Entry permits for the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness will be available for reservation at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 29 and are sold on a first-come, first-serve basis. The permits cover all overnight visits to the 1,098,000 acres of wilderness area in northern Minnesota, from May 1 to September 30.
Reservations can be made using Recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777. Outfitters can also make reservations for clients.
A user account is required to reserve a permit, so officials recommend logging in to your existing account, or creating a new one, before January 29. They also recommend using the website at first, rather than the phone number, because high call volume is expected. Google’s Chrome browser is recommended for using the online system. Fees include a six dollar reservation fee for all permits, and $16 per adult and $8 per child per trip.
Visitors are also encouraged to have at least three travel options, including dates and entry points, in mind, in case the first choice is not available.
The Forest Service recommends reviewing the official BWCAW Trip Planning Guide (PDF) when preparing to purchase a permit.
When last year’s reservations opened up, the system quickly crashed and had to be taken offline. It was unavailable for several weeks, but operated the rest of the season without problems. There are lingering concerns about the system’s equity, as it may give an advantage to users with faster internet connections, not the slower speeds available to most people who live and work near the wilderness.
Last year was also the first year that no lottery system was used for motorized day-use permits, a key issue for some wilderness visitors and the outfitters that serve them. Rep. Pete Stauber has introduced legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives to force the Forest Service to reinstate the lottery, but it has not moved in nearly a year.
New BWCAW permit system fails on first day, reservations remain unavailable