I remember getting tips on how to select a campsite when I first went in and picking up a few pointers along the way. All the tips were tied to conditions. An east facing site will allow morning sun to dry things of so they can pack for early travel and give afternoon shade. A north point has best chance of wind if the bugs are bad.

I am curious if these tips are based in fact or legend and to pick up some tips you folks have found worthy of passing on.

Campsites on the east side of medium to large lakes can be crap shoot. Gorgeous sunset views etc,,,, but can really battle the wind and be windbound on those days with a strong westerly wind. I tend to try avoid them as experience has shown the wind to win out as other sites have nearly just as good scenery.

The only thing I have to add is that I usually seek a more sheltered (wooded) site in the cooler seasons of spring and fall. You don't want to be on an exposed rock campsite if it's cool, wet, windy, or a combo of these conditions.

During the hot season, I want some shade from tall nearby trees.

I always want to see the water just sitting around the camp

A site on the north side of the lake is alway preferable in the early or late aeason since the sun will be on your site the longest.

Gotta have pines....preferably lots of big red or white ones with soft duff....and a breeze is nice to help keep the bugs at bay....

Awesome walleye fishing right next to camp or from shore. If you see a camper at a really small/rough site and it's early in the day, there's a reason they're staying there. Or solitude, I love going to the bwca and not seeing another person for days.

Many times somebody made the good choice before you, and the site is taken. So...take the site that is open. If you have choices, apply the criteria mentioned above. I try to take sites that I cannot easily be windbound in. During buggy times, I like some breeze, however. But...be careful what you ask for!

Field glasses can sometimes save you a long paddle to an occupied campsite.

I always look for a site that is back in the trees with an open point. The tents are sheltered and the point allows you to catch a breeze and enjoy the sun.

I always shoot for the island sites first. Less chance of visitors :)

My first criteria is tent pads. The amount and quality you are looking for depends on the size of your group. (number of tents)

I am a summer tripper, I love westward facing sites for the sunsets. (usually a sleep at sunrise). Keeps the skeeters down.

Gear can be damp in the morning, but we usually get to our next site in early afternoon to allow for drying of wet gear.

1. I'd rather watch sunrise than sunset as I'm always up before dawn and most often asleep by dark.
2. No heavy undergrowth closing-in firegrate area.
Everything else I can make do.

First, no bear sign; second, check the latrine. After that, like Corsair, I look for a good tent pad - I prefer grass, but level is more important. I personally like elevated sites for the view, even if I have to carry everything up there.

As others said, the direction it faces depends on the wind and the season as well as personal preference.

If it's unoccupied it works for me

Since I spend limited time canoeing I look for campsites out of the wind. The east or southern sites are always my first picks to provide protection from the winds. Fishing is important to me so I want access to water even on the windy days. I like a sheltered tent site with bid pines and decent kitchen.

In theory sites located in lower/swampy areas will experience more skeeters than sites on high rock faces or sites surrounded by tall wooded hills. I always try to avoid sites near the white lowlands on my Mackenzie maps.

PS- Tent pads have always been my first concern, but I'm hoping to make that a worry of the past this year with my new BB Warbonnet hammock.

A Thermarest tied to a cot can make a good site out of one without enough pads No slipping or worry about uneven ground, rocks, and sticks..

for the bear check are you just looking for scat and clawed up tree trunks?

quote FoxRiverRat: "for the bear check are you just looking for scat and clawed up tree trunks?"

Yeah, basically, or chewed up food packs, packaging, body parts ;).

quote vinnie: "If it's unoccupied it works for me"

Same here. A couple times (if the empty camp was not so hot), one canoe started to unload while scouts were sent around the bend with binoculars to see if option #2 was occupied). Depending on what time of year and how popular the area is; the time of day dictates our urgency.

Things I check:
Good bear hang options
No lightening trees (extremely tall, lonely trees sticking above others)
Lat in good repair
Good tent pad (no overhanging limbs, fairly level surface
Place for shelter in case of bad weather
A good landing is a bonus

I try to find a sight that is sheltered from wind swept areas of the lake. My main goal is fishing, so I need a spot that I will not be forced to stay at camp on windy days. I also like a area that has a great view of the lake. I also look for an area that will have a little breeze to keep mosquitoes at bay in the summertime. It is also a plus to be able to view the sunsets.

quote bhouse46: An east facing site will allow morning sun to dry things of so they can pack for early travel

all depends on what you mean by early, and how wet the gear

I look for a site that has fishing and not to open, has to have some cover.

