While we anxiously watched the wildfire news to try to understand the chances of us using our overnight BWCA entry permit for Sawbil on 7/27 we were soooo glad to have the Facebook updates daily that Clare (owner) provided. When it was clear that our permit was cancelled they worked with us with ultimate customer care and pivoted to Plan B. We camped in the National Pk Campground and were able to do day use paddles into the BWCA each day. We were not used to car camping and kept the hatch on the car open while at the site - hours at a time. No lights were on. Turns out, though, that liftback sensors are enough to drain the car battery. We needed a jump start for the car - they were very helpful! We'll continue our tradition and using these outfitters - they are excellent! read more

I came up here with 3 friends for 11 days in the Boundary Water Canoe Area wilderness. We rented 2 - 17' Kevlar canoes weighing a mere 40 pounds each and filled them all our gear. The staff here was extremely helpful. They can provide you with all the gear you need including paddles, bear proof containers, life vests, maps and more. They have a nice store with most camping necessities like fuel, bags, gifts, jerky, eggs and more. Hot showers are available with clean towels. Located on Sawbill Lake right next to the National park campground, this outfittter seems to have the perfect location. I cannot say enough nice things about Sawbills, it's a great gateway to an amazing wilderness. read more

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I recently got back from a 4 night trip to the BWCA with a group of friends, all first timer women. We did full outfitting with Sawbill Canoe Outfitters and had an awesome trip! The instructions the SCO staff gave us were great, they answered all of our questions very well and didn't make any of us feel silly for asking any of them. We had a hiccup with our trip and SCO really took care of us. I would absolutely go through them again, even using the campsite there as a base camp and day tripping into the BWCA as a way to get my kids to get a little BWCA sampler - lots of options at this location for all abilities and interest levels! read more

My friend has been coming here every summer since the early 90's to do a trip through the Boundary Waters, and her father for many years before that. I've joined on this trip 3 times and Sawbill has become a welcome part of the tradition for me as well. Their staff is incredibly down to earth and friendly. They'll offer their amazing expertise and advice without any hesitation! Plus they're honest (I asked one staff member about a mosquito-repellent bracelet I saw at the store and he said that he wouldn't trust that it works). Sawbill has: - Campgrounds - both for reservation and first-come first-serve. They've never made reservations and have always been able to find a spot. Sometimes you can get one on the lake if you're lucky! - Canoe rentals - Vans to drive you to your entry point (and they will carry canoes for you) - Long term parking for your cars while you're in the Boundary Waters (free) - Men's & women's showers (individual stalls and a general dressing area for each gender) - A store where you can pick up your permit (purchased in advance through their online system) - Tons of other materials, food, and gear in that store - Free Wi-Fi at the store - A Verizon hotspot at the store read more

I highly recommend Sawbill Canoe Outfitters for your next BWCA trip. If we come back, we would definitely work with them again! The staff is incredibly knowledgeable and friendly. They gave us a lot of great information as to which routes to take, sights to see, and obstacles to avoid. Many in our group had never even been in a canoe before, yet by the end of their informal training session, we were all feeling much more confident. Sawbill Canoe Outfitters offers free camping the night before and after your canoeing trip. We arrived at Sawbill late after night fall and the staff had already set up our tents and sleeping bags for us. We arrived with a flat tire and they helped us pump air into the tires to get us on the road. The equipment we rented from them was all clean and in great condition. They did a great job explaining where everything was and how to use and care for it. We also really liked entering the Boundary Waters from Sawbill Lake because it was far less crowded than Ely, especially given that our trip fell on Labor Day weekend. We had no trouble finding some prime camping spots. read more

I cannot write a good enough review for this place. We stayed at their campground the night before entering into the BWCA and checked out our their gear the morning of the trip. The atmosphere was wonderful, the campground was peaceful and well-kept, and the outfitter was knowledgeable and accommodating, despite us needing to modify our reservation. Due to complications with a tired three-year-old, we needed to come out of the BWCA a day early, and they were wonderful to only charge us for the days we used the canoe. I plan to use Sawbill Outfitter for every BWCA trip and can't wait to stay at their campground again. Highly recommend! read more

