About Sawbill Canoe Outfitters
Sawbill Canoe Outfitters has been launching paddlers into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness since 1957, when Frank and Mary Alice Hansen opened the business at the end of the Sawbill Trail north of Tofte. The base sits directly on Sawbill Lake, a major BWCA entry point on the quieter eastern side of the wilderness, and the operation is still family-run three generations later.
Trips range from fully outfitted expeditions — lightweight Kevlar canoes, complete camp kits, and packed food — to simple canoe and gear rentals for groups who bring their own equipment. Staff help with route planning across dozens of connected lakes, handle BWCA permits, and run an on-site store and campground so crews can stage the night before an early launch. First-timers get a full orientation; veterans can be on the water in minutes.
Because the outfitter sits at the entry point itself, there is no shuttle or drive between gear pickup and put-in — you load your canoe and paddle straight into the wilderness. That location, combined with nearly seventy years of route knowledge on the Sawbill, Kawishiwi, and Temperance chains, makes it one of the most storied names in Boundary Waters tripping.
