Chad Kieper is a resident of the Gunflint Trail. Photo by Joe Friedrichs

Gunflint Trail Resident Builds Towboat to Get Deeper Into the BWCA for Fishing

By Joe Friedrichs

July 30, 2026

    Chad Kieper is a resident of the Gunflint Trail and someone who frequently fishes in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

    In his quest to get deeper into the remote lakes of the BWCA, Kieper built a rack on his motorboat to carry canoes. Some lakes on the edge of the BWCA allow motorized access, including those where commercial towboats operate. These lakes include Saganaga and Seagull at the end of the Gunflint Trail, and Moose Lake near Ely.

    In this Paddle & Portage video, Kieper shows how he built the homemade system for hauling canoes across the perimeter lakes of the BWCA. He also explains why it helps get him deeper into the wilderness where the fishing often tends to be better.

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