Canoeing
Minnesota's “Arrowhead” is unquestionably the center of the universe for canoeing! The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW), a 1,090,000 square acre roadless expanse of forest and lakes where motorized vehicles are prohibited, is just a short drive from Cascade Lodge. Outside of the BWCAW there are countless other less wild canoeing opportunities as well. The canoe is an integral part of our area's heritage. Early explorers all travelled by canoe, and the "Voyageurs' Highway" was a well-travelled route that 17th-century fur traders used to haul furs to Montreal and trade goods inland. (The "Great Carrying Place", Grand Portage, about an hour's drive Northeast of Cliff Dweller Hotel, was an important link in the fur trade and has a restored outpost that is well worth a visit.)
