4/24/25 – If you spend much time on social media, you’ve probably seen some hub bub today regarding the Forest Service Ranger Stations and their ability to issue Boundary Waters permits this season. If you haven’t seen the hub bub yet, good for you. Here’s the skinny: Ranger Station hours are going to look different this season. Below is the updated information directly from the USFS.

Here are some FAQ’s and answers we’ve put together based on the questions we’ve been getting so far.

• How do I know what issuing station I selected for my permit? You can find your issuing station listed in your confirmation email from recreation.gov.
• Will the Tofte Ranger Station be open? Yes, but only Wednesday – Sunday from 8am – 4:30pm, closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Tofte WILL be able to issue permits during their open hours. Notably, the Gunflint Ranger Station and Kawishiwi Ranger Station (located in Ely) will not be issuing any BWCA permits this year.
• Can I pick up my permit from Sawbill? Yes of course! We have happily issued BWCA permits for decades.
• How long does it take to pick up my permit from Sawbill? Generally it takes about 15-20 minutes. We have a handy tv set up on our front deck where you watch the video while we make updates and print the permit. Then one of our experienced crew will walk you through any questions you have and fill you in on any pertinent info before you sign the permit.
• Can I pick up my permit from Sawbill even if I’m not renting anything from you? Yes of course! We regularly issue permits to folks who have never once rented a thing from us. We pride ourselves on giving accurate and relevant wilderness education to each group who gets their permit from us. As such, we do ask that you bring your whole group in to watch the video.
• Do I have to watch the video? Yep! Not only is it an excellent refresher on all things BWCA, but we are contractually obligated to show it to each and every group picking up their permit. One caveat, you can take a test at a Ranger Station and they’ll give you a special card that says you know the rules that gets you out of the video 😉 You do need a new card each year though.
• Are you expecting a huge influx and will that cause delays? We do expect to issue more permits than usual, but we have honed in our system over the years and don’t expect any undue delays in picking up permits or gear.
• How do I change my issuing station? You can change the issuing station yourself in your recreation.gov account or by using their new app. Alternatively, you can call any of the Ranger Stations and ask them to change it for you. Outfitters like Sawbill are unable to change issuing stations on permits.
• I had a permit set to be issued at Gunflint Ranger Station, is my permit cancelled?? Gosh no! You will just need to change your issuing station. Your permit is still valid! You should have received an email from recreation.gov with instructions on how to change your issuing station.

Don’t see your question here? Please send us an email at info@sawbill.com or call us at 218-663-7150. There are no bad questions!

On a more personal note for this story, we have been grateful to the local Forest Service offices for doing a great job of keeping us in the loop as they worked out their summer hours during the unprecedented staffing challenges being put upon them. As a rule of practice, Sawbill will never share information from the Forest Service, whether it’s a fire ban, Ranger Station hours changes, road closures, or what have you, until we have an official press release or signed forest order. Information and rumors can swirl viciously these days, and we want you to be able to trust the information we put out. We’ll also share the source documents anytime we can, as above.

Issuing BWCA permits is something we have done for a long time, and we have to sign a new contract with the USFS on an annual basis to be able to do so. That contract includes a number of conditions we must follow including educational components, record keeping, attendance at annual meetings with the Forest Service, etc. Additionally, at the end of every permit season the Forest Service picks up the copies of all the permits we’ve issued for the season and audits them. We get a detailed report indicating any mistakes (spoiler alert, Sawbill always gets an A+ on our audits). The point is, this is an existing system of collaboration that has worked well for many decades. That is not to say that this system should be used as a replacement for the excellent work of the front desk staff at the Ranger Stations. We can be thankful that we have a system in place to help fill the gaps this year while also fighting hard to fund the Forest Service and lift this hiring freeze so they can put people back to work for our public lands.

In other news, we’ve got an ice update! Jessica ventured out onto the Sawbill landing today and augured through roughly 7″ of good old fashioned slush followed by 16″ of ice. So we’re looking at a total of 23″ of frozen stuff between us and open water. Overnight temps aren’t dipping much below freezing at all these days so that slush isn’t refreezing solid each night anymore. That makes walking conditions quite crummy, much to the dogs’ dismay.

There’s some rain in the forecast which should help speed things along. Other area lakes, notably Crescent Lake, have started to show more ice pulling away from shore and dark ice out towards the middle so hopefully Sawbill isn’t much farther behind.

-Clare

4/15/25 – As is usual for this time of year the weather continues to be dynamic. Below freezing temperatures the past couple of days, paired with snow, and decent amount wind has things looking and feeling more like winter than they did on Sunday. -Jessica

4/13/25 – A light, but steady, rain yesterday afternoon has left us with standing water on top of the ice. The forecast calls for more of the same this afternoon, but predicts the rain will turn to snow overnight and continue into tomorrow.

Other signs of spring include an abundance of birds we don’t generally see in the winter or summer (grackles, dark-eyed juncos, yesterday I’m pretty sure I saw a pelican fly over), hearing the woodcock mating call at dusk (look it up it’s super crazy sounding), pussy willows blooming, daffodil shoots are beginning to poke through the soil (most of the ground is still covered with snow but this patch of ground is usually one of the first to open up), chipmunks becoming more active, and of course the tell tail first itch of the eyes, nose, and throat that precede the full onset of spring allergies. -Jessica

4/6/25 – Blastoff!!!  Conditions were perfect for rocket launch this morning.  No wind, firm launch surface, and high fluffy clouds.  Engineer Sig counted us down and expertly let it fly.  Everything went off without a hitch and the rocket was safely recovered after landing.

