Another Favorite Place to Sail

A late addition to our Small Boat Paradise Series

A late addition to our Small Boat Paradise Series

by Paul Bargren

The favorite place I've sail-camped with my Core Sound 17 Carrie B is Rainy Lake along the Canada-Minnesota border, east of International Falls, MN.

This is fresh-water lake sailing at its best.  Most of the easily accessed portion is within the US Voyageurs National Park, and is fully protected. Rainy Lake is huge -- 50 miles long and 30 miles wide, and most of it is actually in Canada, for which border crossing protocols are required.  But the US portion is plenty big.  The whole lake is listed at 360 square miles of surface area and 1,570 miles of shoreline, counting the more than 2,500 islands.  The water is deep and clear and levels are held steady though a series of dams.

Unlike the Boundary Waters Canoe Area to the east, Rainy Lake is all one level, so there are no portages!  Just keep on sailing.

The campsites are terrific.  Each site we used had at least a sand beach to pull the boats up on, cleared tent sites, a fire ring and a privy.  Some have even larger beaches.  But caution:  reservations are required and apparently can fill up in the summer.

Houseboating and fishing from power boats are big on Rainy Lake.  This could be a drawback for some.  The lake is so large, though, that I can't really imagine any major conflicts.  Or do like we did and go in September (2020), when by far the majority of sites were vacant.  You can sail a few miles or 25 miles between sites.  Get good maps.  Easy GPS or similar is a good idea, too.

This is big water, and big winds are not uncommon.  Waves can build, so plan accordingly.  If you need a weather hold, my guess is that anyone coming to your site after you were due to leave will find room around the edges for your boat or tent to stay an extra day, since the sites are generally large.  If you sleep on your boat, there will always be a protected shore close by to anchor near.

There is a large ramp complex with free overnight parking east of International Falls that we used, and it provides easy access to the west side of the park.  There is other access from the  south; check the maps.

It's a delightful place to sail. •SCA•