Powwow Trail Conditions

These reports are provided as we receive them, and may be out of date or incomplete. This is a wilderness trail, and while this information can serve to help you plan your trip, always keep in mind that the conditions can vary quickly. Note: “Greenzones” are the small sections of unburnt forest. Closed campsites are referred to as “Firegrates”

Even when the trail is clear of treefalls, portions of the trail can be heavily overgrown and take some skill to spot and follow. Download a current GPS track of the Powwow Trail

  • Spring hiker reports and a BWAC survey / saw crew note widely varying conditions on the trail. Lowlands are very wet, uplands are covered with dry and crunchy pine needles.

    Spring hikers indicate a flooded trail crossing adjacent to Pose Creek. The Diana Creek bridge has been repaired for safe crossing. The new beaver dam at that location is built across the trail resulting in localized flooding.

    The beaver dam at Myth / Exploit creek crossing has high water below and crossing the top of the dam is now recommended.

    Spring trail clearing crews have completed corridor and brushwork west of the Wye and on trail’s west side from Lake Three to Path Lake. Expect sporadic treefalls around the loop and brushy conditions from Path to Superstition Lake.

    BWAC recommends that all hikers download a current GPS track of the Powwow Trail and associated maps for offline use (Gaia GPS App) before attempting a thru-hike. McKenzie maps and the 2016 USFS map of the trail are inaccurate in many critical areas.

  • Always check the Trail guide for distances to the next water source. Don’t underestimate your time as hiking speeds can average less than 2 mph on the western and northern sections of the trail. Have 2 liters of carrying capacity. Best advice is to always drink up and gather new water at every accessible source.

    1. Drainages before Isabella crossing

    2. Secondary Isabella River crossing

    3. Beaver ponds south of “The Wye”

    4. Pelt Creek beaver pond

    5. Fallen Arch Lake

    6. Flapper Creek

    7. Marathon Lake

    8. Diana creek bridge / beaver dam

    9. Campfire Lake

    10. Quadga Lake via spur trail

    11. Myth / Exploit Lake Creek / beaver dam crossing

    12. Superstition Lake

    13. Superstition Creek

    14. LOW - Rock Ledge

    15. Mirror Lake

    16. Beaver pond

    17. Path Lake

    18. Rock of Ages Lake

    19. Stream

    20. Lake Three

    21. Stream in Lake Three greenzone

    22. Lake Three / Horseshoe Lake portage

    23. Horseshoe Lake shoreline

    24. Beaver pond

    25. North Wilder Lake

    26. North Wilder Portage

    27. Wilder Creek crossing

    28. DRY - Drainage

    29. South Wilder Lake

    30. DRY - Football Field

    31. DRY - Drainage

    32. Pose Creek

    33. Pose Lake via spur trail

    34. Drainage

    35. Beaver pond

    36. GOOD - The “Culvert”

  • As we receive reports of difficult sections of the trail we will report them here. If you hike the trail and encounter other locations, please contact us to let us know so we can add it to the list. The date of the report is listed here as well and we will try to clear these lists as crews work on those sections.

    1. Diana Creek bridge repaired. Beaver dam has flooded the trail into the Greenzone

    2. Beaver dam east of Exploit Lake (47.82006, -91.45489): Trail is flooded below the dam (some hikers have crossed on the dam instead; watch for flagging both ways)

    3. Superstition Greenzone to lakeshore: Very brushy conditions (watch for tree cuts, cairns, or multi-stemmed regrowth)

    4. Superstition Creek beaver dam crossing: Use lake dam

    5. North end lake to 0.2 before Path Lake: sporadic brushy conditions, look for treecuts, cairns, and multi-stemmed brush.

    6. Pose Creek beaver dam: trail crossing in valley is flooded waist-deep. Bushwack route in further up the valley

  • Dispersed camping is permitted anywhere on the trail if you follow the BWCAW Regulations for Hikers: camp 200 feet from the trail and water sources, no campfires during ice free season, no cutting or defacing vegetation

    • [open] Isabella River canoe campsite

    • [dispersed] Marathon Lake - no fires allowed in ring

    • [dispersed] Diana Lake Greenzone

    • [open] Campfire Lake campsite

    • [open] Quadga Lake canoe campsite via spur trail

    • [closed] Superstition Lake firegrate, latrine installed

    • [closed] Mirror Lake firegrate - no latrine

    • [open] Path Lake campsite

    • [open] Rock of Ages campsite

    • [open] Lake Three canoe campsite

    • [open] Horseshoe Lake canoe campsite

    • [open] North Wilder campsite

    • [open] South Wilder campsite

    • [dispersed] “Football field” 1/2 mile east of S. Wilder

    • [dispersed] Pose Creek area

    • [open] Pose Lake Campsite