The crew at Seagull Outfitters gear up for the 2026 paddling season. Photo by Joe Friedrichs

BWCA Outfitters Open Doors for 2026 Paddling Season

By Joe Friedrichs

May 1, 2026

    Outfitters and other businesses operating near the Boundary Waters are opening for the season. Paddle & Portage media stopped at Seagull Outfitters along the Gunflint Trail to check out how things are going as the doors open for the 2026 season.

    Many outfitters along the Gunflint Trail store canoes in bunkhouses, cabins, and other buildings over the winter months. Seagull Outfitters is among them, as Grant, Dwight, and Mimi share with us in the video. Then there’s the water lines to turn on for the season, with many outfitters along the Gunflint pulling water from the nearest lake.

    There’s still ice on many BWCA lakes at the start of the quota season, which began May 1. It’s still time to take out the canoes for the season though, as the team at Seagull shares with us in this dip into life on the Gunflint Trail.

    Subscribe to Paddle and Portage to support storytelling from and about the Boundary Waters.

    Other Recent Articles

    Forest Service Enacts Campfire Ban in BWCA Wilderness Starting June 6

    Forest Service Enacts Campfire Ban in BWCA Wilderness Starting June 6

    A campfire ban for the BWCA Wilderness goes into effect June 6. Photo by Erik Dickes Campfires in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness will temporarily be banned starting Saturday, June 6. The campfire ban is currently scheduled to be in place until June 30....

    Helium Exploration Rolls Along Near the Boundary Waters

    Helium Exploration Rolls Along Near the Boundary Waters

    Looking for helium near the Boundary Waters. Photo courtesy of Pulsar Helium Deposits of helium found near the Boundary Waters remain a quiet talking point amongst industry insiders, state and federal regulators, politicians, and others interested in the future of how...