Voyageur Canoe Outfitters Reviews

Great people who went out of their way to make sure we had what we needed for a great trip - Cassidy and Matt were fantastic to communicate with and the whole VCO crew were top notch.

I would highly recommend VCO. It's a beautiful place and the VCO team were very helpful in recommending routes and adventures for us.

Love this place, will return as often as possible. They couldn't have been more helpful and accommodating

Great experience that I didn't want to end. Definitely looking forward to the next trip. Top notch service from start to finish, great service, reliable and trustworthy staff, reasonably priced and really couldn't ask for more.

we loved these people! they equipped us well and gave pointers to help us along the way. we had a great time and voyageur canoe outfitters were a huge part of our success!

We stayed at the lodge on the saganaga lake that Matt and Cassidy manage. Great lodge great time and the crew at Voyaguer were great in pointing out points of interest for us to hike to in the area. I would highly recommend this group if you are staying in the area. We loved it and have already started talking about returning to do some canoeing and maybe even a little fishing next time.

Voyageur is always great. They provide us with whatever help we need.

Being my first trip into the Boundary Waters, I had very high expectations. One thing I've learned in the past is that the scenery is only as beautiful as the people enveloped in it, and after working with Tony and Hannah, can throw Lake Saganaga and the Boundary Waters at the top of the list. The accomodations and services were top notch, and the atmosphere that Voyageur Canoe offers is second to none. Thanks to Voyageur, I'll be back for more!

Had a great first trip out on Sag with a VCO Kevlar canoe. Despite short notice, they were able to accommodate me with everything I needed and helped my group pick out a few good campsites before we headed out. Highly recommend VCO for all future trips to Eastern BWCA

We used Voyagers for a 5 day couples trip. We did not rely on them for food or equipment, just the bunkhouse and meals before departure. Honestly though, we were checking them out as outfitters for a future larger trip. They will be our first choice next year. I found them always helpful and willing to offer advice. They are active in and supportive of their community and treat their staff very well. I have only good things to say..
Note: we did go back in 2015 and used them for a 7 person trip. They were great and still deserve 5 stars. If you want eggs to go with your pancake breakfast just ask.

Friendly staff, with a great pancake breakfast before departure! Easy planning and timely pickup for those that want a tow.

I can t say enough good things about these folks or the cabin we stayed in. Where to begin? We visited from Florida in mid-June 2016, but booked months in advance. Matt and the other folks we spoke with were so friendly, honest, and easy to work with. They took care of the government permit needed and made all the necessary arrangements for us to rent one of their motor boats for a wonderful day trip into the BWCA. And they were able to do it in a way that allowed us to wait for a day with good weather. We (my wife and me and our 18 year old son) had a great time. We saw many Bald Eagles and lots of other wildlife, including a mother Merganser with a large brood of adorable chicks. It was quite an experience.

The cabin we stayed in (Cabin on the Hill) was more like a home than a rental. It was clean, well stocked in terms of kitchenware, towels, etc. We had everything we needed and some. The view was gorgeous no matter what direction we looked. The Voyageur Canoe Outfitters folks made it all so easy, and accommodated our every need. Everyone we spoke to was genuinely helpful and friendly, and the whole experience was excellent. The staff was there to make sure their guests had a good experience, and that was very clear in how they interacted with us and the other guests. I recall watching from across the parking lot as one of the younger staff excitedly explained to the boss about how he had just discovered the best way to remove grease from the stove burner grates in one of the cabins he was cleaning.

We got some really nice (good quality) stuff at their store (hats and clothes, and keepsakes). In fact, I m wearing one of the shirts as I write this review :). The prices for everything (cabin, gifts, boat rental, etc.) were reasonable. Thank you Voyageur Canoe Outfitters for a great stay and a wonderful family experience we ll never forget.

Well organized and efficient organization. They had our cabin ready even though we arrived after hours. After breakfast, an amiable, competent guide gave us a tow to American Point. Upon our return, the valet had our van ready to load. We couldn't have asked for better service.

I experienced a canoe trip several years ago. I continue to think about that wonderful trip we had. Thank you very much for the memories.

