- 5–7 days
- Duration
- Challenging
- Difficulty
- 34 mi
- Total distance
- 31 mi
- Paddling
- 23
- Portages · 935 rods
About this route
The Snowbank to Lake One Route begins at Entry Point 27 on Snowbank Lake and finishes at Entry Point 30 on Lake One. Rather than circling back, the trip crosses the interior in one continuous line, linking a long sequence of wilderness lakes and portages as it works from the Snowbank country toward the Numbered Lakes.
The early stretch threads a chain of small, connected lakes — Disappointment, Jitterbug, Adventure, Cattyman, Jordan, and Ima — where short carries and narrow passages set a steady rhythm. From there the route reaches the larger, island-filled waters of Thomas and Lake Insula, the broadest paddling on the trip, before dropping down through Hudson and into Lake Four. Forested shorelines frame most of the miles, and the traverse mixes intimate, close-in lakes with wider open-water crossings. The final leg follows the well-traveled Numbered Lakes corridor through Lake Three and Lake Two to the exit.
This route suits paddlers with tripping experience who are comfortable with frequent portages and long travel days. The one-way layout rewards groups that like to keep moving and cover ground, while the string of lakes offers flexibility in where to spend each night. It offers a full cross-section of classic Boundary Waters scenery, from quiet interior waters to broad, open lakes.
Route Highlights
- A chain of small, interconnected wilderness lakes linked by short portages
- Broad, island-filled paddling on Thomas and Lake Insula
- Mix of quiet interior waters and open-water crossings
- Flexible camping opportunities across a multi-day traverse
Suggested itinerary
5 days at a steady pace.
Snowbank Lake → Ima Lake
Paddle out from the entry point and work through Disappointment, Jitterbug, Adventure, Cattyman, and Jordan lakes, settling into the route's steady pattern of short portages and quiet, connected waters on the way to Ima Lake.
Ima Lake → Thomas Lake
Continue across Ima and over a series of short carries near Hatchet Lake, reaching the larger open water of Thomas Lake and its forested, island-dotted shoreline.
Thomas Lake → Lake Insula
Travel through Kiana Lake and onto Lake Insula, the broadest water on the traverse, with island-filled views and room to explore before settling in for the night.
Lake Insula → Lake Four
Leave the open water behind and drop through Hudson Lake into the more compact country around Lake Four, moving toward the Numbered Lakes corridor.
Lake Four → Lake One
Follow the Numbered Lakes through Lake Three and Lake Two, paddling the final open stretches to the exit at Entry Point 30 on Lake One.
The portages
23 carries, 935 rods total.
| Portage | Rods | Climb |
|---|---|---|
| Kiana Lake → Lake Insula difficult | 168 | +72 ft |
| Snowbank Lake → Parent Lake moderate | 110 | +69 ft |
| Lake Insula → Hudson Lake moderate | 95 | +33 ft |
| Parent Lake → Disappointment Lake moderate | 86 | +59 ft |
| Jitterbug Lake → Adventure Lake moderate | 54 | +39 ft |
| Cattyman Lake → Jordan Lake moderate | 53 | +75 ft |
| Lake One → Lake One moderate | 42 | +7 ft |
| Lake Two → Lake Onecarry 1 of 2 moderate | 38 | +0 ft |
| Thomas Lake → Kiana Lake moderate | 32 | +49 ft |
| Ahsub Lake → Jitterbug Lake easy | 31 | — |
| Ima Lake → Hatchet Lake easy | 29 | +33 ft |
| Lake Two → Lake Onecarry 2 of 2 easy | 27 | +0 ft |
| Hatchet Lake → Thomas Lakecarry 3 of 4 moderate | 25 | — |
| Lake One → Lake Onecarry 1 of 2 moderate | 24 | +0 ft |
| Disappointment Lake → Ahsub Lake easy | 23 | +52 ft |
| Lake One → Lake Onecarry 2 of 2 easy | 18 | +3 ft |
| Hudson Lake → Hudson Lake easy | 17 | +10 ft |
| Lake Four → Lake Four easy | 16 | +17 ft |
| Hatchet Lake → Thomas Lakecarry 2 of 4 easy | 14 | — |
| Jordan Lake → Ima Lake easy | 13 | +23 ft |
| Adventure Lake → Cattyman Lake easy | 9 | +6 ft |
| Hatchet Lake → Thomas Lakecarry 4 of 4 easy | 6 | +13 ft |
| Hatchet Lake → Thomas Lakecarry 1 of 4 easy | 5 | +23 ft |
Lakes on this route
17 lakes, 161 campsites between them. Fish species recorded by the Minnesota DNR.
| Lake | Depth | Size | Campsites | Fish species |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snowbank Lake | 150 ft | 4,655 ac | 10 | burbotcisco specieslake troutnorthern pikenorthern pike (silver phase)rock basssmallmouth basstullibee (cisco)walleyewhite suckeryellow perch |
| Parent Lake | 50 ft | 451 ac | 2 | cisco speciesnorthern pikenorthern pike (silver phase)rock basssmallmouth basstullibee (cisco)walleyewhite suckeryellow perch |
| Disappointment Lake | 54 ft | 894 ac | 13 | northern pikerock basssmallmouth basstullibee (cisco)walleyewhite sucker |
| Ahsub Lake | 78 ft | 60 ac | 2 | bluegillhybrid sunfishnorthern pikesmallmouth basswhite suckeryellow perch |
| Jitterbug Lake | 5 ft | 28 ac | — | — |
| Adventure Lake | 10 ft | 47 ac | — | — |
| Cattyman Lake | 9 ft | 17 ac | — | — |
| Jordan Lake | 66 ft | 142 ac | 3 | — |
| Ima Lake | 116 ft | 742 ac | 12 | — |
| Hatchet Lake | 40 ft | 127 ac | 2 | — |
| Thomas Lake | 110 ft | 1,465 ac | 17 | — |
| Kiana Lake | — | 207 ac | 2 | — |
| Lake Insula | 63 ft | 2,840 ac | 44 | — |
| Hudson Lake | — | 387 ac | 13 | — |
| Lake Four | 25 ft | 611 ac | 16 | bluegillcisco specieslake whitefishnorthern pikerock basssmallmouth basswalleyewhite suckeryellow perch |
| Lake Two | 35 ft | 516 ac | 12 | bluegillcisco specieslake whitefishnorthern pikerock basssmallmouth basswalleyewhite sucker |
| Lake One | 57 ft | 846 ac | 13 | bluegillcisco specieslake whitefishnorthern pikerock basswalleyewhite sucker |
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