Together in the BWCA

With the Northern Minnesota drought, along with Canadian and Northern Minnesota wildfires and the uptick in Covid19 cases filling the news, BWCA enthusiasts' discussions in online forums had become concerning. Heading up to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) for our family's 2021 canoe trip we talked about all we'd  read. Would we come home to find our daughter's school closed again due to the pandemic? Would the water on our route be too low? Rather than paddling small rivers would we be slogging through mud and climbing over rocks with extra carryovers? Would wildfires cut our trip short? 

The Dunes Segment of the Ice Age Trail

 

Want an easy fall hike along a wooded footpath near the amenities of a trail town? The Dunes Dunes Segment of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail (IAT) provides exactly that. The Dunes Segment is a fairly flat, short 2.7 miles (4.3 km). Starting from the Mariner's Trail, the Dunes Segment crosses Highway 42 (Memorial Drive) and heads towards the Aurora Medical Center. The IAT nearly circles the complex, then follows a footpath through the Woodland Dunes Nature Center and Preserve. I enjoyed my time admiring the gold and red autumn colors along the Dunes Segment of the IAT on an idyllic, crisp fall day.