Wildfires close Quetico’s Dawson Trail Campground and Backcountry Entry

Quetico Provincial Park has closed Dawson Trail Campground — including campsites, roofed accommodations, and all day-use areas — due to nearby forest fire activity, according to the park’s alerts page. All backcountry entry stations are also closed. Combined with the closure of the entire BWCAW4, canoe country is now shut on both sides of the border: no new visitors can enter the wilderness on either the American or Canadian side.

“Public safety is our top priority,” the park’s notice states. “We will reopen the park as soon as it is safe to do so.” The park says it will reassess on July 18, 2026 whether further cancellations are required.

Affected campsite reservation holders will be contacted and given a full refund or the opportunity to change their reservation, subject to availability, with no penalty. The park asks reservation holders to call 1-888-668-7275 for a penalty-free refund rather than canceling or changing online. Paddlers needing help rerouting a canoe trip can call the Quetico Provincial Park Information Line at 807-597-2735.

Quetico and the surrounding region have numerous active fires, according to both the park and the Superior National Forest; a wildfire in Quetico prompted the earlier closure of fifteen BWCAW lakes in the northwestern Gunflint Ranger District. Current information on Ontario fires is on the Ministry of Natural Resources Forest Fire Info Map.

We will update this story as the park releases new information.

Quetico Park Information Line: 807-597-2735

More information:

• Quetico Provincial Park Alerts (Ontario Parks)
• Ontario Forest Fire Info Map
• July 2026 Superior National Forest Wildfires (InciWeb)