Bear Activity at Chippewa National Forest Campground Prompts ‘Hardside’ Order

A map showing where the hardside camping order is in place at the West Winnie Campground in the Chippewa National Forest due to black bear activity. (Credit: U.S. Forest Service)

Chippewa National Forest officials are seeing an increase in black bear activity at the West Winnie Campground this summer. Because of this, the forest has put into place an emergency hardside camping order.

The West Winnie Campground is located along the west short of Lake Winnibigoshish, and black bear activity is frequently seen along the travel corridor to this campground as well as within the general vicinity of the campground. The site has a higher potential for interactions between bears and humans compared to other campground due to its remote location.

The emergency hardside order prohibits camping with soft-sided equipment, such as tents and pop-up campers, that bears can enter at the West Winnie Campground. This applies only to this campground in the Chippewa National Forest, as human-bear encounters are more prevalent in the area.

The prohibition will run until Oct. 13.