Overnight and day use access will return to 29 more Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) entry points beginning on July 31.
In the Kawishiwi District, Entry Point 33, Little Gabbro Lake has reopened for overnight use.
The following are now open for day use:
• 25 Moose Lake (no travel over or beyond Prairie Portage)
• 27 Snowbank Lake
• 28 Snowbank Lake Only
• 29 North Kawishiwi River
• 30 Lake One
• 31 Farm Lake
• 32 South Kawishiwi River
• F Moose, Newfound, Sucker (Day Use Motor)
• G Moose, Prairie Portage and Beyond (Day Use Motor; no travel to Back Bay)
• H Snowbank Lake (Day Use Motor)
• I South Farm Lake (Day Use Motor) Also, Trout Lake is open for day use motor only.
These sites will open for public recreation on July 31:
• Cedar Lake Boat Access
• Ojibway Lake Boat Access
• Snowbank Lake Boat Access
• Tofte Lake Boat Access
• Wood Lake Carry Down
• Glacier Pond Site 1
• Greenstone Lake Site 2
• Ojibway Lake Site 1, 2
• Pickerel Lake Site 1, 2
• Secret Blackstone Site 1
• Snowbank Lake Site 7, 8, 11 and 12 • Tofte Lake Site 1-4
• Triangle Lake Site 1, 2
• Kek/Snowbank West Trailhead
• North Country National Scenic Trail West
• Rookie Pond
• Secret Blackstone Trailhead
• Three Picket Lake Dispersed Campsites
• Vermilion River Site 3
• Lake One Carry Down The Forest Service expects to announce further entry point reopenings later in the week.
The reopenings include entry points in all three BWCAW counties: St. Louis, Lake and Cook. On July 27, only Cook County entry points opened for day use.
Fenske Lake and Lake Jeanette Campgrounds off the Echo Trail and Fall Lake Campground off Fernberg Road will remain closed.
The USFS stated that these reopenings result from successful wildfire suppression work and recent precipitation across the region, leading to the moderation of wildfire activity.
Authorities from the Southern Area Complex Incident Management Team have stated over the previous days that firefighting teams have brought area wildfires to about 50% overall containment, with continued progress.
They report a total of 1,053 personnel on the fires on Thursday.
The Thumb Fire reached 57% containment as of July 29, having burned 17,251 acres.
The Sioux Fire sat around 42% containment on Thursday morning at 12,576 total acres.
The Bear Trap Fire remains northern Minnesota’s largest, with 29,767 acres within state boundaries and further acreage across the Canadian border. The fire is about 39% contained.
The Camp Fire is 53% contained as of Thursday morning, representing a footprint of 4,396.5 acres.
The Little Knife Fire is 49% contained at 4,958 acres.
Nearly all evacuation orders in St. Louis County have been reduced to “Ready” or “Set” status with only areas inside the BWCA listed as “Go” status.
The Fernberg Corridor and the Cloquet Line are now open. The Echo Trail remains closed from North Arm to the 200 Road.
