Today’s Needle in a Haystack is Ely Minnesota. Ely is the gateway to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW). If you have never visited the Boundary Waters, it is one of those trips that you must make in your lifetime. I was lucky enough to grow up in a town 90 miles south of Ely – so a trip to the Boundary Waters was an annual or bi-annual event. Since leaving the area for the bright lights of Minneapolis, I have been able to take two of my children along the same canoe routes that I took as a kid – and I hope to take my youngest this fall.Â

Anyways, you will not be able to buy a property directly inside of the BWCA – but you may want to check out the available Ely lake property listings - some of these properties have direct access to the Boundary Waters. Many other lakes in the area share the same characteristics as well. Check out the listings on Burntside Lake, Birch Lake, Eagles Nest Lake, Shagawa Lake, and Fall Lake (like the Fall Lake Property pictured below).

Happy Lake Home Hunting!