Duluth MN – June 23, 2020 –– On Friday June 26, 2020, the Superior National Forest will open additional recreation sites; For a full list of open areas and other up-to-date information, visit the Superior National Forest website at www.fs.usda.gov/superior. Following is a list of recreation sites and facilities on the Superior National Forest that will be opening June 26:

Toilets at Boat Ramps and Carry-down Canoe access:

•         Moose Lake

•         Snowbank Lake

•         Lake One

•         Mudro Lake

•         Sioux River North

•         Moose River North

•         Farm Lake

•         Tofte Lake

•         Ojibway Lake

•         Johnson Lake

•         Echo Lake

•         Lake Jeanette

•         Sawbill

•         Trails End

 Toilets at Trailheads:

•         Bass Lake Hiking Trail

•         Vermillion Falls

•         Britton Peak

•         Oberg

•         Eagle Mtn

•         Trails End

•         Pincushion

 Toilets at other Sites:

•         Skibo Vista

•         Lake Leander

•         Laurentian Divide

All additional campgrounds not currently open will remain closed until further notice. Reservable sites have been cancelled and refunded for the summer season.

The Forest Service is making every effort to expand access to recreation on a site-by-site basis within the context of CDC guidance.  Following CDC guidelines, the Superior National Forest is cleaning open sites as often as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic to minimize risk to public health and safety. All open restroom facilities will be posted with signs indicating the date and time each facility was last cleaned.

The Superior continues to implement a phased planning approach to provide public access to recreation sites including rustic campgrounds. This phasing approach allows for more time to bring on additional employees and implement COVID 19 prevention mitigation.

“Most of the Superior National Forest is open for public use. Some recreation facilities and campgrounds are closed as we continue to balance our work in ways that allow us to adhere to our core value of safety, while also following public health recommendations on social distancing,” said Connie Cummins, Forest Supervisor, Superior National Forest. “We plan to open more recreation sites gradually over the next few weeks.

The Forest Order limiting the size of groups to 10 people or less per group across the entire Forest remains in place until further notice. In alignment with this, recreation event special use permits and large gatherings will not be allowed.

Visitors are asked to stay as local as possible when choosing a site to visit. Visitors are also urged to take the precautions recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) along with local health and safety guidance. For tips from the CDC on preventing illnesses like the coronavirus, go to: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/prevention.html.

Responsible recreation will help expand access to facilities, services and other opportunities. Certain services may still be unavailable, so visitors are asked to plan accordingly and to remain flexible.

The Superior National Forest acknowledges that Tribal members may fulfill their federal treaty rights within boundaries of the ceded territory in the 1854 treaty and are exempt from the restrictions and are subject to restrictions by applicable tribal authorities.

The Superior National Forest has moved to virtual services. Please visit us at www.fs.usda.gov/superior for updates.  You can also follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/SuperiorNF or like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SuperiorNF

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