Backpack Trail Guide

Trails / Minnesota / Boundary Waters

Snowbank Lake Trail

Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (Snowbank Lake Road, near Ely)

The Snowbank Lake Trail circles Snowbank Lake on the western side of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, northeast of Ely. It shares a trailhead and a stretch of tread with the west end of the Kekekabic Trail, and side loops reach Disappointment Lake and Parent Lake.

Bwcawild says most hikers take two to three days, though a fit hiker with an early start can do it in one.

The hike

From the Snowbank Lake Road parking lot (entry point 74), the Snowbank Lake Trail heads north, and the shared Snowbank/Kekekabic route heads east across the road, according to bwcawild. Andrea Breitung of BackpackingRoutes hiked the loop clockwise in mid-September 2020 and found the rocky northern start slippery after rain; everyone in her group fell at least once.

Friends of the Boundary Waters describes constant ups and downs over granite ridges, with overlooks of Snowbank Lake on the north side and remote country around Disappointment Lake on the east. Bwcawild puts the high point at about 1,580 feet, just west of North Bay, about 150 feet above the lake surface. The trail crosses muddy spots, creeks, and beaver dams.

On the east side, the trail reaches Disappointment Lake about half a mile past Birdsey Lake, crosses the 140-rod Snowbank-to-Disappointment portage, and shares 85 rods of the Disappointment-to-Parent portage, where a wood post marks the split (bwcawild). Breitung mentions optional loops around Disappointment Lake or up Disappointment Mountain, and a short loop to Becoosin and Benezie Lakes in the southeast. Friends of the Boundary Waters highlights an “Old Pines” loop on the south side; one reviewer measured just over 30 miles with it included.

Navigation takes care. Bwcawild says “BWCA hiking trails have very little signage,” with rock cairns, occasional blue tape, and cut logs as markers, and blue blazes thinning out after the first couple of miles. Breitung says most of the trail is unmarked, the footpath sometimes disappears under overgrowth, and portages crossing the trail may not appear on all maps. A 1999 windstorm and another in 2016 knocked down many trees; volunteer crews have cleared most of the trail since (Friends of the Boundary Waters), but bwcawild says the damage is still visible.

Tips

Camping

A BWCAW permit is required for any part of the loop inside the wilderness: quota permits from Recreation.gov May 1 to Sept. 30, and self-issued permits Oct. 1 to April 30 (BackpackingRoutes). 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. Breitung notes that sites are first come, first served, and some may be reachable only by water.

Bwcawild lists nine campsites reachable from the trail: two near the Flash Lake portage, three at Grub Lake, two north of the Boot Lake portage, one on Disappointment Lake, and one on Parent Lake.

Inside Intel: No camper accounts recommending a specific site on this loop were found. Breitung writes only that her group had “scenic campsites to ourselves” in September.

Trail facts

The Lowdown

Granite ridges around Snowbank Lake:

The Snowbank loop climbs constantly over granite ridges, and you must camp at designated BWCAW sites. Side sleepers can try a thicker pad and a closed-cell foam layer underneath.

Get the side-sleeper tips →

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.