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Fly-In

Boundary Waters and Quetico Canoe Trips

2025: No flights available for 2025 - Please call Drew or Adam for details.

Fly In Trips = Remote Beauty

Enjoy the experience of a lifetime by flying to the edge of the wilderness in a floatplane.  See what the bald eagles see as they soar over these pristine waters.  A fly-in is a great way to maximize your time in the park.  You can leave Ely at 9am and be sitting at a beautiful campsite in Quetico Park that same evening.....a campsite that would usually take you at least a few days to get to.

Whether you are looking for incredibly remote places, the chance to see a moose, great fishing, fantastic photo opportunities, historic pictographs, gorgeous waterfalls, or a place to get away from the hustle and bustle of life, a fly-in trip with a de Havilland Beaver aircraft will help you create memories to last a lifetime. 

Do you want to basecamp?  Do you want to do an expedition where you paddle through the Quetico interior and cover 100 miles?  How about a trip where you start in Quetico and finish with a night or two in the Boundary Waters.  Let Drew and Adam help you plan the route and get you to some of the lakes that make Quetico so special.

We can do these trips to the Quetico entry points of Lac La Croix, Beaverhouse Lake, Nym Lake, Cache Bay, and Clay Lake (Mack Lake permit).

You can also start a Boundary Waters trip with a fly into Lac La Croix.

Contact Drew Or Adam With Questions:
(800) 223-6565
Trip Reservations
Fly-In Forms
RABC Application
Flight Manifest
Quetico Fishing License
Quetico Permits

About the flight:

  • 1-4 people can be taken on the flight.  Optimum size is 2 or 4.
  • Almost any tandem canoe can be put on the pontoon of the plane.  If the group is 4 people, we use our special nesting canoes for the flight.  The canoes are the Wenonah Ultra-light Champlain and Spirit II.
  • You can fly in and then fly out for a remarkable journey.
  • You can fly in and paddle out.
  • Passports are needed for everyone.  NOT Passport Cards (very important).
  • RABC permits are needed for most flights.
  • There are camp stove fuel restrictions that we will talk about with you.  For certain flights, you need to have a stove that can use the fuel from the plane which is 100LL aviation fuel.
  • Let us take care of you with our Full Outfitting package or just rent what you need from us with Partial Outfitting.
  • Safety first - weather can delay the start of the flight.
  • ***NOTICE: Flights can only be done through Ely from late  May -- early September.
  • We make sure you know all the details before your adventure.

Testimonials:

What some of our clients have to say about their fly-in adventures with Piragis Northwoods Outfitters:

"Hi Drew. This was one of our "best-ever" vacations and we all wanted to thank you for your quality guidance, expertise and dedication. Our party of four from California flew to Minnesota in mid-September. There would be a lot of firsts: 1st trip to MN, 1st time to Lake Superior, 1st experience with Piragis, 1st extended canoe trip and 1st time to Quetico Provincial Park. It started with an idea to do a canoe trip to the Boundary Waters area which led us to Piragis - our first good decision with many more to come on our 9 day trip. Everyone at Piragis was so helpful in making our trip unforgettable from start to finish, leaving us with experiences and memories we are still bragging about.

Our first day began with a float plane ride and drop-off at Beaverhouse Lake. Nine days and 25 lakes later we would end our journey at Prairie Portage. We so enjoyed the whole adventure; the "different kinds of good weather", stunning fall colors, every stroke of the paddle, the portages and wildlife (with the exception of the elusive beaver we spotted one wolf, 2 cows & 3 bull moose - one of which we got to watch swim across Shade Lake, lots of eagles and other fun- to- watch critters. How cool! Thanks again for helping us to have a most memorable trip!"

~Rick, Denise, Derek and Joel

"We had a great trip!  We completed the whole route....McAree - Crooked - Roland Chain - Argo - Darky - Darky River - Minn and back out through McAree.  The flight in was amazing!  The landscape is amazing from the air - the islands are really peaks of moraines and hills sticking up through the water - really cool to see.  Saw a couple of moose, lots of bear prints on and island in Argo, and of course saw lots of deer flies!

Feels like we completed the "Everest" of canoe trips.  We certainly imprinted some lifelong memories.  Thank you to the Piragis crew for your expert advice and superb customer service." 

~ Jim Hawkins, Peoria Hts, IL