Encampment

Quick Facts:

Location: (As the crow flies) 7 miles NE of Two Harbors, 34 miles NE of Duluth.

Shuttle Length: 8.3 miles. (See details in 'Directions' Tab.)

Character: Wild, scenic, contorted drops.

Put-in is approximately 935' elevation.

Take-out is approximately 602' elevation (Lake Superior mean elevation).

Thus total elevation change is approximately 333'.

General Overview

While this section could offer some interesting boating, and we are aware of numerous 'poachings' of the run, the entire area is privately held and trespass is (reportedly) aggressively protected/punished. We cannot recommend boating this reach due to these landowner disputes.

From 'Northwoods Whitewater' by Jim Rada:

'Warning!! The Encampment River flows through private lands belonging to 'Encampment Forest Association,' a group that has posted the land against trespassing. You will have to figure out for yourself how to approach this obstacle to access this beautiful and intimate river. We put in on lands outside the Association's holdings and took out at the mouth of Crow Creek. Our takeout necessitated a 1.5-2 mile flatwater paddle on Lake Superior to avoid trespassing on Association lands. Our encounter with the Association was mixed: the guests staying in the cabins were very curious and friendly, the caretaker couple we talked to viewed us and future kayakists as a trespassing nuisance and only reluctantly granted us permission to finish our run. We were attempting to be as discreet and unobtrusive as possible but you'll have to handle this yourself.

The private ownership of the land and the tiny size of the Encampment kept paddlers away until 1996, when spring high water provided ideal conditions for this interesting run. The EFA has protected the river corridor from development, which means the Encampment area hasn't been logged and displays a forest of huge pines. This forest is one o

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