Forest Service temporarily closes BWCAW due to wildfire concerns

Updated July 13 at 12:30 p.m.

On Sunday evening and Monday morning, Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness permit holders and outfitters began receiving emails announcing that all BWCAW entry points will close effective 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, July 14.

Shortly before noon on Monday, the U.S. Forest Service officially issued the temporary closure order.

Due to extreme weather conditions and numerous wildfires burning within the Superior National Forest and BWCAW, the Forest Service is temporarily closing the BWCAW to protect the health and safety of visitors and firefighters.

“This difficult decision comes after a surge of wildfires across the forest and unusually hot, dry and windy weather is causing fires to spread fast and unpredictably,” the Forest Service said in a press release.

BWCAW closure order – July 13

The closures impact all overnight paddle, motor, and hiking reservations with entry dates starting Monday, July 13. All permits will be canceled. The closures also include day use.

The Forest Service said the closure will remain in effect until the fires are contained, and the risk to the public has decreased.

“We know how important the Boundary Waters is to local communities and the more than 150,000 people who visit each year, and we appreciate your patience as we work to restore safe conditions,” the Forest Service said.

Prior to the official order from the Forest Service multiple cooperators, including Bearskin Lodge up the Gunflint Trail,  received an email from the Forest Service stating that Forest Service crews will begin moving visitors out of the BWCAW on Tuesday, with priority given to areas most vulnerable to wildfire activity.

BWCAW permit holders also received an email on Monday morning stating that their reservation had been canceled and that they would be refunded.

“The experience and well-being of visitors is our top priority, and we apologize for any inconvenience with this location closure,” the Forest Service says in the email.

In the official temporary closure order, the Forest Service said ultimately the closure is about “keeping people safe.”

“Wildfires don’t just threaten trees and campsites—they create dangerous smoke, unstable conditions, and rapidly shifting fire behavior that can trap visitors with little warning,” the Forest Service said.

Bearskin Lodge owner Quinn McCloughan told WTIP that the business is contacting all outfitting customers on Monday to notify them of the BWCAW closures and refund any deposits.

In addition, Bearskin Lodge and other outfitters up the Gunflint Trail are keeping a close eye on the wildfires across the U.S./Canada border and the extreme heat warnings.

“We’re just doing what we’ve been doing, which is keeping an eye on it and getting general fire precautions and everything ready,” McCloughan said.

McCloughan said this is a “surprisingly slow week” for reservations, but the staff will continue to monitor conditions and the temporary BWCAW closure. “We’ll do that through the 17th or if it gets pushed beyond the 17th.”

At the YMCA Camp Menogyn, staff are also monitoring the situation and informing canoeists of the wildfire danger.

“We will continue to update as we monitor the situation, and will be prioritizing our resources at camp to respond to needs in the field, as well as making contingency plans for the groups scheduled to arrive at camp this week,” the YMCA Camp Menogyn said in a Monday Facebook post.

“Groups that went out last week were aware of the fires and have planned routes away from those areas, and groups in the field are being reported when they contact us,” the YMCA Camp Menogyn said.

As of Sunday evening, there are 20 active wildfires throughout the Superior National Forest, with five inside the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW).

Several wildfires are burning across the U.S./Canada border within Ontario and Quetico Provincial Park. The largest is FOR015, at approximately 4300 acres, as of Sunday evening.

Smoke from a wildfire burning across the border in Canada was visible Sunday near Seagull Lake towards the end of the Gunflint Trail.

With the growing Canadian wildfires within the Quetico Provincial Park, on July 12, the U.S. Forest Service had implemented wildfire-related closures in the BWCAW, closing access to several lakes west of Saganaga Lake in the Gunflint Ranger District. The closures are now expanded to include all BWCAW entry points.

In the western region of the BWCAW, two fires have grown significantly. The Thumb Fire, which was caused by lightning, has grown to approximately 600 acres. The Bear Trap Fire is approximately 700 acres, as of Sunday evening, according to Superior National Forest officials.

A campfire ban that went into effect at 12:01 a.m. on July 12 throughout the entire Superior National Forest, which includes northern Cook, Koochiching, Lake, and St. Louis Counties, remains in place.

The restrictions prohibit igniting, building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire or campfire, including charcoal grills and barbecues, as well as coal and wood-burning stoves. Gas and propane camp stoves are still permitted throughout the forest and within the BWCAW.

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Kalli Hawkins July 13, 2026