Powwow Trail Restoration: A Decade of Dedication and Collaboration

We are thrilled to share some exciting news—after years of hard volunteer work and close collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service of the Superior National Forest, all campsites on the historic Powwow Trail are now fully restored.

The Powwow Trail has always held a special place in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Established under the 1978 Act that created the BWCA Wilderness, the trail is a “lollipop” route—featuring a 3-mile out-and-back stem that leads into a 25-mile loop. Construction began in 1979, linking former logging roads with wilderness paths to create a truly unique backcountry experience. Hiking the Powwow immerses visitors in remote wilderness, where they’ll encounter a rapidly regenerating mixed forest, scenic overlooks, and numerous wetland and beaver dam crossings.

But in the fall of 2011, the Pagami Creek wildfire changed everything. Burning through more than 95% of the trail corridor, the fire left the route almost unrecognizable. Campsites were destroyed, and the path itself was buried under thousands of fallen trees, charred trunks, and new, dense growth of jack pine and brush.

Since then, volunteers with the Boundary Waters Advisory Committee (BWAC), in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service of the Superior National Forest, have worked tirelessly to recover and reopen the trail. Armed only with hand saws, loppers, and determination, crews have contributed hundreds of thousands of volunteer hours to clearing deadfall, cutting back thick regrowth, and carefully reestablishing the historic route. Last year alone, volunteers contributed nearly 13,000 hours of trail-clearing work—not including the countless hours spent planning, organizing, and supporting this ongoing effort.

The work hasn’t been easy. Each season brought new challenges as conditions on the trail remained dynamic and unpredictable in the years following the fire. But thanks to this long-term commitment, hikers can once again experience the full Powwow Trail—and now, with campsites restored, they can fully immerse themselves in multi-day wilderness travel along this remarkable loop.

What does “fully restored” mean?
Each open campsite now has a fire grate, a latrine, and has been cleared of hazard trees, ensuring that visitors have a safe and functional place to rest along their journey.

The restoration of the Powwow Trail is more than just a success story about reopening campsites. It’s a testament to the power of collaboration, persistence, and community. Volunteers and partners came together over more than a decade to restore a vital piece of the Boundary Waters hiking network.

Location:
The Powwow Trailhead, BWCAW Entry Point #86, is located about 250 miles north of the Twin Cities. The trail begins to the right of the wooden kiosk in the northwest corner of the parking lot.

Trail Timeline:

• 1978 – Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Act establishes the BWCAW and calls for hiking trail development.

• 1979 – Construction of the Powwow Trail begins, linking former logging roads with wilderness paths.

• 2011 – The Pagami Creek Fire burns more than 95% of the trail corridor.

• 2012–2024 – BWAC volunteers and partners work year after year to reopen and maintain the trail using hand tools.

• 2025 – All campsites along the Powwow Trail are fully restored.

We invite hikers to enjoy this hard-won trail, but also to come prepared. Conditions remain challenging, and the landscape continues to change. For current updates and trip planning resources, visit our Powwow Trail Guide, the Powwow Trail Conditions page, and the U.S. Forest Service website.

And finally—we need your help to keep the trail open. Volunteers are the heart of this work, and the Powwow Trail will only remain accessible through ongoing community effort. If you’d like to join us on a future trail-clearing trip or support in other ways, we’d love to have you be part of the Powwow’s story.

The Powwow Trail stands today as both a wilderness adventure and a living reminder of resilience—of the forest, of volunteers, and of the community that came together to make this recovery possible.

2025 Spring Trail Crew Recap: Trip #9 Powwow Trail

A mixed group of new and returning volunteers basecamped at the beautiful Isabella site on the Powwow Trail last weekend, and focused on clearing heavy brush growth west of the "wye".  Amazing (and tiring) work was done digging out root balls encroaching on the trail, but that didn't stop us from telling stories around the campfire and going for a refreshing swim after we knocked off for the day.  Additional work was done near the campsite to ensure the Isabella waterway will be safe to cross for future hikers!

2025 Spring Trail Crew Recap: Trip #8 Powwow Trail

Crew #8 - The "BWAC Bigboys" completed a spring circumnavigation around the Powwow Trail. Winter storms brought down many new deadfalls, so the crew’s work was plentiful. During the circumnavigation, 250 treefalls were cut and removed from the trail to allow hikers a navigable path for the season. The Diana creek bridge was also repaired for crossing.

