I grew up a stone's throw from the Boundary Waters.
As a wee lad -- before it was the BWCA -- it was small fishing boats and motors and portaging and lots of walleyes.
Then BWCA happened and it was all canoes and paddling, and more camping once we got deep in there.
Funny thing is that after it became formally protected as BWCA it slowly but surely became more crowded, not less, as it gained notoriety.
My then-fiance and I hiked the Border Route Trail around 1983. When done, we were still on speaking terms, so we went ahead and got married!
No paddling these days. We keep talking about it, but biking, hiking and horseback riding (Mrs. K only) fill the warm weather months adequately.