10 questions to ask before booking your first (or twenty-first) Boundary Waters permit
Ready for the solitude and challenge of the BWCAW? Here are some key questions to ask yourself before booking your first Boundary Waters permit.
Inspiration
A winter weekend at Lake Vermilion State Park
“There are so many wonderful winter getaways in Minnesota – on our bucket list: the new camper cabins at Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park…”
Beautiful beginner snowshoe route – George Washington Pines
“George Washington Pines is the best trail I know of for beginner snowshoers. At two and a half miles, it’s short and easy to complete in about an hour. The trail itself is flat, so other than making your way over the banks created by snowplows, there are no challenging hills or obstacles to maneuver.”
Duluth woman will cross Boundary Waters to support wilderness education
Emily Ford will follow up inspiring trip last winter with trip along the frozen Border Route.
Sigurd Olson’s wilderness retreat featured in new video
“I named this place Listening Point because only when one comes to listen, only when one is aware and still, can things be seen and heard.” Stunning new footage of Listening Point is narrated with the influential essay…
Shovel Point at sunrise – unforgettable North Shore fall color hike
“For as long as I’ve been exploring the great outdoors, I’ve been mesmerized by how I can hike my favorite spots over and over and it’s always a new experience. The seasons, weather, sun, and clouds bring surprise and delight to every hour of every day. No matter how many times I’ve done a hike, it’s never been the same twice.”
Walter Mondale – a legacy of wilderness protection
An influential advocate for protecting northern Minnesota’s natural treasures, instrumental in Voyageurs National Park and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area we know today.
Coloring Page: Caribou Lake, Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
What makes the Boundary Waters so inspiring? This coloring page has us looking forward to pine-studded shorelines, long days of fishing, and embarking on new adventures.
Young creators know their fish, inspire others to go fishing, combat invasive species
A fish art contest invites K-12 students to learn about fish, fishing, and the threats of Aquatic Invasive Species in their region and around the world.
Adventurer skiing 250 miles through Boundary Waters to support Lakota people
Expedition raises funds and awareness for Pine Ridge reservation with trek across Border Route Trail from Rainy Lake to Grand Portage.
Snowshoes to Hok skis, exploring the Boundary Waters in winter
Snowshoes, boots or Hok skis? Enthusiasts share tips for heading off the beaten path so you can get the most out of canoe country in winter.
Photos: Celebrating Voyageurs National Park all day, all night, and all year long
Winners of annual photo contest show the wide array of wonders to be found at the northern Minnesota park.
Ojibwe woven mats continue link between North Shore and Isle Royale
Historic items help tell the story of indigenous relationship to Lake Superior landscapes.
Canoe country curriculum: new educational effort connects students to the Boundary Waters
A new program seeks to reach thousands of Minnesota schoolchildren with lessons from and for the BWCA wilderness.
Encounters with moose
“Moose draw Minnesotans like a magnet. If they call you as they do me, the solution is simple: understand the basic needs of moose, dedicate the time, and you will find them.”
‘A Northern Light’ Patagonia’s new short film featuring the Boundary Waters
Intimate and lyrical production follows activist through wilderness as he reflects on its value and the threat of mining.
For the Love of Loons
“As twilight descended and the fire settled to glowing embers, the stillness of the night was shattered by the unmistakable tremolo of the common loon. Within moments, loons from other territories and adjacent lakes began to respond, and the air came to life with the reverberating echo that we long to hear…”
Watch: Documentary traces long legacy of defending the Boundary Waters
‘This Wild Land’ focuses on lessons from past wilderness advocates for people fighting modern threats.
Orchids of the Northwoods – Lady’s Slippers and beyond
“It all began by happenstance…The trail was overgrown, littered with fallen boles, when I noticed a glimmering iridescence unlike anything I had seen before. I had stumbled upon on one of Minnesota’s most common orchid species, the stemless (pink) lady’s slipper, glimmering with rain drops…”
Boreal Birding in the Bogs of Northern Minnesota
The sun casts its auburn spell on the red osier dogwood of a sedge meadow…we head to a bog that attracts many boreal winter birds to the area, particularly in Cook, Minnesota. Why do they come to the bog? How do they live here? What attracts birds to this habitat in northern Minnesota?