Seagull Saganaga Loop

Seagull, Alpine, Red Rock, Saganaga Loop

Boundary Waters Entry Point 54 Seagull Lake or Entry Point 55 Saganaga Lake

Minimum Trip Length 3 Days
When time and experience are limited the Seagull, Alpine, Red Rock, Saganaga route is a great choice. The close proximity to two entry points as well as the great fishing makes this a popular route. It is a good option for those who want to get a taste of the BWCA experience without too much of a challenge in the way of navigating and portaging.



The loop can begin and end at our dock by entering into Saganaga Lake or entering into Seagull Lake. You can leave from our dock and paddle south to Seagull Lake via Gull Lake and traverse the falls at the Trail’s End Campground or walk the short campground loop from one boat landing to the other. Or if you prefer we can transport you to one of the two landings into Seagull Lake; we primarily use the one at the Trail’s End Campground. It’s just a short 2 mile drive to the landing which bypasses the 38 rod portage from Gull into Seagull Lake.



Before you get to Seagull Lake you will paddle the narrow channel and then pass through a narrow gap. The Seagull River Nature Trail follows the channel out to the point where paddlers can choose to get out on the left shoreline and portage around the chute. The water level can make this area a little tricky but if you are prepared then you should be fine.



Seagull is a favorite lake of many who like to have easy access to wilderness campsites without any portaging. The scenery is gorgeous with over 100 islands over an acre in size and excellent fishing. You can read more about Seagull Lake by following this link. Don’t miss the hike to the top of the Palisades as it is definitely worth the view.



With map in hand you can successfully navigate your way around the islands and to the portage leading into Alpine Lake. The best portage is the most popular and is 105 rods in length. There’s a nice sandy landing and the portage is well maintained and easy to traverse. There’s another route shown on the map but it is not recommended. It takes you through a river that is not navigable and there aren’t any portages around it. People who make the mistake of taking that route risk the twisting of ankles and worse due to the slippery, rocky terrain.



If you want to take the less traveled route then choose the portage to Rog Lake. This is a quiet little lake that contains brook trout worth fishing for. The portage into Rog from Seagull is 60 rods and out of Rog into Alpine is only 20 rods.



Alpine Lake has a number of islands in the middle of the lake that make the lake appear smaller in size then it actually is. These islands provide excellent structure with all of their rocky outcroppings. Smallmouth bass, northern pike and walleye like to hang out in the narrow waterways surrounding the islands. There are over 20 campsites to choose from on Alpine Lake so don’t settle for the most popular ones right on the beaten path. While they are beautiful sites there are other more private sites if you want to avoid traffic from the portages.



Red Rock Lake lies to the north of Alpine via a short 50 rod portage. Great fishing awaits anglers and moose regularly appear around the 8 campsites there. It’s a pretty lake with lots of shallow bays for the hungry moose to feed in and trees that eagles like to nest in.



There’s a short portage into Saganaga Lake where a towboat can come to pick you up at the end of your trip. When the water level is high you can paddle through to Red Rock Bay instead of portaging the 10 rods around it. Red Rock Bay is one of the most beautiful areas of Saganaga Lake with twists and turns around numerous islands. Saganaga Lake is a large body of water so take your time paddling it. Make some stops at the many campsites to stretch your legs or have a swim break or snack. You may want to camp at one of the sites on Sag your last night to make the paddle back to our dock a bit shorter the next day.



This loop can actually be done in a very long day trip, but we recommend that you spend a minimum of 3 days on the loop. If you want to hit the fishing hard then a longer trip is better and I would plan for the extra time to make the most of the trip.


View Saganaga Alpine Seagull Loop in a larger map