Chainsaw Sisters Saloon Site

In 2006, The Trust for Public Land and Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness (Friends) permanently protected the well-known “Chainsaw Sisters Saloon” site, adjacent to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW). This ensured continued public access to the popular Mudro Lake BWCAW entry point located off the Echo Trail 18 miles north of Ely, Minnesota. To many, the Mudro Lake entry point is simply known as “the Chainsaw Sisters” and the saloon was so named for twin sisters and former U.S. Forest Service employees Marlene and Michele. The saloon had a lively, 18-year run and over the years, paddlers, hunters, anglers, snowmobilers and the curious stapled $1 bills with messages of goodwill to the walls and ceilings.

The popular 25-acre Chainsaw Sisters location is now owned and managed by the U.S. Forest Service. The saloon and other buildings on the property have been removed, but the parking lot remains and is free to the public and continues on as an established entry point to the most visited wilderness area in the county.