These Guys were Great. The canoes were great quality. The staff was very helpful in helping out the guys in my party that needed special equipment for our week long trip in the Boundary Waters. The fact that we were able to launch right into Sawbill lake was a major bonus. I would recommend these guys to anyone who needs to get outfitted for a trip into the Boundary Waters. read more

Want to explore the boundary waters? Stop in at the Sawbill Outfitters. They have canoes and supplies for a day trip or a week. They will show you how to flip and carry a canoe, go over the rules, give you a map... And you are on your way to explore the lakes. Wow! You will enjoy this beautiful experience with nature. read more

Sawbill has the location, product and is knowledgeable about the area. Unfortunately they turned out to be a bunch of jerks. When it came to rectifying the bill at the end of the week long trek they mess up the charges and were relentless with demands. While mistakes occur, arrogance and lack composure made the situation worse. I can not recommend Bill Hansen or his business Sawbill Canoe Outfitters. There are lots of outfitter choices. read more

First let me start by clarifying a bit: The 1-star rating is only because of our bad experience with one certain individual and not indicative of the rest of the campground as they are terrific and a recommended outfitter in the BWCA. That being said, we just finished a weekend up at Sawbill, our second annual stay and one member of our groups family spots for many, many years. Last year was a superb experience in all facets of our stay: canoeing, camping, celebrating being outdoors with great friends and basking in a beautiful Minnesota summer together. We stayed in campground 27/28 last year and were not bothered whatsoever to be quiet, that we were bothering anyone else, etc. Unfortunately, that was last year. This year was a far different experience. From the moment we got there (and I'm being serious; It was 10-15 minutes after we parked at our campsite), the campground 'host' was hostile and extremely rude to us about being sure to pay for our site, even though the sign at the entrance clearly states pay within 1 hour of setting up your site. We'll just refer to this campground host as 'Jim', just for conversations' sake. Later on that evening, at 10:05 (quiet hours are 10pm-6am) Jim paid us another visit just as hostile as the earlier ones to tell us to be quiet and that he'd received 3 complaints from other campsites about us, which to be honest, is a pretty remarkable feat in the 5 minutes since quiet hours started. 10 minutes later, he comes back even more hostile than before, this time he greets us with a threat to kick us out of the county (yes, COUNTY) if we didn't quiet down. This is now 4 total visits within 4 hours time. Not acceptable. We were sitting around a fire talking, enjoying drinks, and laughing. LIKE EVERYONE DOES WHILE CAMPING. We are all around 30 years old and definitely not 'partying' any longer like we would in our younger days. Our voices may have been carrying a bit, but so what? There are many other campsites currently doing the same exact thing. This experience caused us to switch one of our campsites the next day to the complete opposite side of where Jim was located. Did it help? Of course not. This is when we knew this guy truly had it out for us. Two nights later, we get another visit at 10:05. This is as we are CLEARLY packing up one campsite, putting out the fire, etc. Another unnecessary and unwarranted threat, this time with the phrase 'don't ever bring a group like this back here again'. We then moved to our second campsite across the campground to be in peace and enjoy our last night of our trip. Our reward for not starting a complete fuss and being combative with Jim? A visit from two Sheriffs an hour or so later from Grand Marais, a 40 minute drive each way along dirt roads. Luckily the Sheriffs were much nicer and understanding that the man who called them, probably because they were greeted by 3 pleasant individuals sitting by a fire (the rest of us had gone to bed). I bet they were at least a little upset that the were beckoned late at night and had to spend an hour and half driving for absolutely nothing, but they were great to us. Police officers should only be called in the most extreme of cases and only when necessary. This was absolutely not one of those times. He should be truly ashamed. To close, this man single-handedly ruined our weekend and our experience. We will not be coming back to this campground/outfitters again. When detailing our experience to the head staff the next day, we were told 'since he is a middle school assistant principal, he speaks to everyone as if they are a 13 years old.' That is a serious character flaw and as good of a reason as any as to why he shouldn't be your campground 'host'. He accomplished the complete opposite of what a host should be. He should have the temperament to deal with adults and handle things in calm manner. We're all there for the same reasons I stated earlier: to have fun, enjoy the summer, and be amongst friends and family. Adults realize that. Jim did not. read more

"We have been delightfully served by Sawbill for several years. We look forward to working with them on a future project here at Mattson because they are so customer friendly." read more