Upcoming events.
Header photo courtesy of John Keefover
BRT Wilderness Maintenance: South Lake Trail - BWCA
Give back to the Border Route Trail by volunteering on a Wilderness Clearing Trip on the South Lake Trail. Be prepared for cool evenings, amazing veiws, and moderate day work conditions near the Canadian border.
Start Date: Sunday, September 19, 2025
End Date: Wednesday , September 24, 2025
Camping/Lodging: wilderness camping on South Lake
Meeting Location: will be notified via email once you’ve signed up
Deposit: $25 to hold your spot
Max Trip Size: 9 people per BWCA regulations
Description:
This is wilderness trail maintenance trip using hand tools working on the South Lake Trail and parts of the Border Route Trail. We will be backpacking in 4 miles setting up base camp at South Lake campsite on Friday September 19. We will be maintaining the South Lake Trail, BRT west of the South Lake Trail and clearing the South Lake campsite. Because we will be base camping you can join us for all or part of the trip.
Since this is a wilderness trip you will need to furnish your own food and cookware, tent, water treatment, rain gear and proper clothing. BRTA will furnish permits, tools (no power tools allowed), gloves, helmets, and goggles Car pooling is encouraged. No training or special skills required other than ability to work hard and have fun. I will share details on meet-up and departure location when we have the group signed up.
The following is a great opportunity/benefit offered by the National Park Service/North Country Trail Association for those that volunteer as trail maintenance volunteers. This provides a type of workman’s comp and a recognition program if you record and turn in your hours. The volunteer in the parks program is not required but it is strongly recommended.
https://northcountrytrail.org/volunteer/volunteer-resource-center/nps-vip-form/
Hold your spot $25 donation fee to the BRTA is required.
Coordinator(s):
Chris F. - csfothergill@gmail.com - (952) 807-6688
Non-Wilderness BRT Maintenance: East End
Image courtesy of Samuel Del Favero
Give back to the Border Route Trail by volunteering on a Non-Wilderness Clearing Trip on the east end of the trail. Be prepared for cool evenings and moderate day work conditions near the Canadian border.
Start Date: Friday, October 5, 2025
End Date: Sunday, October 7, 2025
Camping/Lodging: Either at Otter Lake or MacFarland Lake Forestry Campsite TBD
Estimated Cost: $30
Max Trip Size: 16 people
Description:
A fall maintenance trip is planned on the east end of the Border Route Trail Friday, October 3 thru Sunday, October 5. This is hiking and trail maintenance on the Border Route Trail, a segment of the North Country National Trail, on the eastern edge of the BWCA Wilderness area. The base campsite will be determined when we know the number of volunteers available for the trip. (Otter Lake or McFarland Lake Forestry campsite) There are no services on the Arrowhead Trail.
The trip starts Friday morning at the trail head parking lot at 8:00 am and ends Sunday afternoon by 3:00 pm. There are two and three day work options. Be prepared for fall conditions near the Canadian Border and capable of hiking/working 5 miles per day on rugged wilderness trail with a daypack with your food, water & appropriate extra clothing.
We will use hand tools such as lobbers & saws, chain saws (must be NPS or USFS Sawyer certified), brush cutters and hand work of throwing off brush and logs. The equipment and safety gear will be provided by BRTA.
The BRTA will provide dinner Friday and Saturday evening and breakfast Saturday & Sunday morning along with potable water. Bring your own lunches, snacks and special beverages.
More thorough details will be provided when you sign up.
To sign up, send an email with your request to info@borderroutetrail.org
The following is a great opportunity/benefit offered by the National Park Service/North Country Trail Association for those that volunteer as trail maintenance volunteers. This provides a type of workman’s comp and a recognition program if you record and turn in your hours. The volunteer in the parks program is not required but it is strongly recommended.
https://northcountrytrail.org/volunteer/volunteer-resource-center/nps-vip-form/
Border Route trail Maintenance Trip
Border Route Trail Maintenance Trip — Otter Lake Campsite, MN
Category: Trail Maintenance
SAT, 8:30am - 6:00pm Jun 7 2025
Description:
Dear trail user. We need you for just one day! The eastern Non-Wilderness end of the Border Route Trail has 6 more miles left to maintain this spring. A late May snow and unfavorable working conditions cut our last trip short. It is also a great way to experience the Crown Jewel of the North Country National Scenic Trail – Rover’s very own Border Route. This is an opportunity to work with your own two hands or various tools: hand saws, loppers, brush cutters, Billy Goat brush mower, chainsaws (must be certified Sawyer), or do blue blazing. (I bet you can all run a paint spray can)
This is a downsized, one day only trip. All lodging/camping and food is on your own. We will meet at the Otter Lake Campsite at 0830 on June 7, 2025, with the tools and safety equipment needed.
