What are some good Wilderness canoe trips in the Eastern U.S.?

Question

I have been on Wilderness canoe trips before, Alagash, St. croix, Ausatuge, the Green, etc. I would like to do another one with my dad beofre I go off to college next year, preferably somthing I haven't done, about 5 -11 days long. We don't nessesarily need to go on a guided trip, we may get a group together, I don't know yet.

Anyway, I'm just looking for Ideas at this point, somthing withing a 2 day drive of NJ.

Thanks in advance

Answer 1

Contact, The American Canoe Association; visit their website. They have just listed a number of 'water routes'. Another possibility, try part of the Mississippi, starting in Minnesota at the headwaters. You could run the Wolf and Fox in Wisconsin. The upper Wolf is easy, maybe skip the whitewater and then paddle from Shawano to GreenBay via Lake Winnebago.

Answer 2

Last xmas I spent 5 days with friends canoeing the Okefenokee Swamp (Georgia) and it was awesome (you reserve a route and camp on platforms). Would have gone this year but decided to stay closer to home . It was very beautiful ( scenery and bird-wise) and I didn't see people for a few days. Here's the National Wildlife Refuge info (you definitely need reservations):

http://www.fws.gov/okefenokee/canoeing.h...

I've guided 5 day Canoe trips in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Minnesota, and I'd go again, but with really, really light canoes this time, and minimal gear. Or I'd try to pick a route with few portages. The wildlife was cool to see, except for the bears. It's very different to get reservations to go now, there's a lottery system:  http://www.bwcaw.org/

I liked guiding a 5 day canoe trip in Voyagers National Park better (in Minnesota, near the Boundary waters), you could camp anywhere, so you could camp on islands each night-and I saw so many eagles, and otters, I don't get to see either of those in the wild too often. I checked, and  It looks like the camping options are still wide open too: http://www.nps.gov/voya/

Have fun!

Answer 3

Boundary Waters, MN. Never done it but have read and dreamt about it for years.

Answer 4

If you've never done it, Boundary Waters is the ultimate wilderness canoe experience east of the Mississippi.  It's got to be on everyones list of "must do" trips!!

Answer 5

Friend of mine has been going on a one week canoe trip thru the Adirondacks for years,  I will be joining him with my kayak this year. He says it is not too difficult and very beautiful.