Ena Lake to Vermillion Lake

Mod
Launch
49.976483, -94.533159
Launch is an actual boat launch with dock. Be careful of
rapids when launching. Plenty of parking but please park as
not to interfere with launch.
Portages
50.005673, -94.538409
This portage is approx. 150 M up hill, beach landing makes for
a great place for lunch. easy portage up hill following the well
established trail. (Approx 150 Meters)
50.065212, -94.601278
Lake of the Woods
Canoe Routes
Total Distance: 25.9 km
Total Days: 2-3
Portages: 1
Difficulty: Moderate
Ena Lake to
Vermillion Lake
Ena Lake to Vermillion Lake – The put-in for this trip is on Ena
Lake with plenty of parking and a dock to make your launch easy. You
will paddle past a few cabins before coming to the short portage into
Vermillion Lake. With no residences you will love the feeling of seclusion
despite only being a few kilometers from your vehicle. Large granite cliffs,
dense forest and numerous islands to camp on make this an excellent route
to explore. Be sure to check out the beach, hiking trails and waterfalls at
the northwest end of the lake where Vermillion spills into Big Sand Lake.
Nice beach for swimming and lunch. hiking trail is easy to
follow and leads to Winnipeg river. Be careful when exploring
as trail is above fast moving water.
Lake of the Woods in the center of North America lies halfway between Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, and Key
Largo, Florida. Sioux, Ojibway and Cree were the primary First Nations people who lived in the Lake of the
Woods region on the margin between the great plains of the west and the rock-based Canadian Shield
around Hudson Bay.
Campsites
Both Britain and France were actively searching for a route across North America to connect their trading
businesses in Europe with promising new markets and products in China as early as 1650. Financing for
exploration generally came from the profits of fur trading around the Great Lakes and selling high-fashion
garments in Europe.
50.015663, -94.546254
First camping spot is 1 km away and located on an island.
Suitable for small to medium size groups. Landing site is rock.
Britain eliminated its French rival in 1763 to take over three-quarters of North America but, by the end of
the War of Independence in 1783, the United States of America earned its own independent territory with a
boundary that established Lake of the Woods as the northwest corner of the new country. Suddenly, Lake
of the Woods became international territory.
50.012629, -94.532371
Turtle Island is a great but well used spot. Good swimming off
of the point. It is well sheltered and offers amazing sunsets.
The shape, the size and location of Lake of the Woods has been part mystery, part rumor and very difficult
to survey ever since. At 100 km diameter with 14,522 islands to fool the unwary voyager, it took until 1925 to
pin down exactly the “most northwesterly” point shared by Minnesota, Ontario and Manitoba.
50.050501, -94.552108
Meanwhile, the fur trade carried millions of dollars of goods and beaver fur through a narrow, hidden
passageway known as French Portage Narrows. Gold, caviar, muskies, timber, newsprint, floatplanes and the
Canadian Army are parts of historical Lake of the Woods.
very long beach and camping spot. Camping spot is at the
far end of the beach and located up the trail. Nice pine trees
with nice flat spots for tents.
Join us here for your own exciting, scenic and historical tour of the unconventional lake in the middle of the
continent with discoveries for everyone.
– David Malaher
50.022930, -94.546529
Smooth Rocky camping spot with good swimming and a
couple of flat sites for tents.
Special thanks to our
project partners:
11
10
9
8
Ena Lake to Vermillion Lake
1
49.82726, -93.71283
Put in
Put in, Boat Launch,
Free Parking
2
50.00567, -94.5384
Portage
Portage, beach landing, easy
portage up hill, good trail
(Approx 150 Meters)
3
50.01262, -94.53237
Possible camp site
Turtle Island
4
50.0124, -94.54313
Possible camp site
5
50.01566, -94.54625
Possible camp site
6
50.02293, -94.54652
Possible camp site
Smooth Rocky camping spot
7
50.0505, -94.5521
Possible camp site
Beach and camping spot
8
50.06015, -94.58421
Possible camp site
Island camping spot
9
50.06446, -94.58988
Lookout
7
Vermillion Lake
6
5
4
3
2
10 50.06521, -94.60127
Portage
11 50.06554, -94.59996
Hiking trail
Beach, waterfall and portage/
hiking trail to Big Sand Lake
Ena Lake
1