The Sioux River North Entry Point in September 2026. Photo by Joe Friedrichs
A Tour of Areas Burned in 2026 BWCA Wildfires
By Joe Friedrichs
The fires that shut down the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness this summer made national news.
Paddle & Portage media was invited Sept. 9, along with other members of the press, to tour some of the burn area along the Echo Trail near Ely, Minn.
Members of the U.S. Forest Service on Superior National Forest led a group of media personnel to the Sioux River North entry point into the BWCA Wilderness. Due to high winds the tour took place on foot.
The original plan was to paddle to Pipestone Bay on Basswood Lake to see impacts from this summer’s wildfires. A Paddle & Portage correspondent was able to paddle into Pipestone Bay after it was recently opened, with multiple photos shared from both Pipestone Bay and the Sioux River North entry point in this video.
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