I have been a customer of Voyagers for a number of years now and have been pleased with the services provided. The workers are always accommodating and informative. The equipment is in good condition and the recommendations are solid. On any other trip I d probably rock this with a 5 star, but we need to talk about the food pack. I preface this with the fact that we were supposed to have 6 people and had someone cut out at last minute and they kindly adjusted the package cost. Also, I hit the big appetite button when we initially ordered the food....a tactical error. I was informed of the total invoice prior to the trip and arrived to the outfitter being handed a much higher price, due to our food.

Upon our initial inspection of the packs we noted an amount of food that could easily feed a group of 10 people. With an armementarium of 24 bagels roughly the same amount of pita bread, 6 well sized steaks, thick pieces pork belly, enough jerky to stave off our non-hunger problems and more cookies and granola you could think of, plus pots, pans and various other items we didn t need (I should have told them that and it should be an option when ordering). It s too much guys....you must know this when you packed that bag. In addition you gave us a whole 4th days worth of food when you knew we were coming back in on Sunday. No wonder my initial invoice doubled. Sorry guys, I love the outfitting, won t ever be ordering the food pack again.

This was my 12th trip to Quetico/BWCA. As usual the staff at Voyager was friendly, professional, knowledgeable and very helpful. We will be back again next year and we highly recommend this outfitter

The staff were very thoughtful and attentive. They asked if you had all documentation(fishing license, permit etc...), needed for the trip. Shower facilities clean and in good condition. Bunk house was basic but comfortable.

I just got back from a BWCA trip with a large group of 8. Aside from one person, we were all first-timers to the area as well as to wilderness camping. We rented canoes from Voyageur Outfitters.

On the way there, our second car with 4 of our group members broke down on Gunflint Trail about 15 minutes away from the Outfitters. They called Voyageur and Matt (the owner) very quickly arranged a shuttle (at no extra cost) to go get them and all their gear, as well as calling a tow truck to pick up the car to a repair shop. A disaster that could have delayed the start of our trip by hours was very quickly resolved in under 30 minutes due to great customer service by Matt and his team. They also spent the time to show us basic canoeing tips, as well as pointing out on the map a recommended route for our 5-day trip. Everyone was extremely friendly and personable.

Twice during our trip, a few of us paddled all the way back to the Outfitters for drinks and ice cream. They let us borrow a soft-sided cooler of theirs and even gave us ice to keep stuff cold that we paddled back to the rest of the group.

At the end of our camping trip, they shuttled half our group with no car to the lodge that we were staying at so that we did not have to drive back to get them. We cannot praise Matt and his team enough for saving us additional expenses and valuable time. Because of that, we were able to still enjoy our vacation as planned. Thank you so much!!

The Voyageur staff were exemplary and did everything the right way!!! We'll certainly be back God willing. Thanks for an outstanding two weeks Voyageur folks!!! Your friend Howard Petree!

Amazing and helpful staff, the overnight bunkhouses are nice for getting ready for your trip. We will continue to use these guys for our boundary waters canoe trips.

Friendly, reasonably priced, and efficient. Voyageur Canoe Outfitters did an awesome job accommodateing our late arrival and early shuttle onto the lake. Special shout-out to Austin. Super nice employee who even went the extra mile to grab us all bars of soap for our post trip shower.

I've been to the BWCA 20+ times in the last 15 years and have used numerous outfitters. These guys know what they're doing and I will absolutely be using them again.

Couldn't be happier with my experience. I was very impressed with the professionalism and positive attitude of the entire staff. It was clear that everyone enjoyed working at Voyageur. Looking forward to coming back!!

A great place to get gear for the BWCA. We stopped in and got a bear barrel and entry permits. Super friendly staff and a well organized place. Will definitely stop by again.

Used a Groupon to do a 4 day canoe voyage on Sea Gull lake! It was amazing! I would highly recommend this outfitter and the areas they service. Very knowledgeable and great supplies to use. You don't need to being anything other than clothes and some simple supples. They have everything else. Truly a unique experience for anyone that loves the outdoors. There is no cell service so don't expect to use your electronics. You won't miss them though with all the wonderful wildlife and plant life to enjoy! Get out there and get to adventuring!

