BWCA

This is barely in the BWCA, but it was an absolutely stunning hike around Little and Dry Lake. The lake always seemed mysterious somehow. Maybe it's due to the history surrounding it, which I have provided below.

"The trail is historically and ecologically unique, and requires at least 4-6 hours to walk. The trail is located on the Echo Trail six miles north of Ely. Bass and Low Lakes are located in a basin gouged out of pre-Cambrian rock. Prior to 1925 the two lakes were separated by a ridge of glacial gravel which acted as a natural dam. Logging operation led to the construction of a sluiceway to move logs through the gravel ridge - a drop of 60 feet. Seepage soon weakened the sluiceway as water moved through the gravel adjacent to the structure. The sluiceway and glacial ridge washed out in the spring of 1925 leaving a gorge over 250 feet wide. Bass Lake was lowered 55 feet in 10 hours, reduced to half its original size and two small lakes, Dry Lake and Little Dry Lake became isolated in the old lake bed. Approximately 250 acres of land was then exposed and available to the establishment of pioneer plant species."