What I consider my ideal campsite will change drastically based on how tired I am and how bad the weather is.

If its storming and I need to get off the lake or if I'm completely tired out then any site will look like the Hilton.

If I have the time and energy to scout a little for the best site then I look for a few things.

1. Good tent pads - a good nights sleep can make or break a trip
2. Tree - places to hang tarp, places to hang food, and no widow makers
3. Wind - I'd like some breeze to keep the bugs off and to keep cool on a hot day but I also want a protected area to land the canoe. Campsites on points are perfect for this. Catch a breeze from multiple directions but you can go to either side of the point to launch or land a canoe.
4. Views - I'd like a good view but really every where you look is a good view in the BWCA, its just a matter of what view you like better.

A decent set of binoculars will also save you a fair amount of paddling when scouting sites, well worth the extra weight. My wife was questioning me when she saw me packing them for our first trip together. She didn't see any reason to bring them, she thought I was going bird watching or something. When we were scouting campsites in the wind she saw pretty quickly why I brought them. I could position the canoe out of the wind and quickly scout a bunch of sites on the opposite shoreline to see if they were occupied which saved us a bunch of paddling. For this reason I also leave something brightly colored out hanging near the shoreline so people can see from a distance that the site is occupied. Hoping to save people a little paddling if i can.

The first things I always look for is enough tent sites and a kick-ass fire pit! You will be spending a lot of time around the fire, so its nice to have a great view...

I like a good exposed point...with a tent pad that's somewhat sheltered. I'll also take an overly exposed site to one that's overly sheltered. Wind is more often than not a good thing for me...I'll take a windy paddle out (of course, being wind-blown sucks) over a safe paddle that's from a "stagnant" campsite.

Gotta agree with Kots. The area around the fire pit is what makes the site. Ample seating, big pines and a good view of the water.

Second, good hanging tree. (for our food, as long as nobody annoys us)
A couple decent tent pads, preferably sheltered and shaded.

quote Kots: "The first things I always look for is enough tent sites and a kick-ass fire pit! You will be spending a lot of time around the fire, so its nice to have a great view..."

Agreed, a nice fire pit, and a place to rig a tarp over it. Near/on the water is also key.

quote bhouse46: "I remember getting tips on how to select a campsite when I first went in and picking up a few pointers along the way. All the tips were tied to conditions. An east facing site will allow morning sun to dry things of so they can pack for early travel and give afternoon shade. A north point has best chance of wind if the bugs are bad.

I am curious if these tips are based in fact or legend and to pick up some tips you folks have found worthy of passing on."

Summer: High western exposure site with a rock peninsula to deal with bugs and heat.

Spring winter autumn: tight protected site with an eastern exposure to protect from wind.

Its usually just my brother and I so we can make do with whatever tent pads the site has to offer. A nice big fire area is what makes it for us. So, nice seating, a little bit of open space is nice, but you also need your good bear bad tree as well. We really love fishing so slip bobber fishing from campus is a big bonus and thats usually off of points or island sites so thats what we try to get if we can.

I like a campsite that has some good trees for my hammock, after the blowdown it has been hard on some sites to find trees. Good fire ring and a cooking area is nice, landing not too rocky, food hanging trees, Fishing from camp.

High and dry is best.

quote carmike: "I like a good exposed point...with a tent pad that's somewhat sheltered. I'll also take an overly exposed site to one that's overly sheltered. Wind is more often than not a good thing for me...I'll take a windy paddle out (of course, being wind-blown sucks) over a safe paddle that's from a "stagnant" campsite. "

This.

I like a site with a lot of exposed rock. You get a nice breeze in the evening that keeps the bugs away. Having the tent pad back in the trees a bit is good though.

Flat, open expanses of rock for skywatching are a plus.

I guess my priorities are.
1. Good tent pads ... dry.
2. Wind (if the skitos are out, I want a breeze; if the breeze is 30mph, I want shelter)
3. Trees
4. Views

The only site I haven't enjoyed much was in a depressed area, and since it was raining we were dodging puddles.