Backpack Trail Guide

Trails / Minnesota / Boundary Waters

Powwow Trail

Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (near Isabella)

The Powwow Trail loops through lakes and ridges on the southern edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, north of Isabella. The 2011 Pagami Creek Fire burned most of it, and for years it was nearly impassable. Volunteers working with the Forest Service have since retraced, cleared, and re-flagged the western loop, cleared campsites, and installed new latrines, and the North Shore Journal reported in May 2026 that hikers can backpack the roughly 30-mile route in three days.

The eastern loop, which once reached Powwow Lake, has not been restored, according to bwcawild.

The hike

From entry point 86, which shares a lot and restroom with the Isabella Lake entry point, the trail starts between boulders to the right of the trailhead signs (bwcawild). It runs north about 2.7 miles on what bwcawild calls “the Stick” to “the Wye,” where the 27.5-mile loop begins; you can hike it either way. Much of the trail follows old logging roads used before the 1978 Wilderness Act, according to Quetico Superior Wilderness News, and the Youth Conservation Corps built much of it from 1977 to 1981 (bwcawild).

Quetico Superior Wilderness News said in 2019 that the six miles from the entry point to a campsite on Pose Lake are the trail’s best section and suit a wider range of hikers, and that a large beaver dam about 2.5 miles in can flood the trail. Bwcawild describes tall marsh grass near the Wye that hides your footing and recommends a walking pole.

Bwcawild calls the stretch from the West Pose Creek overlook to South Wilder Lake “probably the most difficult part of the hike,” with rugged ground along Pose Creek and steep climbs between North Wilder and Horseshoe Lakes. It lists overlooks of the Pose Creek valley and Horseshoe Lake, and a stand of unburned forest near Superstition Lake. A secondary channel of the Isabella River may need stepping stones if its log bridge has washed out, and high water makes crossings hard.

The burn is the defining feature. Quetico Superior Wilderness News described the post-fire landscape as poor footing and little shade, and quoted volunteer leader Martin Kubik: “After the fire, it looked very desolate.” The North Shore Journal says dead trees still fall in storms every year, so maintenance never ends. The Forest Service warns that “After the flames, the risk remains” in burned areas.

For other Boundary Waters hiking routes, see the Kekekabic Trail and the Snowbank Lake Trail.

Tips

Camping

Overnight groups need a BWCAW quota permit from Recreation.gov between May 1 and Sept. 30, according to the Forest Service’s trip planning guide. The Forest Service limits groups to nine people and four watercraft, requires camping at designated sites with steel fire grates and latrines during the ice-free season, and bans cans and glass bottles except for fuel, insect repellent, and medicine. From April 1 to Nov. 30, hang food at least 12 feet up and 6 feet out, or use a certified bear-resistant container. Dogs must be on a 6-foot or shorter leash.

Bwcawild lists 14 campsites: Isabella River, Pose, Lake Three, Quadga, South and North Wilder, Horseshoe, Rock of Ages, Path, Mirror, Superstition, Campfire, Diana (primitive), and Marathon (primitive, no fire grate or latrine).

Inside Intel: Quetico Superior Wilderness News pointed to the Pose Lake campsite, six miles in, as the end of the trail’s best section, a good overnight for hikers not ready for the full loop. Bwcawild adds that the Quadga Lake campsite spur is usually well marked.

Trail facts

The Lowdown

Cold nights in the Pagami Creek burn:

Much of the Powwow loop still crosses open burned forest with little shelter from the wind. See the sleeping bags reviewers like for exposed, chilly camps.

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Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.