The upcoming Memorial Day weekend will be quieter than usual at Voyageurs National Park after staff closed trails, campsites and amenities because of historic high-water levels.
Flooding closes trails, campsites in Voyageurs National Park
The park also announced it is reinstating its indoor mask mandate.
May 22, 2022 at 3:52PM
All backcountry trails, campsites, day-use sites and boat rentals have been closed through June 1, and all boat tours for the week of June 12 have been canceled. More than 30 front-country campsites that are more accessible also are closed because of spring flow levels in the Rainy Lake Watershed.
The National Park Service says these closures may be extended, and more sites may be added. Reservations that are canceled because of closures are automatically refunded.
Along with the closure announcement over the weekend, Voyageurs also announced that the park is re-establishing the mask mandate at federal sites because local communities are experiencing high COVID-19 transmission rates.
Last week, 19 Minnesota counties, including Koochiching, where Voyageurs is located, were designated as having high COVID-19 levels by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which means people are advised to wear masks in public while indoors to reduce viral transmission.
The proposal suggests removing the 20-year protection on the Superior National Forest that President Joe Biden’s administration had ordered in 2023.