Just arrived home from our trip. Not sure whether it was the eighth or ninth trip up the Gunflint Trail, starting with Earl and Anita with Superior North in 2004 for the first three, then transitioning to Voyageur. Voyageur is always accommodating, and the equipment top notch. The fishing and the weather varies, but the service at Voyageur has always been great.

Great people! We got back to American Point a day early and they had a tow boat passing by regularly. Great canoes and accessories. Next time we go to Knife Lake from the Grand Marais side, we're going to use Voyageur Canoe Outfitters again.

My boyfriend and I came up for a couple of days for a winter excursion. Hannah and Tony were excellent hosts! They cautioned us before driving up about road conditions, temperature, and what to bring in regards to food and water, so we came fully prepared. They kept track of us as we drove up the trail, and even guided us out of being stuck in the snow numerous times. They made sure we had activities to do during our stay, and that our cabin was in suitable condition, and we knew how to work the temperature and phone.

We felt extremely welcome and accommodated for. Hannah and Tony were eager to help us any way they could. We had an excellent stay, and would love to come back during the summer or fall :)

Thanks guys!

Great facilities and staff. We were outfitted for a 4 day canoe trip followed by 3 nights in the Top of The Trail cabin. Great service by the staff with quick response when something was needed. Top of the Trail was a great way to contrast the 4 days in the BWCA - clean, up to date and very comfortable.
Thanks for everything!

I've been to the BWCA a few times, and this was the best outfitter I have gone through. From the start they were friendly and accommodating, making sure we were prepared for the trip. We spent a night in one of their little cabins to get an early tow out to American Point in the morning - it was well worth it! The cabins are sparse but had a nice picnic table and charcoal grill out front, and were in easy walking distance to the showers and main office. We got there earlier than expected so we treated ourselves to a beer (or three!) that were for sale in the main office, and even had them cook up a pizza for us and deliver it. The next morning before the tow out we were treated to a delicious breakfast of pancakes, sausage, coffee and orange juice (the pancakes were truly stellar). When we got back from the trip they had taken the time to pull our car down to the water for easy loading. From start to finish everyone was friendly and capable, and really made our trip special. We'll definitely be booking with them again in the future.

My friend & I had a great time navigating the lakes and portages on a 4 day outfitted trip with Voyageur Canoe Outfitters! We were dropped off and picked up by the VCO crew which was nice after a few days of being tested by the summer storms of the BWCA. Easy and smooth process getting the gear and permits, and a nice breakdown of the route with highlights to see along the way. Definitely recommend for beginners or experts a like to go through VCO!

Very friendly staff. Good food and plenty of supplies! Last year I used them for a tow service and there was a mix up on the return tow, but they more than made it right and I would recommend them to anyone looking to use a outfitter for their BWCA trip!

I just returned from my second trip using Voyageur for a partially outfitted trip (canoe, packs, a few sundries). The gear is in good shape, and the staff are absolutely stellar! Matt helped change our route at the last minute due to an unforeseen issue on my end and was wonderfully accommodating and friendly. I'd send anybody looking for a good BWCA experience to these folks.

If you re going into the BWCA on the northern end of the Gunflint, these are your folks. We have a group of 4-8 that fish every year the weekend after opener. Stay in the bunkhouse, eat an awesome breakfast, head in for 4 days. Super nice people. Super chill place. They can fully outfit rookies too. Their Wenonah stockpile is impressive!

Good value, but even better service. Very professional staff, well run. Highly recommend.

The staff will bend over backwards for you, and the food package will feed you well on your trip! I highly recommend Voyageur.

Rented a canoe for the first time of my life, lady was very helpful

We had a great time in the BWCA and all the things that voyageur canoe recommended were great quality and very helpful.
Thank you for a great north woods family experience!

My wife and I plus our granddaughter and friends have been going to Voyageur since 2011. Great crew, food and accommodations. Fun to be around, we are considering employment there next year. If you have or haven t been to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area this is a great place to go, to get out in this beautiful part of our country! Try it, before you can t, you won t regret it.

