Just back from tenth 8 day canoe trip here. Last 3 outfitted by Harlan/RLO.Harlan is a ball of energy and does a great job. Finds the best accommodations and restaurants. Took care of late reservs at end of our 12 hr drive fm MSP.Had our butcher shop order waiting for us at the dock next morning. He even lobbied for, and got us, first float plane out which effectively gave us an additional day on our trip as we were set up and fishing fm our canoes by 9am. Rented Harlan's 3 seater in add'n to ours. It was first class equipment.I can't recommend Harlan highly enough. Smart, friendly, and eager to please his customers. Has a new very impressive shop too.
My wife and I just returned from our second trip to Woodland Caribou PP. After choosing Red Lake Outfitters for our first trip it was an obvious choice to use them again. Harlan and Matt know the park and they know paddling. They listen to your wants and needs and give you options. Their equipment is top-notch. I have been paddling the BWCA for more than 30 years and love it but WCPP offers a solitude and a wilderness feel you can't get the the BWCA. We will be going back to WCPP and outfitting through Red Lake Outfitters.
Harlan Schwartz runs a top-notch outfitting and guide service. Better still, his route and paddling recommendations are based on his personal experience. This outfitting organization has energy and passion for canoeing. In my opionion, two essential ingredients for an outfitter. When I make my next Woodland Caribou trip, the first call I'll make is to Harlan at Red Lake Outfitters.
The Red Lake Outfitters (I always think of them as Matt and Harlan) are incredibly professional and friendly. Before heading out, they went over our maps with us, told us what we could expect in terms of terrain, scenery and wildlife. We used their shuttle service from Red Lake to the put-in at Leano Lake. On the way in Harlan chatted with us about the wildlife, the town itself, and how the park has changed over the years. We saw a wolf on the way in. Matt picked us up on our way out of the park after a five day trip, and he hopped out of the van and handed me an ice cold Gatorade. I could have hugged him! These guys are awesome and they really helped to instill confidence in me as I had some concerns about my ability to do the trip. I highly recommend them.
Harlan arranged our float plane flight in and out as well as the first night's lodging. We had our own equipment but rented a food barrel and sat phone from him. Harlan marked up our maps with the best routes, campsites and fishing spots and made sure everything went as planned. He treated us like we were his only customers. My son and I had a fantastic time. The park is awesome. Great fishing and excellent solitude. WCPP is definitely worth the 10 drive from Minneapolis. Using Red Lake Outfitters is definitely who you should use to access the park.
Going to Woodland Caribou Provincial Park? Three words of advice: talk to Harlan. He has a wealth of knowledge and is totally focused on making your trip a success, tailoring assistance to your needs. In our situation we were experienced canoe trippers but needed assistance with canoe routes and fishing (we had not done much fishing in the past, and had had little success back in Minnesota on previous trips). His advice was incredibly valuable and we caught many, many quality fish and had a fantastic time. Without his information we would have experienced many frustrations that we were able to easily bypass. Oh, and did I mention he is a very nice and approachable guy?
Harlan does a wonderful job of helping you sort out what and where you want to go in the area. He arranged the flights and our hotel. We were not sure where we wanted to go in the Woodland Caribou Provincial park. After talking with him we found a gem of a lake to set up our base camp to canoe and fish. He is dependable and very knowledgeable about the area. If you have any questions feel free to contact him or me.Bob
From pre trip planning to local accommodations and back country tripping details, Red Lake Outfitters supplied comprehensive information. The paddle in Fly out trip was a joy and the logistics were simple and low stress with the help from Harlan at Red Lake Outfitters. Even experienced canoe trippers will benefit from Harlan's local knowledge and of course the wide variety services provided (shuttle, local accommodations, fly-in/fly-out, park permits, fishing info, etc)
I am certain that no words will be able to adequately convey my overwhelming satisfaction with Red Lake Outfitters. Harlan truly knows the park and the skills required to fully enjoy the experience; knowledge, which he shares freely with all customers. Further, he has top quality equipment that will go a long way in making your trip an excellent adventure. Finally, he takes the time to get to know each customer so that his advice is tailored to your unique abilities and interests. All of this, along with his attention to detail, helped to make our first trip to Woodland Caribou one of the best paddling experiences ever. We hope to be back again next year and we will certainly work with Red Lake Outfitters.
Woodland Caribou Provincial Park is an absolute gem, the most accessible wilderness experience imaginable. For 10 days it was just us, the water, the trees, the sky and the wildlife. This trip was surprisingly easy for two people who had canoed often enough but only previously camped out one night while canoeing. Harlan of Red Lake Outfitters helped us prepare by offering good advice, access to top notch equipment, and the assurance that we could do it. I would recommend Woodland Caribou to anyone looking for wilderness experience. Paddling from campsite to campsite is much easier than carrying everything on your back. The portages were well marked and some of the most enjoyable parts of the trip. Here’s what we would do differently next time: Include more days where we didn’t move camp; do more fishing; bring only packs designed for portaging (we brought one of our own which was a burden); and, bring the lightest, best paddles you can afford.And if you are visiting Woodland Caribou, we strongly encourage you to work with Red Lake Outfitters. We certainly will the next time we visit.