Effective Friday, camping and campfires will be allowed again on Hiawatha National Forest.
“In addition to our trails and day use, which remained open over the past couple months, we are looking forward to re-opening the Forest for these additional activities,” stated Cid Morgan, Hiawatha National Forest Supervisor.
Hiawatha’s staff and concessionaires are working toward phased re-opening of reservable campsites, campgrounds and rental cabins. Until then, reservable camping and rentals will remain temporarily closed. For an updated list of open areas and up-to-date information on re-openings, visit the Hiawatha National Forest website (https://www.fs.usda.gov/recmain/hiawatha/recreation), Facebook (@HiawathaNF) or Twitter (@HiawathaNF).
“While we understand there may be excitement from the public to return to favorite recreation areas, there may be limited services or spaces available,” said Morgan. “Please continue to follow local, state, and federal guidelines on staying safe and practice good hygiene and social distancing wherever you choose to visit.”
Reservations for camping will be reactivated once health and safety assessments have been completed for these facilities. Please monitor Recreation.gov for updated availability. Those with existing campground and cabin rental reservations through Recreation.gov will be notified via email and/or text message if there are any changes. Please be aware that rental cabins will not be cleaned in between use. As in previous years, it is up to the individual renters to bring their own cleaning supplies and to clean before and after use of the site.
Trails and trailheads remain open. Please remember to avoid congregating at trailheads and/or parking areas.
To protect public health and safety, all forest visitors are encouraged to:
- Avoid visiting the forest if you are sick and/or experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.
- Follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance on personal hygiene and social distancing before and during your visit to the forest.
- Be cautious and choose low-risk activities to avoid injury. Search and rescue operations may be delayed due to resource limitations.
- Stay out of closed areas and check www.fs.usda.gov/hiawatha to see if your destination is open before you visit.
- Take your trash with you when you leave. Trash overflowing the receptacles becomes litter and can be harmful to wildlife and attract predators.
- Please make arrangements to use the restroom before or after your visit to the forest. Unmanaged waste creates a health hazard for our employees and for other visitors.
- If an area is crowded, look for a less occupied location or return at a later time. Consider avoiding the forest during high-use periods.
Hiawatha National Forest continues to monitor the COVID-19 situation. Please remember to review current recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention along with local and state guidelines for social distancing and cloth face coverings. 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.
Visitors are asked to stay as local as possible when choosing a site to visit and to pack out everything they bring, especially trash. 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. Contact information for the Hiawatha National Forest is available online at fs.usda.gov/hiawatha/offices.
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