Native American burial ground on Rainy River to remain closed to public
Minnesota Historical Society decides to keep Grand Mound Historic Site closed out of respect for Native American communities.
History
What is Wilderness? Examining tree rings, researchers reconsider the history of human influence 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…”
Paddling Into the Past on Rainy Lake
Editor’s Note: Whenever possible, Quetico Superior Wilderness News highlights partners committed to protecting or enhancing the wilderness character of the region. The following piece is reposted with permission by the Voyageurs …
Sawbill Canoe Outfitters: The family behind the legacy
There is an outfitter at the end of the Sawbill Trail where customers and staff return year after year, a network of people connected to the place and the family at its center. The Hansens, and now the Shirleys, have been running Sawbill Canoe Outfitters since 1957, where annual traditions, lifelong friendships and marriages have been born.
Ten Years After the Ham Lake Fire: A Forest Regenerates
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…
Voyageurs—A Must Visit National Park
The National Park of Minnesota’s north woods celebrates the Park Service’s Centennial. One hundred years ago this August 25th, President Woodrow Wilson signed into law the National Park Service. For the …
Hikers Invited To Spring Festival on Superior Hiking Trail
Annual “Hike Fest” features guided hikes, socializing, presentations, and much more.
North Woods History: New Interactive Map Explores Time And Place
Voyageurs National Park project explores the crucial year of 1927, when aerial photos were captured of the busy border lakes.
Sigurd Olson’s Legacy Returns Home
By Greg Seitz The soul of Sigurd and Elizabeth Olson lives on at their home in Ely. The soul smells of fresh-baked cookies in the kitchen. In the writing shack on …
Archaeologists Find Section of Voyageur Portage
The historic trail was identified in Minnesota’s Jay Cooke State Park.
Profile: Wilderness Canoe Base
Wilderness Canoe Base on Seagull Lake is a formative canoe camp program with a long, storied, and challenging history.
Reflecting on the Wilderness Act
By Alissa Johnson When I was a kid, paddling the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness with my family, I didn’t realize that the final word in its name had only been …
Author of New Sigurd Olson Biography: Story Is Important for Young Readers
Author of new Olson biography for young readers answers five questions about the writer and wilderness advocate.
Reconstructing the Past
By Rob Kesselring Archaeologists are painting a picture of Quetico-Superior’s first people and what the land looked like 12,000 years ago. Crouched behind a granite boulder we wait. A damp northwest …
Archaeologist Says Knife Lake Site Could Be Earliest Minnesota Settlement
Researcher who has been studying Boundary Waters quarry says new tests indicate humans were there thousands of years ago.
Proposed Legislation Could Undermine the Wilderness Act and the Protection of Wilderness
On the surface, two proposed pieces of legislation appear unrelated to wilderness protection. The Sportsmen’s Heritage Act seeks “to protect and enhance opportunities for recreational hunting, fishing and shooting.” The National …
Quetico Superior Foundation: Giving All Voices A Fair Hearing
By Alissa Johnson When I was in high school—the mid-1990s—a debate arose over motorboat access to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW). I went to a demonstration to keep motors …
Ernest C. Oberholtzer: Lifetime Advocate
“Destroy the beauty of the visible shores and islands of these lakes and rivers and you destroy the whole charm and pleasurable utility of the region for the public,” Ober wrote to President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Basswood Beach Resort and Canoe Trips
Travel back in time with an historic family fishing lodge that thrived in what is now the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness…