*this depends heavily on the wind on Saganaga)
- Portages: 0
What You Need:
Don’t let this list of permits spook you! It just takes a little planning.
- Permit into Saganaga, which you can find HERE and pick up at Voyageur Canoe Outfitters as you paddle up to the BWCA entry point.
- Fishing license if you plan on doing any fishing
- Remote Area Border Crossing Permit for non-Canadian citizens, which costs $30 and takes three to four weeks to process if you apply online. If you can get to a Canadian customs office, it only takes about 20 minutes to apply and receive your permit.
- Day-use permit to visit Cache Bay. You will pick up your permit from Janice at the Ranger Station in Cache Bay. The permit costs $12.25 CAN (about $10 USD) per canoe.
- If you plan to camp in Cache Bay, you do not need a day-use permit. Instead, you’ll get a camping permit HERE.
Now that the practical stuff is out of the way, let’s talk about campsites!
Stryde and I paddled to American Point on Saganaga Lake in the morning to set up camp and then spend the afternoon paddling to the pictographs and back. Camping at American Point seems like the perfect way to break up a day of paddling and be centrally located but you could easily paddle further and camp in Cache Bay.
There are plenty of beautiful campsites along this route BUT there are some that are, in my opinion, prettier than most.
Stryde and I stayed at an island campsite on American Point. This one to be exact:
It has a beautiful cedar forest with many tent pads and good views of the north and west. However, a group of our campers were staying on the other side of the island and I would recommend their site over ours. This is the one they stayed at:
The other site our groups often try to snag is this one because of it’s proximity to Party Lake:
If you’re wanting to stay in Cache Bay, just know that the Canadian sites do not have fire grates or latrines. They are, however, gorgeous! On our way to the pictographs, we passed a few campsites and these two caught my eye:
Once your campsite is settled…
There are three primary “attractions” in the area to see.
#1 The Pictographs
These particular pictographs were painted by the Ojibwe people hundreds of years ago.
The red “paint” they used comes from red ochre, which is rusted iron ore, mixed with a bonding agent like bear grease or fish oil. This pairing yielded paint that has lasted over 500 years.
The meaning of these particular paintings is a mystery, although, some say the war canoes depict a battle between the Sioux and Ojibwe people that took place closer to Silver Falls. The Ojibwe are said to have ambushed the Sioux’s attack by hiding atop the cliffs, ultimately winning the battle.
#2 Silver Falls
Stryde and I didn’t visit Silver Falls during our 24-hour trip because of a few suspect storm clouds rolling in but it’s not a far paddle from the pictographs.
Ranger Janice will give you directions to the falls if you need them.
#3 The Ranger Station
While it’s a place you must visit to purchase permits, the ranger station is also a special experience because you get to meet Ranger Janice!
With 35 years of experience operating and maintaining the Cache Bay Ranger Station, Janice is a trustworthy wilderness woman. She’s a straight shooter with a passion for protecting sacred places like Cache Bay and getting people, especially kids, into the bush.
Not only is Janice a delight to speak with, but she also has all the cool Quertico t-shirts and patches you can’t buy anywhere else!
Other suggestions:
-If you’re into fishing, I would definitely recommend bringing a fishing pole on this trip. Saganaga is known to be home to some nice Lake Trout, among other species like Northern Pike and Bass.
-If you decide to camp on the non-island campsite on American Point, try going back to Party Lake. Our campers always talk about hiking to Party Lake just south of that campsite but never manage to have the time or right weather. If you go, you’ll have to let me know if it was worth the hike so I can tell our campers!
-Making this trip into a quick weekend trip would allow you to leisurely see the sights and have time for some fishing, reading, cooking, lounging…so plan to relax and enjoy your weekend!
-Bring your dog. Always bring your dog!
There you have it!
A quick weekend getaway plan! This was one of the trips on my summer 2019 bucket list and I’m so happy it was on the list because now I can share it with you. If you want more details about directions, permits, or campsites reach out to me and I’d be happy to help!
As always, if you’ve been to any of these places let me know in the comments below! I would LOVE to hear what you thought of the pictographs!
Happy Trails,
Have you ever seen pictographs?
Better question, have you ever seen really clear pictographs?
Often times you have to squint to really make out the images but not in Cache Bay! The pictographs on the east side of the bay are plain as day and make for a good excuse to plan a trip.
My partner, Stryde, who you might know from my Rose Lake Post, and Arlo came with me on this short adventure. We made it into a jampacked overnight trip but you could easily stretch it into a weekend trip. This one is great for beginner paddlers and kids!
