Pam Wright 
Minnesota Senator Grant Hauschild announced that Tettegouche State Park will receive $3.25 million for infrastructure upgrades. The money will help to replace a bridge and septic system. Tettegouche, located along the beautiful North Shore, is one of Minnesota’s most visited state parks.
Crews recently planted 800 dwarf bilberry plants at multiple sites in the Superior National Forest. This small, low-growing shrub produces berries that resemble blueberries. This important woodland species supports a population of rare butterflies…
Bringing your dog to the Boundary Waters? Dogs are a fairly common sight in the BWCAW. You may see them nestled in the middle of packs, or on a portage trail carrying a dog pack…
A few weeks after Gov. Tim Walz signed an executive order halting nonferrous mineral leases near watersheds connected to the BWCAW, the Minnesota DNR issued a public notice canceling a Twin Metals mineral lease.
The Mesabi Trail is nearing completion as crews finish another section of Minnesota’s longest paved trail. Once complete, the trail will connect Grand Rapids and Ely with a continuous route.
Wildfire season in the Boundary Waters is easing, partly because of rain and cooler temperatures, with many fires becoming more contained. Throughout the season, numerous agencies and wildland firefighting crews from across the United States have helped manage the incident, which has affected communities and dominated much of the summer news. One of the tools they use, the Beaver plane, has been instrumental in getting crews into remote, rugged areas.
About 10 miles inland from Lake Superior, not far from the scenic North Shore, is the Finland State Forest. The 300,000-acre forest offers camping and hiking opportunities, as well as hunting, fishing, and other forest-industry-related activities. Part of the Western Great Lakes forests, this region is a transition zone between the boreal forest further north and the deciduous forests to the south.
A new section of the Kekekabic Hiking Trail is being built east of Ely. by volunteer crews. Eventually, the trail will reach Kawishiwi Falls, eliminating a road walk along Fernberg Road.
Starting June 8, the Cache Bay and Prairie Portage ranger stations are expected to implement a new telephone reporting system for paddlers entering Quetico Provincial Park in Canada. Visitors will be able to use the stations’ Wi-Fi to report their entry.
Fifteen years ago, the Pagami Creek Fire burned more than 90,000 acres of the Boundary Waters — the largest wildfire Minnesota had seen in nearly a century. Wilderness guide Pam Wright paddled back into the heart of it this summer, days after the area reopened, and found a landscape regenerating…
With rising temperatures and predictions of increasingly hot, dry summers, what does the future hold for the forest? We spoke with Minnesota ecologist and author Professor Lee E. Frelich about how climate change and future wildfires could reshape the forest.
Between August 1-9, everyone who visits the park is encouraged to document as many species as possible using the app iNaturalist. The goal of the project is to provide opportunities for the public to contribute to the scientific knowledge of the area, helping to inform park management and conservation efforts.
While many permits have been canceled due to ongoing wildfires in the BWCAW, there are still plenty of opportunities to explore areas outside the wilderness and nearby communities. Plan your northern MN adventure with our favorite alternatives to the Boundary Waters.
Officials representing multiple agencies, including the USFS-Superior National Forest, held a press conference Wednesday at the Kawishiwi Ranger Station in Ely. They provided updates and plans for the wildfires burning in the BWCAW and northeastern Minnesota.
With the entire Boundary Waters closed and no reopening date announced, outfitters on both sides of the wilderness are scrambling — canceling and rerouting trips, fielding calls from visitors who flew in from across the country, and hoping the next few days bring better news.
A long-term songbird study is underway deep within Quetico Provincial Park. This spring, researchers placed 17 recording units across key habitats to monitor songbird species. Data will reveal trends especially as climate change affects the park and bird species.
The Superior National Forest is reconsidering their cancellation policy on Boundary Waters Canoe Area permits. The most visited wilderness in the country requires a permit, usually booked online. In recent years, cancellations and no-shows have been on the rise…
Minnesota’s highest waterfall is getting an upgrade. Grand Portage State Park will use a $1.1 million Get Out MORE investment to upgrade its iconic High Falls trail and boardwalk by 2027.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency conducted a study identifying sensitive brook trout habitat near a proposed data center in Hermantown. The project raises concerns among area residents and environmental groups about potential impacts to the watershed.
A conservation easement created in partnership between Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center and The Nature Conservancy now protects 928 acres of forested land forever. The center offers camps and activities to help people learn about forest ecology, sustainability, and land stewardship.