WCCO Viewers' Choice For MN's Best Campground: Boundary Waters

BWCA, Minn. (WCCO) -- With the Fourth of July just a week away, WCCO viewers picked out Minnesota's Best Campground.

And the Boundary Waters came out on top.

After 30 minutes of paddling in search of the campsite, it's obvious that camping in the BWCA is a little different than at other campgrounds.

"In the Boundary Waters, you have to work a little bit harder, but it's totally worth it," Frank Udovich said.

Paddling out is one of those bits of extra work, but it's also a big part of the appeal.

"You can be left alone, you can enjoy the wilderness, you can hear the loons," Udovich said. "You can have a campfire and it's beautiful."

Udovich owns and lives at the Kawishiwi Lodge on Lake One.

With more than 1,000 lakes scattered over one million acres of wilderness, the Boundary Waters offers a chance to connect with nature that can't be beat.

"It's a magical feeling isn't it?" Udovich said. "I get that every night. I can walk out on the dock and I can experience it. I still get excited."

These lakes are also popular with fishermen -- walleye, northern pike and small mouth bass.

Fish or no fish, camping up here, away from everyday distractions, really provides a chance to reflect on what matters most.

"The nights around the campfire, it's doing camp chores, being with your family, the conversations, the people that you're with," Udovich said. "You live off those memories for the rest of your life."