The plan is to divide into two groups working from opposite ends to complete the last 6 miles . One group will start at the famous 270 degree overlook, the other at the Stump River Bridge off the South Fowl Lake access joining at the midpoint.
More details once you sign up.
If you are interested in this trip or want more information, please contact Gary Carlson at grc70mn@gmail.com or Pam Tavernier at jrtpdk11@gmail.com
Coordinator(s):
Gary C - grc70mn@gmail.com - (651) 470-2531
Pam T - jrtpdk11@gmail.com - (217) 248-0072
Trail Maintenance Trip— Border Route Trail-East Partridge Lake, MN
Trail Maintenance-Border Route Trail — McFarland Lake , MN
FRI - SUNMay 16 - May 182025
Estimated Cost: $25.00
Deposit: $25.00
Max Trip Size: 16 people
Description:
A spring maintenance trip is planned on the east end of the Border Route Trail Friday, May 16 thru Sunday, May 18. This is hiking and trail maintenance on the Border Route Trail, a segment of the North Country National Trail, on the eastern edge of the BWCA Wilderness area. We will car camp (tents) at McFarland Lake Forestry campsite, MN, at the end of the Arrowhead trail road. This will be our base camp. There are no services on the Arrowhead Trail.
The trip starts Friday morning at the trail head parking lot at 8:00 am and ends Sunday afternoon by 3:00 pm. There are two and three day work options. Be prepared for May conditions near the Canadian Border and capable of hiking/working 5 miles per day on rugged wilderness trail with your daypack with your food, water & appropriate extra clothing and working with tools.
We will use hand tools such as lobbers & saws, chain saws (must be NPS or USFS Sawyer certified), brush cutters and hand work of throwing off brush and logs. Equipment and safety gear is provided by BRTA.
BRTA will provide dinner Friday and Saturday evening, breakfast Saturday & Sunday morning and potable water. Bring food for your own lunches, snacks and special beverages.
More thorough details will be provided when you sign up.
Contact info@borderroutetrail.org
Trail Maintenance-Border Route Trail — McFarland Lake
Trail Maintenance-Border Route Trail — McFarland Lake , MN
FRI - SUNMay 16 - May 182025
Estimated Cost: $25.00
Deposit: $25.00
Max Trip Size: 16 people
Description:
A spring maintenance trip is planned on the east end of the Border Route Trail Friday, May 16 thru Sunday, May 18. This is hiking and trail maintenance on the Border Route Trail, a segment of the North Country National Trail, on the eastern edge of the BWCA Wilderness area. We will car camp (tents) at McFarland Lake Forestry campsite, MN, at the end of the Arrowhead trail road. This will be our base camp. There are no services on the Arrowhead Trail.
The trip starts Friday morning at the trail head parking lot at 8:00 am and ends Sunday afternoon by 3:00 pm. There are two and three day work options. Be prepared for May conditions near the Canadian Border and capable of hiking/working 5 miles per day on rugged wilderness trail with your daypack with your food, water & appropriate extra clothing and working with tools.
We will use hand tools such as lobbers & saws, chain saws (must be NPS or USFS Sawyer certified), brush cutters and hand work of throwing off brush and logs. Equipment and safety gear is provided by BRTA.
BRTA will provide dinner Friday and Saturday evening, breakfast Saturday & Sunday morning and potable water. Bring food for your own lunches, snacks and special beverages.
More thorough details will be provided when you sign up.
Contact info@borderroutetrail.org
Wilderness Maintenance - Watap Lake
Trail Maintenance-Border Route Trail — McFarland Lake , MN
FRI - SUNMay 16 - May 182025
Estimated Cost: $25.00
Deposit: $25.00
Max Trip Size: 16 people
Description:
A spring maintenance trip is planned on the east end of the Border Route Trail Friday, May 16 thru Sunday, May 18. This is hiking and trail maintenance on the Border Route Trail, a segment of the North Country National Trail, on the eastern edge of the BWCA Wilderness area. We will car camp (tents) at McFarland Lake Forestry campsite, MN, at the end of the Arrowhead trail road. This will be our base camp. There are no services on the Arrowhead Trail.