I’ll list the main attractions, point out some good campsites, and share a couple of suggestions but first, have a look at the map:
You’ll start your adventure at the public landing at the end of the Gunflint Trail. You can park your car in the public parking lot, paddle through Gull Lake and down the Seagull River to pick up your permit at Voyageur Canoe Outfitters then through entry point 55 into Sagnanaga.
- Total miles (straight to pictographs): 11.5 miles
- Average paddle time: 4 hours (*this depends heavily on the wind on Saganaga)
- Portages: 0
What You Need:
Don’t let this list of permits spook you! It just takes a little planning.
- Permit into Saganaga, which you can find HERE and pick up at Voyageur Canoe Outfitters as you paddle up to the BWCA entry point.
- Fishing license if you plan on doing any fishing
- Remote Area Border Crossing Permit for non-Canadian citizens, which costs $30 and takes three to four weeks to process if you apply online. If you can get to a Canadian customs office, it only takes about 20 minutes to apply and receive your permit.
- Day-use permit to visit Cache Bay. You will pick up your permit from Janice at the Ranger Station in Cache Bay. The permit costs $12.25 CAN (about $10 USD) per canoe.
- If you plan to camp in Cache Bay, you do not need a day-use permit. Instead, you’ll get a camping permit HERE.
Now that the practical stuff is out of the way, let’s talk about campsites!
Stryde and I paddled to American Point on Saganaga Lake in the morning to set up camp and then spend the afternoon paddling to the pictographs and back. Camping at American Point seems like the perfect way to break up a day of paddling and be centrally located but you could easily paddle further and camp in Cache Bay.
There are plenty of beautiful campsites along this route BUT there are some that are, in my opinion, prettier than most.
Stryde and I stayed at an island campsite on American Point. This one to be exact:
It has a beautiful cedar forest with many tent pads and good views of the north and west. However, a group of our campers were staying on the other side of the island and I would recommend their site over ours. This is the one they stayed at:
The other site our groups often try to snag is this one because of it’s proximity to Party Lake:
If you’re wanting to stay in Cache Bay, just know that the Canadian sites do not have fire grates or latrines. They are, however, gorgeous! On our way to the pictographs, we passed a few campsites and these two caught my eye:
Once your campsite is settled…
There are three primary “attractions” in the area to see.
#1 The Pictographs
These particular pictographs were painted by the Ojibwe people hundreds of years ago.
The red “paint” they used comes from red ochre, which is rusted iron ore, mixed with a bonding agent like bear grease or fish oil. This pairing yielded paint that has lasted over 500 years.
The meaning of these particular paintings is a mystery, although, some say the war canoes depict a battle between the Sioux and Ojibwe people that took place closer to Silver Falls. The Ojibwe are said to have ambushed the Sioux’s attack by hiding atop the cliffs, ultimately winning the battle.
#2 Silver Falls
Stryde and I didn’t visit Silver Falls during our 24-hour trip because of a few suspect storm clouds rolling in but it’s not a far paddle from the pictographs.
Ranger Janice will give you directions to the falls if you need them.
#3 The Ranger Station
While it’s a place you must visit to purchase permits, the ranger station is also a special experience because you get to meet Ranger Janice!
With 35 years of experience operating and maintaining the Cache Bay Ranger Station, Janice is a trustworthy wilderness woman. She’s a straight shooter with a passion for protecting sacred places like Cache Bay and getting people, especially kids, into the bush.
Not only is Janice a delight to speak with, but she also has all the cool Quertico t-shirts and patches you can’t buy anywhere else!
Other suggestions:
-If you’re into fishing, I would definitely recommend bringing a fishing pole on this trip. Saganaga is known to be home to some nice Lake Trout, among other species like Northern Pike and Bass.
-If you decide to camp on the non-island campsite on American Point, try going back to Party Lake. Our campers always talk about hiking to Party Lake just south of that campsite but never manage to have the time or right weather. If you go, you’ll have to let me know if it was worth the hike so I can tell our campers!
-Making this trip into a quick weekend trip would allow you to leisurely see the sights and have time for some fishing, reading, cooking, lounging…so plan to relax and enjoy your weekend!
-Bring your dog. Always bring your dog!
There you have it!
A quick weekend getaway plan! This was one of the trips on my summer 2019 bucket list and I’m so happy it was on the list because now I can share it with you. If you want more details about directions, permits, or campsites reach out to me and I’d be happy to help!
As always, if you’ve been to any of these places let me know in the comments below! I would LOVE to hear what you thought of the pictographs!
Happy Trails,
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