Parking
Reach the Mica Bay start by boat on Namakan Lake. Arrange transport to the Cruiser Lake Trail end near Brown Lake, or plan to retrace the route; parking details for this remote access were not found.
Overview
About Beast Lake Trail
Why go
- Ridge walking along Beast Lake in a remote corner of the park.
Heads up
- Boat logistics are essential; walking back makes it about five miles.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Voyageurs map
Full mapElevation1,148–1,355 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
2 active Voyageurs alerts
- ClosureDryweed Island-area sites closed for bear activitySeventeen campsites, houseboat sites, and a day-use site on Dryweed Island and nearby islands are closed through the end of October 2026 because of continued bear activity and unsafe bear-human…Official details
- CautionNavigation markers and buoys absent on park lakesUse caution while boating on Rainy, Kabetogama, Namakan, and Sand Point Lakes because park hazard markers and secondary navigation aids have been removed, and most primary navigational buoys are also…Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Voyageurs Tour Guide
Your drive to Beast Lake Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Voyageurs National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
- 29 audio storiesacross Voyageurs’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Gray Wolf, Moose, Bald Eagle, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 19 trails, 49 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Beast Lake Trail
A remote point-to-point hikeBeast Lake Trail is about 2.
Beast Lake Trail is about 2.5 miles one way, linking Mica Bay on Namakan Lake with the Cruiser Lake Trail near Brown Lake. It climbs ridges along Beast Lake, a good fit if you want a backcountry walk reached by boat. Allow roughly 2.5 hours for the one-way route; walking back to Mica Bay makes it about 5 miles total.
Plan both endsThe Mica Bay start is reached by boat across Namakan Lake, and the other end meets the Cruiser…
The Mica Bay start is reached by boat across Namakan Lake, and the other end meets the Cruiser Lake Trail. Arrange a drop-off and a far-end pickup before starting, or commit to retracing the route. This is a point-to-point hike, not a loop; parking arrangements at the remote access were not found.
Check current accessThe route is rated moderate and is not maintained for winter use.
The route is rated moderate and is not maintained for winter use. Distance listings range from 2.49 to 2.6 miles one way; the mapped corridor measures about 2.5 miles. The National Park Service GPS page marks Beast Lake Trail, but the current hiking overview does not list it. Confirm the route and access with the park before arranging transport. Pets are prohibited on park trails and in the backcountry.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Voyageurs
10 sightingsGray WolfMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
12 sightingsMooseMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
67 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
79 sightingsLoonMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
41 sightingsWhite PelicanMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
19 sightingsTrumpeter SwanMost seen around 6 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Voyageurs. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
