A large section of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness will be closed near the end of the Gunflint Trail due to the ongoing threat from an active wildfire.

The closure area will include an area west of the Gunflint Trail. Lakes and campsites included in the closure are Ogishkemuncie Lake, sections of Knife Lake, Ottertrack Lake, Jasper Lake, Kekekabic Lake, Spice Lake, Hanson Lake, and Ester Lake, among many others (see map above). Day-trip paddling and overnight camping is currently prohibited in the closure area. The Kekekabic Trail is also closed at this time. Approximately 80 campsites are off-limits in the BWCA as a result of the fire and subsequent closure area.

The closure went into effect Friday, June 16.

There is also a campfire ban in effect for the BWCA at this time. Learn all the details in this short track of the podcast.