During peak boating season a contractor uses four-wheel drive trucks and a trailer to pull boats over the U.S. side of the portage. Typically canoeists take the much shorter portage trail along the Canadian side of the border, which is not motorized.
Caution should be exercised when crossing the largest lakes of Map 4 in a canoe. The big open stretches of Basswood Lake can develop large, dangerous waves. Early morning is often the best time to cross these big areas.
