Pagami Creek Fire in the BWCAW
The Pagami Creek Fire burns 93,000 acres, blazes into the largest naturally occurring wildfire in a century. By Charlie Mahler In the heat of summer, with the Boundary Waters Canoe Area …
Boundary Waters
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…
Mining Update
By Charlie Mahler While industry leaders, environmental activists, and northeastern Minnesota stakeholders await publication of the revised Draft Environmental Impact Statement for PolyMet Mining’s proposed copper-nickel and precious metals mine, mining …
Building Wooden Canoes for a Rite of Passage
Picture yourself venturing out for the first time into the wilderness of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. Imagine the combination of serenity and wonderment you experience as you ply these pristine lakes and rivers, knowing that you are carrying all you need to survive in a sleek, seventeen-foot, skin-on-frame canoe. Now imagine that you just built that canoe with your own hands over the course of eight days. For six teenage apprentices with Urban Boatbuilders, this was the culminating event in the summer of 2010.
Photo Gallery: Superior National Forest Boundary Waters Historical Photos
These photographs were found in a U.S. Forest Service photo album, circa 1920. At the time the region was known as the roadless area of the Superior National Forest. Each photo …
Andy and Sue Ahrendt
What it truly means to be a ‘Boundary Waters Family’ The Ahrendt’s personal histories are steeped in the Boundary Waters experience. Having spent summers as staff at a local camp, they …
Women in the Wilderness
“We can do it. We can do it without a guide.” By Rob Kesselring Wilderness News Contributor It started with a dare in 1986. Seven female volunteers at a nature center …
Moments of Clarity
By Andy Wright All I’m saying is, you would just never expect to find jellyfish in the Boundary Waters. Sure, you always hope to spot wildlife on a trip; wolves, …
New Trends in Visits to Quetico-Superior Wilderness
Fewer visitors are spending the night in the Quetico-Superior region’s wilderness areas compared to 15 years ago, but visits by day-trippers may be on the rise.
Big Bill Wenstrom – Last Man Standing
Sig Olson’s readers were introduced to Big Bill Wenstrom in Open Horizons (p. 97). Sig wrote: “It was Big Bill Wenstrom who taught me how to throw on a canoe. He …
Evidence of Meteorite Impact Found off the Gunflint Trail
By Charlie Mahler, Wilderness News Contributor In the Gunflint Trail region, which has seen its share of calamity in recent years in the form of blow-downs and forest fires, geologist Mark …
Transformation of a Landscape
What Global Warming Could Mean for the Boundary Waters By Alissa Johnson, Wilderness News Contributor Mention canoe country to any canoeist familiar with the Quetico Superior region, and an array …
2008 Brings Few Changes to BWCAW and Quetico Park Permits
For those planning trips to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Quetico Provincial Park, 2008 brings the 30th anniversary of the BWCAW and new fishing regulations to the Quetico. The …
One Big Fire
In July of last year, a lightning strike ignited the Cavity Lake fire in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW). Over 32,000 acres burned in what was then called …
The Quetico Superior Region—100 Years of Stewardship Beyond Boundaries
1909 was a significant year for the Quetico Superior region of Minnesota and Ontario. Before the well-known legislation of the 1930s that officially designated the roadless areas and parks that we …
Wildfires Strike the BWCAW and Quetico Provincial Parks
Over 31,800 acres have burned in the largest fire to hit the Boundary Waters Canoe Area region since 1894. A lightning strike near Cavity Lake on July 13th, started a wildfire …
ATVs: Revving Up for More Controversy
Management of All-Terrain Vehicle riding in Minnesota, especially in the north, continues to rev as an environmental and recreational issue. Despite a compromise law initiated by Governor Tim Pawlenty in 2003, …
Dolmen Stones in the Boundary Waters
Just an easy paddle from the Sawbill Landing you may find one of the Boundary Waters’ hidden mysteries. Dolmen stones are usually a natural boulder supported by “peg” stones. They are …
Prescribed Burns Begin in and Near BWCA
A total of 1,000 acres underwent prescribed burns this fall, 360 of which were within the BWCA. Plans called for burning more than 4,000 BWCA acres this year, and all areas not completed are now on hold until 2002. These include top-priority sections totaling 5,200 acres in the Magnetic Lake and Kekekabic Lake areas, as well as 300 acres near Dogleg Lake.