Porch Rules, Loon Lake in BWCA Minnesota, Ontario Border Waters

Loon Lake Waterfall Cabins are accessible by water craft, traveling by canoe can take up to a whole day of paddling from Crane Lake entry point. Traveling by boat takes 45 minutes. For the boater who needs it, we can arrange for you to follow an experienced driver in. Lets talk about it when you make your reservations.
The boat ride is guaranteed to get your heart pumping. Keep your eyes open. I have seen fish jumping, deer, beavers and river otters swimming. I once saw a family of three moose eating their lunch while calmly staring back at me. I even know where there is a bald eagle nest. Don’t get the wood ducks confused with the loons, they are both abundant.
Adventure starts the moment your boat slides off the trailer into Crane Lake, jump in and motor yourself and family through King William Narrows to Sand Point Lake (quick stop at Canada Customs). Drive pass Dead Man's Island to Little Vermillion Lake, follow the Narrows, zigzagging through the wild rice grasses to Loon Narrows then Loon River, shoot through the 56 rapids and keep on going until you arrive at Loon Falls Portage.
You will be porting your boat over via Loon Falls Portage, the one of two mechanical marine portages in Minnesota. Loon Falls do charge a fee for this service and currently their rates are $50 round trip for boats under 21'. If you have a fiberglass boat expect to tie it to the cart, so it won't slide off. The operator will stop the cart - both coming and going in order for you to do that.
Loon Falls Portage is in Minnesota and across the river a few feet away, Loon Lake Waterfall Cabins are in Canada. We are right on the boarder, the northern boarder without the wall or fence just water.
This is Boundary Water Canoe Area, the same BWCA everyone thinks of when I say BWCA. Just farther west, less traffic and a lot more rural then the area people picture in their heads. Most people I’ve spoke to automatically think of the entrance being Ely or Duluth Minnesota. It's entering the BWCA by water craft, via Crane Lake.
Loon Lake Waterfall Cabins are ideal for the adventurer who craves the wilderness. Someone who has a deep desire to rough it — m o s t l y. This is the BWCA, without the hard ground to sleep on, without the sweat of porting ALL your belongings through a muddy, buggy infested swamp. Its without the 15 cabins dotting the shore line on both sides of you. Here, you can experience fishing, minus the crowds of other water craft spying on you at your top secret fishing hole.
We are the only rental cabins on Loon Lake! We run our cabins on propane and batteries. This means our generator is used very minimally — which means that you hear . . . the waterfall — the lake — the river — the birds — nature — not machinery. There is no internet, no wifi, no tv, no phones! You will reconnect to your loved ones. Once there, they really can’t get away.
As that our cabins are not equipped with refrigeration, you are in charge of “loading your own ice”. We cut the ice directly from the lake in late February, store it in our ice house, covered with sawdust. When you arrive, you can load up your cooler the old timer way — with ice tongs hauling one block at a time. Want to see pictures of how we do it? Check out our Beatty Railroad Portage Company on facebook.
Loon Lake Waterfall Cabins are the ideal place to start experiencing camping, but WITH a mattress, hot shower, sauna, clean outhouse and a kitchen sink. It is perfect for those that have been there, done that - the tenting experience and are ready to move to a little more comfortable wilderness moment.
The first mechanical railroad portage is Loon Falls Portage, which you use coming to our cabins, it connects the Loon River to Loon Lake. The second is Beatty Railroad Portage - connecting Loon Lake to Lac La Croix, the Quetico Provincial Park.
As owners of Beatty Railroad Portage we offer a free portage when you book a seven night stay. Once you cross Beatty Railroad Portage you have access to EVEN MORE fishing! As you leave Beatty Portage into Lac La Croix there are cliffs that display Ojibwa pictographs. Around the corner is a nice sandy beach, perfect to spend a hot summer day. Zup’s resort is a few minutes away from the beach, with a restaurant featuring three course dinners. They welcome non-resort guests, but need at least a two-day notice for reservations. Zups has a world renown chef, allowing you to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries while on your vacation. The closest little piece of civilization, 30 minutes by boat and one portage away from Loon Lake Waterfall Cabins.
This modest camp is located within one of the most beautiful places in the world.
All cabins feature either a lake view or a river view, nestled within old white, red pine, balsam and oak trees. Perfect for those who want to be still and breath in the beauty of nature. Our small clearing and boat docks are both suitable for viewing the stars. Laying on the dock with my son and husband by my side, watching the shooting stars along with “Northern Lights” is my sweet spot.
July and August are the most popular months. The fall foliage is spectacular in September with minimal bugs, colder temperatures, ideal with the wood burning stoves in each cabin. Really anytime is a good time at Loon Lake Waterfall Cabins, but our season is only from May to end of September.