Superior National Forest
Boundary Waters permits
When your entry date goes on sale, what it costs, and what to do if your entry point is full.
When does my entry date go on sale?
Pick the date you want, and see the day and time it becomes bookable.
Rule from USDA Forest Service (Superior NF): Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Permits, checked November 2, 2026. Confirm on the official site before you rely on it.
Overnight trips and motorized day trips into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness from May 1 to September 30 need a quota permit for your entry point and entry date. Every quota permit for the season goes on sale at once, first come, first served, at 9 a.m. Central on the last Wednesday in January. In 2026 that was January 28.
How the release works
- Quota permits cover overnight trips (paddle, motor or hiking) and motorized day trips with entry dates from May 1 to September 30.
- All of them, for every entry point and every date, go on sale together at 9 a.m. Central on the last Wednesday in January, first come, first served.
- Book on Recreation.gov or by phone at 1-877-444-6777. Groups can enter only on the date and at the entry point on the permit.
- Fees: a $6 reservation fee, plus a $32 minimum deposit toward user fees ($16 per adult, $8 per youth, per trip).
- Groups are capped at nine people and four watercraft.
The 2027 opening
The Forest Service hasn't announced the 2027 date yet. Its standing rule, the last Wednesday in January, gives Wednesday, January 27, 2027 at 9 a.m. Central. In 2026 the rule held: permits opened Wednesday, January 28. We'll update this page when the 2027 announcement comes out.
Before you book
- Add alternate group leaders when you reserve. Alternates can't be added later, and only the leader or an alternate can pick up the permit (photo ID required).
- Permits are picked up the day before or the day of entry, at the issue station you chose.
- Cancel 3 or more days ahead for a full refund. Two days or less, the $32 deposit is kept; no-shows lose everything paid.
- From October 1 to April 30, overnight visitors need only a free self-issued permit, available at entry point kiosks and Forest Service offices.
Entry point full? What to do next
Book through Recreation.gov first. It's the only place to reserve. If your date is gone:
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Watch for cancellations
- Campflare permit alerts: free. A text or email when a permit for your entry point and date opens up. Cancellations come back: the Forest Service refunds in full only when a group cancels 3 or more days ahead.
No permit for your date?
- Try another entry point or entry date: quotas are set per entry point, per day.
- Walk-in permits: any entry point with quota left can be picked up the day before or the day of entry.
- Go before May 1 or after September 30: overnight trips then need only a free self-issued permit.
Stay near your entry point
Permits are picked up the day before or the day of entry at an issue station, many of them in Ely and Grand Marais. Compare hotels and cabins nearby.
Get the reminder by email
One email the week before the big Great Lakes openings (the Boundary Waters permit day in late January first), and when an agency changes its rules. Nothing else.
Before any reminder, you'll get one email asking you to confirm. It comes from New England Reservations (hello@newenglandreservations.com), our sister site. Unsubscribe anytime. See the privacy policy.
When do 2027 Boundary Waters permits go on sale?
The Forest Service rule is 9 a.m. Central on the last Wednesday in January, which for 2027 is Wednesday, January 27. The 2027 date isn't announced yet; in 2026 it was January 28.
Is there a Boundary Waters permit lottery?
The Forest Service describes none: all quota permits are released first come, first served at 9 a.m. Central on the last Wednesday in January.
Do I need a permit for a Boundary Waters day trip?
Non-motorized day trips need a free self-issued permit year round. Motorized day trips from May 1 to September 30 need a quota permit.
What if my entry point is full?
Set a free cancellation alert, try another entry point or date, or get a walk-in permit: any entry point with quota left can be picked up the day before or the day of entry.
Sources
- USDA Forest Service (Superior NF): Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Permits, checked November 2, 2026.
- WTIP North Shore Community Radio: BWCAW permit reservations open end of January (2026), checked November 2, 2026.
Rules change. Always confirm on the official site before you rely on a date.