Voyageurs was an awesome outfitter who helped us out tremendously. We had a member of our group have a medical condition while in, and they helped us extricate him, and even transported him to Tofte to get help. We ran into some of their employees later on in the trip after responding to help fight a cabin fire in Canada, they were helping in their off time, great people. Shouts out to Jack, Simon, and the others. Thanks for retreiving my shirt from Canada!

Terrific staff, well-organized, and about as deep into the BWCA as you can start. Could not recommend more highly.

People at Voyageur are very friendly and helpful and tried their best to make our trip enjoyable. But I will advise anyone not to order food from them. We did 3 meals per day for 2 people on 3 day trip. The food came in a big heavy food pack. I was shocked when I first opened the pack and wonder if the items were really packed by supposedly outdoor experts for people to carry through many portages:
There was a big block unsliced bacon (for one breakfast) which was not only too much but also hard to handle without cutting board and sharp knife. We ended up eating thick and chewy bacon and we only eat 1/4 of block.
There were 8 OZ container peanut butter and 8 OZ jelly for one PB&J sandwich lunch we ordered. Does it make more sense to have a couple of little jelly packages you see at restaurant breakfast?
There was 8 OZ container lard for fish fry. Who eat lard these days? And 8 OZ of it? Does it make more sense to have a little plastic bottle of oil (light and easy to use)?
There was also 8 OZ block of cheese.
All other food items were also in large qualities and inconvenient packages.
You would think more is better, get your money worth? Wrong, you cannot throw any food away into the wildness both because you plagued to leave no trace but you also don t want bears to discover the camp site. So you carry all the excess food on your back, walking though rocks, mud, water and hills and load and unload them each time you go through a portage.
Besides food, there were TWO rolls of toilet paper they figured large quantities of food go in and they have to come out somehow in volume. There was also a whole roll of paper towel which I found unnecessary because there were several dish towels in the package as well.
Because all the food required one pack, two of us had to carry three packs plus the canoe and we had to make two trips at each portage. The mule some work sucked the fun out of the otherwise nice trip.

Nice folks and a beautiful setting. We will be back again.

Repeat customer. Clean facilities, great for freshening up after being in the wilderness for a week.

Very clean cabins. Helpful staff. Great store. All around terrific. Would stay there again.

Top Notch all the way around. They handled my schedule changes with a smile, and took good care of me after my 13 day BWCA trip. Facilities and grounds were well maintained, and the canoes I saw for rent were in great condition. I would not hesitate to recommend them for anyone wanting to outfit a trip in their area!

My wife and I spent the first 3 weeks of September 2019 at the Lookout Cabin. We came primarily to fish for smallmouth bass, sightsee in the area and just relax. When we arrived everything was ready including the boat we had rented for the trip. The cabin was so beautiful and comfortable. It had a loft, main floor and lower level. During the 3 weeks we watched no TV and minimal use of cell phones. The weather during this time ranged from in the 40's to 80 degrees. Mostly in the 60's and 70's. The summer crowds had left after labor day so the area and the lake was mostly free of people. The fishing was a little tougher than it is in June but was still very good. We fished mostly on the Canadian side of the lake and caught quality smallmouth. I would definitely recommend this time of year if you want to avoid people. My wife and I want to thank Matt and Cassidy for making our stay so enjoyable, they are awesome in making sure you are taken care of. They go way beyond the norm. In summary, if you want to experience the boundary waters this is the place and the outfitters to make your dream come true.

Amazing outfitter! Extremely friendly and helpful. They took care of every detail! We would definitely use them again. Highly recommend!

I have taken 2 trips through these guys and both have been some of the greatest trips of my life. Highly recommend going with these guys

Falls Chain to Kawnipi, McEwen Base Camp, Man Chain, and the Jasper/Ottertracks loop...couldn't have done any of these life changing adventures without the help of the Proms and their incredible crew. From a college buddy, fishing oriented voyage into Quetico to a family trip geared towards exploration and bonding in the wilderness (we celebrated my Mom's 60th b-day on Jasper Lake last year!), this is the place to go. I'll be there in August for a Mack/Kawnipi/Falls Chain loop. Looking forward to discussing the fishing and camping hotspots with Mike. THANK YOU!

