3/2/11 – Here is something you don’t hear every day. The Forest Service has just lowered the non-refundable BWCA Wilderness entry permit reservation fee from $12/permit to $6/permit. We had no idea this was coming and heard about by reading the blog of the Duluth News Tribune outdoor writer, Sam Cook. Apparently, the contractor who handles the permit system for the Forest Service, the National Recreation Reservation Service, has a lot less work to do now that the vast majority of permits are made online.
It is very strange timing to make this change two months into the reservation season when outfitters and Forest Service offices have already published the now incorrect $12 price for this season. The people who reserved their permits already this year are apparently stuck paying the higher fee, which doesn’t really seem fair either.
Just to add to the confusion, the toll free phone number to reserve permits has changed too. If you want to reserve your permit by phone you should now call 1-877-444-6777. Also, the permit reservation web site has been acting strangely for the last week or so, but it seems to be working OK now.
As always, we are happy to reserve a permit for you, so you don’t have to deal with the sometimes erratic reservation office. Just give us a call (218-663-7150) or send an email and we’ll take it from there.
By the way, there are still permits available for every day of the season at all the entry points around Sawbill, so pick your entry day and start planning your next wilderness canoe trip! – Bill