Trail Conditions

Trail Conditions

The "Big Blow" on July 4th, 1999 wreaked havoc on the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness by toppling trees along entire ridgelines and consequently had a big impact on hiking trails in the area. The Border Route Trail has been cleared of the deadfalls related to that storm, but as a consequence of the lack of a tree canopy, brush such as Alder, Poplar, Thimble- and Raspberry thrives around and in the trail bed. And of course, trees continue to fall on the trail.

We use reports of our trail crews and occasional scouting trips to plan future clearing projects, but to get a better picture, we rely on reports sent to us by hikers who have been on the trail. These pages will provide a pool of information for planning your trip and anticipating what trail conditions to expect. Be aware, however, that the Border Route Trail is intended as a rugged and narrow wilderness trail which allows for an intimate relationship with nature. Good route-finding skills are necessary. And of course, trail conditions can change instantenously during the next storm.

Color-coded status maps

The color-coded status maps of the section you plan to hike (opens in a new window). Although we make an effort to keep the color-coded status maps up-to-date, the information given here is only as good as the information we receive from hikers like you. Help us to efficiently keep the trail in shape by submitting a trail report via or snail-mail. Thank you!