We landed on VCO after a yearly trip to Canada got cancel due to COVID. I worked with Cassidy who told me their Cabins were full, but found us 2 rooms at a nearby lodge that they help rent. The lodge was very clean and fairly recently renovated. Cassidy was great! She responded quickly by email or text and answered all my questions quickly. VCO arranged 4 fishing boats for my crew that were clean and in great shape. It was August, so the fishing was not great, but Matt was extremely helpful with suggestions on where to go and how to target the fish that were biting. Overall the VCO team helped salvage our trip on short term notice and helped us make a lot of great new memories. I strongly recommend them for anyone wanting to visit the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA).

Matt, Cassidy and crew are great! They always make us feel at home and are super patient with our trip planning, which can be like cat herding with my buddies. I have used VCO 3 years in a row and will go with them when I return next year. Of special mention is the food packages they put together for trips. Seems like a good value and you will not be hungry while in the woods or on the water.

Matt and the friendly staff at Voyager are what set them apart from the other outfitters on the Gunflint. We have visited several other outfitters and chose Voyager for the friendly and helpful service we receive from them. I highly recommend this outfitter for your next BWCA or Quetico adventure.

Enough simply cannot be said about this fine establishment!!!!
*Personable, Kind, Informed Staff
*Organized Business
*Perfect packages for any trip or wilderness stay.
*Great place for employment
*Owners are 2 of the best people I know of to help you have a perfect 1st or 100th trip.

Voyageur Canoe Outfitters is must if you are going down the Gunflint trail,
Also they are convienently located closest to your destination, be it BWCA or Quetico!

Highly recommended! All the staff here went out of their way to make sure our time in the BWCA was amazing. Can t thank them enough.

From the first email inquiry to the boat shuttle back at the end of the trip, Matt and the Voyageur crew were professional, knowledgeable, helpful and did all they could do to ensure we had the best trip possible. If you are considering a BWCA adventure, this a first-class operation I can t recommend them highly enough.

Took my 1st BWCA 7 day paddle the last week of June 2016 with seven other friends. The experience and professional assistance that VCO staff provides made this trip a dream come true. From the orientation, all you can eat pancake breakfast and tow out to our entry point. The outfitted gear was top notch and supplied food was enjoyable while in the wilderness. The nice clean hot showers where a wonderful plus before heading back down the Gun Flint Trail on our way home.
Thanks VCO!

This place exceeded expectations! We rented a boat for the day and will definitely be coming back but this time we will be staying on the grounds. The staff is friendly, helpful and take the time YOU need to make sure you feel comfortable. An experience we will never forget. 10/10 would recommend to anyone!!

We were early out this year. So the weather was not our best friend. The people at Voyageur were great and ready to go.

I have been on 10 canoe/camping trips in the BWCA & Voyageur Canoe Outfitters has been my outfitter for every trip. They have been wonderful to work with every time & I will continue to use them on my future trips.

The staff were friendly and accommodating. They walked us through the safety and general camping/canoeing tips. We had warm and tasty pancakes and sausage patties breakfast after staying the night before our trip at one of their cabins. Their equipment was of good quality and gave us whatever we needed for our trip, especially for rainy day. Navigating through the lake Seagull wasn't easy for a first timer like us, so bring your compass as well and be ready to lose track sometimes.

Worked with this outfitter all 3 times. Each time has been a pleasure. One time they unfortunately nicked my car with a trailer while I was on my trip. They explained the situation to me when I got back, and offered to pay for the repairs. After I returned back to my home town, I brought the vehicle to a dealership and got the repairs done and Voyageur took care of the bill no problem.

Awsome place. For an outfitter for the boundary waters, treated you great

Voyageur Canoe Outfitters s was the best experience I have had in my trips Since 1985 to the BWCA. People were so friendly and helpful. You could see they cared. From the first call to make a reservation to packing to leave everyone was there to make it the best trip possible. If you made thinking about a trip make them your first choice you won t do any better than Voyageur Canoe Outfitters!