outdoors
Fishing in the city: DNR's Ruiz shows off hotspots near downtown
Ray Ruiz's job with the Department of Natural Resources is to work with diverse metro area community groups to increase participation in fishing.
Caught in storm, Boundary Waters campers thankful to be alive
Nine wilderness campers from St. Paul are happy to be alive and healthy after a storm's swirling winds uprooted trees all around them in their Boundary Waters campsite Wednesday evening.
Partisan fight over emission standards threatens $60 million in Minnesota environmental trust fund projects
Some still hold out hope that the money will be freed up in the special session.
It's not an easy trek, but Angle Inlet still can be reached
The temporary closure of Canada's border has cut off the only land route to Angle Inlet. For now, nearly all traffic is by boat. The routes vary from 30 to 50 miles long and can be dangerous if ill-equipped or inexperienced.
New St. Croix River Crossing Loop Trail has Stillwater going round and round
The new trail was finally completed this spring with the reopening of the historic Lift Bridge.
Purple martins' aerial displays are an act of good parenting, too
Both male and female purple martins, the largest member of the swallow family, are busy feeding their young.
Minnesota fishing report
A look at where the fish are biting.
Back to the BWCA for the grandest portage of all
There's a new entry to last summer's Boundary Waters series: A father and son and their group returned in June to tackle the historic Grand Portage -- a notoriously challenging trek.
Some North Shore visitors trashing trails, campsites
North Shore experiencing more visitors trashing trails and campsites.
Fewer people, more citations over July 4th on Lake Minnetonka
Slight uptick in boating under the influence tags, however.
Young raptor that grew up on popular EagleCam is killed in flight
EagleCam fledgling known as E1 died after hitting power line structure near nest
Airborne dust may spur toxic algae blooms on remote Minnesota lakes
Scientists are racing to find out how blue-green algae reaches the waters in Minnesota's pristine natural areas.
Young eagle that grew up on Minnesota's EagleCam killed in flight
Caretakers of the popular wildlife feature report young chick hit powerline.
BWCA trip tips: Readers offer their best to first-timers
While most BWCA visitors are experienced, every year first-timers travel there — some prepared, many others not so much. So on the eve of another open-water BWCA season, we solicited tips for first-timers from readers who are veteran BWCA travelers.
Minnesota's state parks remain hot properties, but crowds represent challenges
About 85% of the sites and lodges can be used now, but more are opening.
Anderson: Nature's storytellers are a threatened species as well
Documentarians of the outdoors world are losing some of their voices in an ever-changing media industry.
Beloit WWII veteran remembers time aboard U.S.S. Missouri
U.S. Navy veteran Bob Jackson is an eyewitness to one of the most influential days in modern history: the Japanese surrender aboard the U.S.S. Missouri in Tokyo Bay on Sept. 2, 1945.
Anderson: Ex-Army Ranger making sure other vetarans can go fishing
Steve Gillaspie is the founder of a 501(c)(3) group called Veterans on the Water, which offers free fishing trips to military veterans.
Butterflies in the warm sunshine are a marker of a Minnesota summer
It's almost impossible to look anywhere in a flower garden or alfalfa field without seeing at least one butterfly bouncing along on an erratic flight, or, in the chase of a monarch, a steady glide.
Grandpa's cabin in Fifty Lakes spun into a family history of beloved hideouts
After immigrating from Sweden, he bought land near Fifty Lakes, Minn., that reminded him of home.