The Superior National Forest partially reopened many Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness sites, closed because of wildfires, for overnight use on Thursday, July 30, according to a press release from the USDA Forest Service, marking Phase 2 of the BWCAW reopening process. Many of these areas have been closed since early July due to wildfires in the area.
Phase 1 reopened some sites in Cook County for day use on July 27, and Phase 2 reopens 41 sites, including all the Phase 1 sites to overnight use, several other sites in Cook and Lake Counties, and one site in St. Louis County. Those 41 locations make up about 39% of the BWCAW.
Twenty-nine more sites closed July 15 on the western side of Superior National Forest will also reopen for public use on Friday, July 31, according to a Forest Service press release. In total, 70 sites reopened on Thursday and Friday. Popular camp sites Fenske Lake, Lake Jeanette, and Fall Lake remain closed.
The Forest Service reopened these sites because they determined the public could safely access them, given the current wildfire conditions. The Superior National Forest has many open campgrounds, hiking trails, and canoe routes outside of the BWCAW.
If the wildfires worsen, these sites may close again, or their reopening plans may be modified. More than 25 wildfires sprang up in the BWCAW since July 7 due to unusually dry, hot, and windy conditions, and a storm system which brought tons of lightning but no rain, according to the Forest Service. The fires have burned more than 30,000 acres of forest, according to the Minnesota Incident Command System.
Permits for all sites not reopened will be canceled until Aug. 3. Some areas may be closed longer than others due to damage from the fires and changes to the landscape. Stay up to date on closures and alerts for Superior National Forest here. You can also find regular updates on wildfires in the BWCAW, as well as across the country, at watchduty.org.
