2016 Map of Ester Lake

About this map

Ottertrack Lake and the international boundary between Minnesota and Ontario define this remote wilderness landscape within the Superior National Forest. This 2016 survey highlights a dense network of interconnected waterways and glacial basins that have long served as primary travel corridors through the Border Lakes region. The map tracks the jagged shoreline of Saganaga Lake and Mud Bay in the north, transitioning into a labyrinth of smaller interior lakes like Ester Lake, Mist Lake, and Lake of the Clouds. The absence of roads underscores the area's character as a protected primitive environment, where topography is dictated by the high ridges separating Cherry Lake and Hanson Lake. Researchers can trace the precise division between Cook and Lake counties as it intersects with the United States-Canada border.