That is the last day you can get your applications for BWCA permits in if you want to be in the first lottery!
After that it is first come, first served. (after January 20th)
permits
I have yet to paddle in the BWCA/Quetico and as keep hearing about permits and such when I’m searching for info, I’d like some clarification. I take it the only way to get a permit is through a lottery system? If so, does that mean you can’t just show up at a put-in and try to get a permit? If that’s the case, I guess the next most logical question is what kind of system keeps the users honest about permits? Do all access points have guarded check-ins? What are the penalties for paddling without one?
I’m not planning any type of illegal activity or anything, but I would like to know how the system works.
Some info for you
:I take it the only way to get a permit is through a lottery system?
No, the lottery system is for those who want a specific entry point and date. It’s the best way to snag the best entry points on the most popular days.
:If so, does that mean you can’t just show up at a put-in and try to get a permit?
You go to one of the ranger stations nearest the entry point you want, although ranger stations can issue permits for any entry point. Each entry point allows only so many people/parties into the BWCA each day. If an entry point has open slots you can get the permit when you show up.
You can also call for reservations ahead of time when they open the system to call ins. I’m not sure what date they do that.
Also, for most of the year, except during the busiest seasons, you can get a self-issuing permit at any entry point, i.e. early spring, late fall and winter. For day trips, you can use the self-issuing system.
In my experience, if you don’t mind going in on some hard entry points, you will always be able to get a permit the day you show up. I’ve even gotten one on July 4th when it was on a Sat.
:If that’s the case, I guess the next most logical question is what kind of system keeps the users honest about permits?
Rangers patrol entry points and the BWCA.
:Do all access points have guarded check-ins?
No.
:What are the penalties for paddling without one?
Fines.
There is really no reason to risk fines, or try to get around the system, because there is always some entry point open, it just might not be the one you wanted. The main reason for the permit system is to try and space out users so there are enough campsites and there is some type of wilderness experience. You may think otherwise on the busiest weekends.
Hope this helps,
Bryan
Never Got One This Soon
Bryan pretty much summed things up. Until illness had stopped me two years ago, I had been to the BWCAW 19 years in a row with 2-3 trips a year most years. I always waited until a couple months before to get my reservations, and sometimes never got reservations. Sometimes I would wait until I got up there and looked to see what’s available. The Lottery is for those people who HAVE to have a certain date and a certain entry point. I go up the Gunflint Trail near Grand Marais and have never found all the entry points full on a given date, although weekends and holidays are hard to come by at times. Although you will rarely see a ranger (30 something trips and four times for me), there’s no reason to go without a permit. Now, for the Quetico (Canadian) side, there are less permits and you DO need to get them well in advance. I usually stayed on the U.S. side just because the fees & logistics were easier. WW