The trip starts Friday morning at the trail head parking lot at 8:00 am and ends Sunday afternoon by 3:00 pm. There are two and three day work options. Be prepared for May conditions near the Canadian Border and capable of hiking/working 5 miles per day on rugged wilderness trail with your daypack with your food, water & appropriate extra clothing and working with tools.
We will use hand tools such as lobbers & saws, chain saws (must be NPS or USFS Sawyer certified), brush cutters and hand work of throwing off brush and logs. Equipment and safety gear is provided by BRTA.
BRTA will provide dinner Friday and Saturday evening, breakfast Saturday & Sunday morning and potable water. Bring food for your own lunches, snacks and special beverages.
More thorough details will be provided when you sign up.
Contact info@borderroutetrail.org
Trail Maintenance - South Lake Trail BWCA, MN
Trail Maintenance-Border Route Trail — McFarland Lake , MN
FRI - SUNMay 16 - May 182025
Estimated Cost: $25.00
Deposit: $25.00
Max Trip Size: 16 people
Description:
A spring maintenance trip is planned on the east end of the Border Route Trail Friday, May 16 thru Sunday, May 18. This is hiking and trail maintenance on the Border Route Trail, a segment of the North Country National Trail, on the eastern edge of the BWCA Wilderness area. We will car camp (tents) at McFarland Lake Forestry campsite, MN, at the end of the Arrowhead trail road. This will be our base camp. There are no services on the Arrowhead Trail.
The trip starts Friday morning at the trail head parking lot at 8:00 am and ends Sunday afternoon by 3:00 pm. There are two and three day work options. Be prepared for May conditions near the Canadian Border and capable of hiking/working 5 miles per day on rugged wilderness trail with your daypack with your food, water & appropriate extra clothing and working with tools.
We will use hand tools such as lobbers & saws, chain saws (must be NPS or USFS Sawyer certified), brush cutters and hand work of throwing off brush and logs. Equipment and safety gear is provided by BRTA.
BRTA will provide dinner Friday and Saturday evening, breakfast Saturday & Sunday morning and potable water. Bring food for your own lunches, snacks and special beverages.
More thorough details will be provided when you sign up.
Contact info@borderroutetrail.org
Non-Wilderness Trail Maintenance Trip Gunflight Lake MN
Trail Maintenance-Border Route Trail — Gunflint Lake, MN
FRI - SUN May 2 - May 4 2025
Estimated Cost: $25.00
Deposit: $25.00
Max Trip Size: 16 people
Description:
Spring is approaching quickly and so are the trail maintenance trips on the Border Route Trail (a unit of the NPS’s North Country National Scenic Trail). This trip will focus on the non-wilderness west end which is a 17 mile section near Gunflint Lake. The non-wilderness section of trail maintenance is done with the following tools: hand saws, lobbers, chainsaws (for those with NPS or USFS sawyer certification) and brush cutters. These tools are used to clear the established trail of deadfall and brush. There may also be some blazing, signage installation and/or kiosk repair. The Border Route Trail is a rugged wilderness trail on the Canadian border – come prepared for cool or wet early May weather and uneven walking surfaces which can be slick in areas if recent rain. Plan on hiking with a daypack and working with /or carrying tools an average of 5 miles a day on the BRT overlooking Gunflint Lake.
Vehicle camping (tent) possibly along the Cross River or a USFS campground if open. This will be determined closer to the date. The location will be our base for the weekend. Further details will be given to those that sign up.
Breakfast on Saturday and Sunday plus dinner on Friday and Saturday is included (two breakfasts, two dinners). Lunch and snacks are on your own. Be prepared for cool evenings and moderate day work conditions near the Canadian border.
The following is a great opportunity/benefit offered by the National Park Service/North Country Trail Association for volunteers that do trail maintenance. Highly recommended.
The Volunteer-In-Parks Program is a resource which the The NorthCountry and National Park Service co-manage and can be found here.nps-vip-form The VIP program provides important protection for volunteers. All VIPs are entitled to the same injury considerations that NPS employees receive (provided they are operating within their approved scope of duties and NPS policies). Additionally, VIPs are recognized for their contributions and earn annual recognition items based on hours of service and are eligible to attend certain skills and leadership training.