2025 Spring Trail Crew Recap: Trip #6 Powwow Trail

Crew #6, aka The Latriners, completed their mission to clear 0.63 miles of the Powwow Trail north and south of the Path Lake campsite. They also carried a latrine from the point where it was left by crew #5 to south of Path Lake campsite.

The crew enjoyed a 6-mile paddle to and from the Kawishiwi Lodge to Lake Three, a 2.5 mile hike, two days of navigating brush growing on the trail, cutting through one huge white pine, and a genuinely good time was had by all!

The weather was mostly fine, but at one point it threw a little hailstorm at them.

Big thanks as always to Kawishiwi Lodge for sponsoring BWAC’s trail clearing trips by providing the canoes and a discounted stay at their bunkhouse.

2025 Spring Trail Crew Recap: Trip #7 Powwow Trail

Crew #7, aka Groundbreaking Latrine… with A Chance of Hail, had a successful trip to the Superstition Lake area of the Powwow Trail over Memorial Day weekend.

Following an 11+ mile hike to basecamp, the crew had a mission in addition to trail clearing: a new latrine installation at Superstition! With guidance from the U.S. Forest Service–Superior National Forest, the crew dug a hole for the latrine, assembled it, and installed it, which is a first for BWAC volunteers. We are so glad trail users will now have access to a latrine at this remote site.

In addition to this accomplishment, the crew cleared a quarter mile south from the campsite in rocky, exposed terrain, which meant mostly hot working conditions. It also turns out our work helmets are useful for more than just trail work, as the crew was happy to have them on while being pelted during a full ten minute hailstorm mid-workday Saturday.

There’s never a dull moment with our volunteers!

2025 Spring Trail Crew Recap: Trip #5 Powwow Trail

Rain, wind, sleet, and mud couldn’t stop our fifth trip this past weekend.

Crew #5, aka The Danglers, cleared 1.5 miles of the Powwow Trail from brush and treefalls as well as hauled a latrine to the Rock of Ages Lake campsite. Despite cold temps and storms, spirits stayed high with loon calls and beaver tail slaps at night and campfires to dry work gloves and soggy socks.

Huge thanks to our hard-working crew of nine, the U.S. Forest Service–Superior National Forest, and Kawishiwi Lodge for their support. Let’s hear it for trail work with purpose, sweat, and a little wilderness magic!

2025 Spring Trail Crew Recap: Trip #4 Sioux-Hustler Trail

The initial day for Crew #4, aka The Four Seasons, on the Sioux-Hustler Trail was quite warm, and they capped it off with a swim at their campsite on Agawato Lake. However, a short-lived but severe storm that evening downed trees across the lake and behind their campsite. The following days were spent clearing the trail, working their way up to the northeast bay of Emerald Lake.

Temperatures steadily dropped over the weekend, and on their final day, snow flurries accompanied the crew as they hiked out. In total, the crew cleared approximately 75 treefalls to restore the trail from the entry point to Emerald Lake.

2025 Spring Trail Crew Recap: Trip #2 Sioux-Hustler Trail

Crew #2, aka The Tree Piranhas, experienced temps in the low 40s overnight and highs approaching an unseasonably warm 90F during the day on their Sioux-Hustler Trail clearing trip.

Crew members managed to clear 9.25 miles of tree falls (127 trees in total!!) from the Sioux-Hustler trailhead to Devil’s Cascade campsite and the Shell/Little Shell campsite spur.

2025 Spring Trail Crew Recap: Trip #3 Brule Lake Trail

Two crews arrived at the Crescent Lake Campground on Thursday evening to set up multiple basecamps for several days of trail clearing on the nearby Brule Lake Trail.

Weather conditions were very favorable over two full days of trail clearing, netting one full mile cleared to U.S. Forest Service-Superior National Forest standard. Crews also tackled a large patch of very overgrown alders that had severely constricted the trail.

Skies were mostly clear during work days, with only a short sprinkle on Friday, and no bugs!

2025 Spring Trail Crew Recap: Trip #1 Brule Lake Trail

It’s finally the season opener for our trail crews! Crew #1, aka The Pungee Patrol, has returned from the Brule Lake Trail. The crew began the trip battling 18 hours of rain, snow, flooded trail, an 8-inch snow pack, and new treefalls. Thanks to our crew’s efforts, the trail is now safe for hikers to navigate the center 2.75 miles west of Ball Club Creek.

Two upcoming trail crews will be tackling the remaining 2.5 miles from the trailhead.

⚠️Note to hikers: The trail crossing of Ball Club Creek is flooded with a swift water current