Ely residents and visitors enjoy learning traditional crafts in a wilderness setting. Build a birch bark canoe, bake a traditional dish, sew a beaver hat, or explore night sky photography, classes connect to the past and to each other…
How is the BWCAW patrolled in the winter? When snow covers Boundary Waters lakes and portages, wilderness rangers turn to sled dogs, snowshoes, and cross-country skis to complete their work…
Photographer reveals the role of people in wilderness, from cliff-rimmed lakes in Quetico to ancient trees in the Boundary Waters…
“By examining annual growth rings in increment cores taken from tree trunks, we found that many pines at this site were more than 250 years old. Distinct injuries recorded within their rings denoted the passage of multiple low-severity surface fires that damaged but did not kill many of these trees…”
In July, five veterans of our US armed forces gathered to celebrate Independence Day in the BWCAW. The group had never met and most had never paddled before, but they were all ready to leave civilization behind to enjoy peace and serenity, and hopefully some good fishing.
How healthy is the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness really? Will the Boundary Waters survive climate change, mining, invasive species and the myriad of issues faced today? The Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness released an extensive and revealing report…
This week, Ely Outfitting Company announced the winner of its first annual Boundary Waters Teen Essay Contest. Julia Ruelle, the 16-year-old winner, was one of more than 70 entries. Her prize? She and up to three teenage friends will go on a fully outfitted, self-guided trip—five days in the wilderness without parents and without a guide.
Imagine a wolf kill, and the remains of an ungulate—a hoofed animal like a moose—probably come to mind. Yet scientists have known for some time that wolves also eat smaller prey, like deer fawns and beavers. This is particularly true during summer, when wolf packs primarily hunt and travel as individuals or pairs.
One winter day in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, an otter ran across the path of a dogsled team on Basswood Lake. Excited, the dogs picked up the pace, then Amy saw something else out on the ice: wolves…
In 1994, Nashville singer-songwriter Jerry Vandiver, whose song “It Doesn’t Get Any Countrier Than This” had just been recorded by Tim McGraw, portaged a behemoth of an aluminum canoe across a rocky and root-filled portage. He was no stranger to paddling; he’d moved that canoe from his hometown of Kansas City, Missouri, to Nashville when he set out to see if he could make it in the country music business. But this was his first trip to Quetico Provincial Park, and lugging that canoe over such a challenging portage inspired him
The YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities Boys & Girls Outdoor Leadership Program uses canoe tripping and wilderness settings, including the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, to teach youth to work together, whatever the differences between them.
In Grand Marais, Minnesota, gateway to the Gunflint Trail and canoe country, there is a place where the traditional crafts of the north are celebrated. From timber framing and boat building, to basketry and knitting, craftsmen and women gather to share their knowledge and skills—often using traditional resources like birch bark.
In May 2007 an out of control campfire off the Gunflint Trail grew into a wildfire that burned 75,851 acres. Ten years later, the forest is at a turning point…
Read the new issue of the magazine, with stories covering thousands of square miles and wide-ranging topics.
In a new series, Wilderness News dives into climate change as it relates to northern Minnesota and the Quetico Superior Region.
IN THIS ISSUE: Climate Change in the Northwoods Part I. Something in the Water: Bent Paddle Brewing of Duluth joins the call to protect the planet’s most precious resource. Voyageurs—A Must Visit National Park: The National Park of Minnesota’s north woods celebrates the Park Service’s Centennial. Mining Update…
Award-winning science fair project explores a Wisconsin mine’s disputed legacy as PolyMet permitting approaches.
‘Before and After’ Leave No Trace – Researcher warns of increasing impacts and urges end of axe and saw culture. Camps Feature: Northern Lakes Canoe Base, where Girl Scouts go to grow, Wilderness News goes Digital, and Meet the New Quetico Park Superintendent…
Cover Story: How will proposed mining, climate change, invasive species, nutrient loading, and algal blooms change the border lakes? The Quetico-Superior region of Minnesota and Canada bring to mind lake country—a landscape characterized by glacier carved lakes filled with clear, cold and clean water. Yet the list of possible impacts on northern Minnesota water quality is long: proposed mining, climate change, invasive species, nutrient loading, and algal blooms to name just a few…