Coordinator(s):
Pam T - jrtpdk11@gmail.com - (217) 248-0072
Gary C - grc70mn@gmail.com - (651) 470-2531
BRTA Annual Board Meeting
The BRTA invites you to join our Annual Board Meeting on January 18, 2025, at 1:00 pm. This in-person event is a free event open to those interested in hiking, maintaining, promoting, and/or supporting the Border Route Trail. The meeting location is at REI, 750 American Blvd W, Bloomington, MN 55420. The business section (20-30 minutes) will include a welcome, approval of the last month's minutes, treasurer's report, upcoming trail maintenance dates, and the election of the 2025 officiers and directors. We are excited to have as our keynote speaker Joe Friedrichs, author of Last Entry Point. A brief bio follows.
"Journalist and writer Joe Friedrichs lives near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northeastern Minnesota. His books, Last Entry Point: Stories of Danger and Death in the Boundary Waters and Her Island: The Story of Quetico’s Longest Serving Interior Ranger, focus on in-depth storytelling from the canoe-country wilderness. An environmental and outdoor writer, he was recognized with an honorable mention for Journalist of the Year by the Minnesota Society of Professional Journalists in 2023. His writing has appeared in Backpacker, the Star Tribune, and Minnesota Outdoor News. In 2024, Friedrichs founded Paddle and Portage, a digital media company focused on the Boundary Waters."
BRT Fall Maintenance Wilderness Trip
Give back to the Border Route Trail by volunteering on a Clearing Trip!
BRT Wilderness Fall Maintenance - Clearwater Lodge
Registration is open.
FRI - SUN
Sept 20 - Sept 23 2024
Description:
Meet at Clearwater Lodge at 2:00 PM and backpack 5 miles to the Rose Lake campsite and setup base camp. Saturday and Sunday we will clear the trail of deadfall and brush using hand tool and work are way west 2.5 miles to Stairway Portage. Monday September 23 we will break camp and backpack back to Clearwater Lodge.
Group Size limit 9
$25 donation fee for Border Route Trail
Volunteer must provide their own food
No training or certification required but the North Country Trail Volunteer-In Parks (VIP) is recommended
https://northcountrytrail.org/volunteer/volunteer-resource-center/nps-vip-form/
PLEASE CLICK LINK ABOVE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND DETAILS.
North Country Trail Celebration
2024 Celebration in St Ignace, Michigan
northcountrytrail.org
Extended Trail Clearing Trip
Give back to the Border Route Trail by volunteering on a Wilderness Clearing Trip!
Extended Trail Clearing Trip
This trip will be lead by John Taylor and will meet at the MacFarland Lake Campground on Thursday evening of 23 MAY 2024. We will be trail clearing the Border Route Trail as it goes into the BWCA, heading west from McFarland Lake. We hope to clear the trail from the trailhead to get to the McFarland-Pike portage.We will hike in Friday, Saturday, and Sunday leaving Monday 27 MAY 2024. Please bring your own food and water/purification systems for the event. The group is limited to nine.
Please contact John Taylor at johnwtaylor3@gmail.com to sign up.
BRT Spring Maintenance Non-Wilderness Trip
Give back to the Border Route Trail by volunteering on a Clearing Trip!
BRT Non-Wilderness Spring Maintenance Trip 2 - McFarland Lake
Registration is open.
FRI - SUN
May 17 - May 19 2024
Description:
Hiking and trail clearing on the Border Route Trail (a segment of the North Country National Trail) on the eastern edge of the BWCA Wilderness area. We will car camp (tents) at McFarland Lake MN Forestry campsite at the end of the Arrowhead trail road. There are no services on the Arrowhead Trail.
PLEASE CLICK LINK ABOVE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND DETAILS.
BRT Spring Maintenance Trip #2 - Wilderness
Give back to the Border Route Trail by volunteering on a Wilderness Clearing Trip!
BRT Wilderness Spring Maintenance Trip 2 - Topper Lake
Registration is open!
Please email gocbears@comcast.net for more details.
BRT Spring Maintenance Trip #1 - Wilderness
Give back to the Border Route Trail by volunteering on a Wilderness Clearing Trip!
BRT Wilderness Spring Maintenance Trip 1 - Clearwater Lake
Registration is open!
BRT Spring Maintenance Trip #1
Give back to the Border Route Trail by volunteering on Clearing Trip!
BRT Non-Wilderness Spring Maintenance Trip 1 - Gunflint Lake
Registration is open
November Board Meeting
Attend our November board meeting to learn more about how you can give back to your favorite trail by volunteering on our leadership team.
