This is a fun little place for a weekend.  I did it once in October.  I shared the campground with 2 other small, quiet groups.  I had the water to myself.  It is located in
Washburn County six miles north of Birchwood, Wisconsin, half of that distance on a gravel fire lane.  There are two "primitive" canoe routes that make up the Birchwood Canoe Trails. There is little development.  The land is heavily forested with canoe portages and trails connecting the small lakes.  You need to take time to "smell the roses" otherwise you’ll fly through the canoe route in no time.

The first of the routes is Sawmill.  Sawmill Lake has a county campground.  I guess technically this is not canoe camping because you drive to this campground.  It is fairly primitive, however.  There is a pump for water and vault toilets.  Campsites have a picnic table and fire pit.  I think the fee for me was $6 a night. 

The Campground is right on Sawmill Lake, which gets you started on the route.  I think you travel through 9 different lakes on the route.  These lakes are tiny, not worth a mention by BWCA standards, but are charming and fun nonetheless.  When I was there, the fall colors were spectacular!  The water was very silky.  On tiny Bluegill Lake I saw a big buck get up from his bed beneath a lob tree.  Seeing the lob tree was actually more exciting than seeing the buck.  A lob tree is an old-timer method of marking something, generally a portage.  The lower branches of the tree were lobbed off, giving the tree an unusual shape, making it stand out from the others.  The practice has not been used for a long time.  This particular lob tree was a birch.  It looked like a Dr. Seusse tree. 

The other canoe route is the Loyhead Lake Route.  To get there you need to drive out of the campground and up the fire lane a mile and a half.  This route has 7 slightly larger lakes connected by slightly longer portages.  Still, the lakes are not large and the portages less than 200 yards.  There is one house on Loyhead Lake, the only one on either canoe route.

It’s not really canoe camping, but the routes are paddle only.  There are portages.  There is rustic camping (even though you drive to it).  I wouldn't travel great distances to go there, but if you are close it is a nice place for a weekend shake out run or to give kids their first exposure to such things.  Kids will also like the fishing – kid friendly bluegills.  Birchwood is known as the Bluegill Capital of the World!

Washburn County ownership.  You can go to these websites for a bit of information.  Washburn County Camping  (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links); and Washburn County  Canoeing  (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)