I have a map a few years old and it shows Loon/Little Loon/Bay etc. as having motor traffic. It also shows campsites. Can a motorboat pull up to these camps and use them? If so; what entry permit? If not going as far as Beatty Portage is there Customs/passports involved? Just curious, as it may come in handy in a year or two. I've only been past there on a tow to Bottle, and not familiar. Thought of possibly doing a boat trip up there in future. Thanks. oth

As long as you are camping on the US side of Loon Lake you don’t need the RABC or passport for reporting back. It doesn’t matter what type of conveyance you use to camp at a campsite on Loon, but Little Loon Lake does not allow for motors. For motor entry you use EP 12.

Can you drive to and launch from the entry point or come off Crane? If I remember correctly, there are two RR track portages (to LLC) and only one to cross to Loon Lake..... and the little narrow chute/falls to jump. Looked like a challenge in low water with a tiller motor and no power trim/tilt. Isn't Beatty the farthest west RR portage coming up the Loon R. ?

You'll launch at Crane Lake. The actual entry point is at the narrows going into Little Vermilion.
The "little narrow chute/falls" is called 56 Rapids. I've taken a short piece of 1 1/2" pipe or a 2"x2" board along with a rope attached when I didn't have power trim/tilt. Once I get to 56, I pull the motor up and stick the board or pipe behind the motor to raise it. Best to leave it there 'til you get to the dock at the Loon portage. Once you're within site of the dock, watch very closely for rocks. Now is the time to raise your motor all the way and go in electric. The channel that you need to be most concerned with finding is on the far right, so close to shore that you'll have brush scraping the side of the boat.
When you stop to pay for the portage, have them tell you where the rocks are in the channel going out to the lake. Mark them on your map. Again, you'll be staying to the right to avoid these underwater, unmarked rocks that are in the center of the channel on your way out.
BRING A SPARE PROP!

A story that I have to tell...

Years ago I took my big boat (18', 140 hp) up to Loon to do some clearing on the Sioux-Hustler Trail. It was early spring, before the portage operator was even there. I'd made arrangements ahead of time to leave my boat on the bottom side, borrow a small fishing boat on the other side, and use my small motor to get to the Loon/Heritage portage where I would hike into Pageant Lake to base camp and clear trail in that area. I cleared trail for three days by myself and had originally planned to leave the next morning. That evening I was anxious to just get home and decided that I should be able to hike out to the small boat, and make it down the river with the big boat before dark. After that it would be a piece of cake, as I've traveled that area a lot through the years. I was close.
While traveling by moonlight down the river (at about 30 mph), I lost site of the actual river and caught site of a creek that I thought was the river. I cruised into a dead end area, and surprisingly didn't hit a thing, and was able to stop before hitting shore. While carefully idling back out to the river, I scraped bottom a couple times. I was now wide awake.

WOW! Thanks! 30 hp tiller longshaft on open DeepV. I think just figure on a Moose permit or high water someday unless I graduate to jet drive.;0 Or bring a spare lower unit! Thank PK