Canadian Border Outfitters is your total BWCA canoe trip and Quetico Park canoe trip outfitter, providing both complete and partial outfitting. We’re located on Moose Lake in Ely, MN, the gateway to Canada’s Quetico Park and central to the U.S. BWCA’s prime entry points.

Let’s start with a proper introduction. We’re the Ott family – Gene, Jane, Nick (son) and Danielle, (daughter in law) and we acquired the property in 2000. Originally from Northeast Iowa, we had been scout leaders and Boundary Waters Minnesota camping enthusiasts for several years when the opportunity arose to make a lifestyle change that simply delighted us. Since that time, we have built an outfitting service that, we believe, is one of the best in the area. In addition to outfitting services, we have authentic log cabins, right on Fall Lake for non-campers to experience great fishing and conveniently explore the Ely area. Our cabins and lodge (with bunkhouse) have an amazing history. The cabins were originally built and located up on Pipestone Bay on Basswood Lake. When Congress declared “The Wilderness Act of 1964, all buildings needed to be either moved or burnt to the ground, restoring the natural wilderness. Shortly after, each log was labeled, deconstructed, floated up through Newton Lake to Fall Lake and put back together, like a complex jigsaw puzzle. Can you imagine the planning and the work to accomplish this? We’re honored by every guest that chooses Packsack and promise to make every effort to build a wilderness experience that best matches your wishes.

We put Remote Within Reach for you! You will encounter an active outdoor experience on the edge of the wilderness. We provide this experience from our exceptional location on Snowbank Lake located on the edge of the world famous Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) near Ely, Minnesota. We provide northern Minnesota quality fishing, ice fishing, outfitting, dog sledding, hunting, hiking and other outdoor activities make your time on the edge of the wilderness remarkably unforgettable. We put remote within reach by providing an accessible and affordable destination on the brink of America’s true wilderness. Our promise to you is simple: we will not leave a mint on your pillow, make swans from bath towels, nor provide a hot yoga room. We will, however, provide clean cabins, a responsive staff, quality equipment, and an abundance of spectacular Northern Minnesota outdoor adventures putting remote within reach for you.

Northern Tier is the Boy Scouts of America’s gateway to adventure in the Great Northwoods. In the summer, Scouts from Northern Tier’s three wilderness canoe bases explore millions of acres of pristine lakes, meandering rivers, dense forests and wetlands in Northern Minnesota, Northwest Ontario and Northeast Manitoba. Come to Northern Tier for a whole new level of adventure, up north! From incredible canoe journeys to wild winter wilderness camping, Northern Tier promises the Scouting adventure of a lifetime in the Great North Woods of northern Minnesota and Canada.