While waiting for the countdown to commence we drilled the first official ice out test hole of the 2025 season which revealed 28-1/2″ of very solid ice.  With some relatively chilly lows predicted in the next week I don’t think the ice is going anywhere fast.  -Jessica

4/3/25 – Over the last 24 hours we’ve gained an extra six inches of snow, bringing our total snowpack to 20″ in the woods. Reports from our neighbors near the big lake in Tofte report something closer to 12″ of fresh snow from this storm…That’s a lot…

A quick jaunt to the lake around 9:30 this morning revealed a brisk wind and about six inches of powdery snow on the frozen surface. We haven’t begun taking ice depth measurements yet as things are still quite locked in, but one of these days soon we’ll drill a hole just to get a baseline. -Jessica

3/14/25 – I woke up to overcast skies this morning which turned extra dark around 8:30/9am. Although a gray blanket of clouds is not uncommon in the winter this kind of dark seemed out of place for the middle of March. So dark that I started turning on lights I usually wouldn’t in broad daylight. After a couple flashes of lightning kicked things off the rumbling started and then a light rain. As I write this around 10am things are beginning to lighten back up and the rain is slowing down, although the low grade thunder persists.

Also of note; the dreaded slush has begun rearing it’s head on the lake. Yesterday evening I headed out on snowshoes and made it nearly to Boundary Island before it started sucking me down in earnest. It was quite warm out so not really too surprising. I felt lucky I was able to get as far as I did after watching someone get their boot almost sucked off in the slush near landing days before. -Jessica

3/3/25 – One of my favorite times of year is in late winter when the blue skies return, daylight is notably longer, and the top layer of snow crusts over and allows for relatively easy travel. Yesterday evening I was pleasantly surprised to find just these conditions out on the lake.

About a week ago it would have been slow going without skis or snowshoes, but at the moment the lake has set up nicely to mostly support our weight. After about a 15 minute walk I did start post holing a little more into quite deep snow and wished I had elected to wear snowshoes, but overall it’s looking good out there! -Jessica

2/19/25 – Not much to report on lately, other than the cold temps we’ve been experiencing. Even our personal weather station has been surprised.

In addition to the cold, we’ve been holding fast at about 21″ of snowpack in the woods these past couple weeks. -Jessica

2/5/25 – Boundary Waters permits have officially been available for a full week which has us reflecting on past canoe trips and ones yet to come. -Jessica

1/20/25 – The Forest Service recently published the following press release outlining some important information to know before booking your permit. Included are answers to some frequently (and not so frequently) asked questions as well as some helpful tips for a smoother experience on recreation.gov.

After reviewing the press release you might also be interested in watching our BWCA permit reservation how-to video, and as always feel free to call or email with any questions!

Also of note; we have availability for all canoe types for all dates at this point, so you can book your permit with confidence that we will have a canoe for you! -Jessica

Facts & Tips for Reserving a Permit and Planning a Trip to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness

Release Date: Jan 17, 2025

Contact(s): Joy VanDrie, Public Affairs Staff Officer, Cathy Quinn, Assistant Wilderness Program Manager

The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) permit reservations for the 2025 quota season, May 1 – September 30, go on sale beginning at 9:00 a.m. CST on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, through Tuesday, September 30, 2025. Visitors taking an overnight paddle, overnight motor, overnight hiking trip, or a motorized day trip into the BWCAW between May and September are required to obtain a quota permit. Visitors are encouraged to book their reservations online at www.recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777.   

Data suggests visitors reserve more permits than they can use. Forest managers ask everyone to keep these facts in mind while planning a BWCAW adventure: 

• Reservations surged during the pandemic, while cancellations more than doubled in six years.   
• In 2024, over 11,000 permits were cancelled, 58 percent were reserved in January. 
• Cancelled reservations are available for resale within 24 hours so there’s no shortage of quota.  
• “No-shows” without cancellation has increased in the BWCAW.

You can help prevent stockpiling and hoarding permits by following these best practices:  

One Permit per Day 

• The Forest Service reserves the right to cancel multiple same day, overlapping, and consecutive reservations under the same permit holder name without notification. Permit holders are limited to one permit per day, because they can physically only be in one place at a time and must stay with their group for the duration of the trip.

Cancel Right Away

Cancel immediately if you cannot go using the Recreation.gov app. The app is not recommended for on-sale events, for best results on January 29^, use a computer or laptop with Chrome. 

Tips for making a successful reservation:  

• Plan Ahead: Have at least three travel options (dates and entry points) in mind if your preferred option is unavailable yet only reserve the permit you can use.  
• Be Considerate of Others: Know where and when you are going before making a reservation. When visitors only reserve the permit they can use, entry points have more quota available, and groups have more time to plan trips that fit their skill level.   
• Permits are not transferable: Permit holder, alternates, entry date and entry point cannot be changed once the permit reservation is made. Only the permit holder or alternate permit holders specified at the time of reservation can pick up the permit (photo I.D. required). Permits must be picked up on the entry date or one day prior.  
• Alternate Permit Holders: Check the box under group member names to select alternates who can pick up the permit if the permit holder cannot go. Alternates cannot be added later. 
• On-line Reservations: The latest version of Chrome is recommended. Create a Recreation.gov account or ensure you have one. Be logged in and refresh your screen at 9:00 a.m. CST to begin. 
• Issue Stations: Change issue stations online at Recreation.gov. Log in and select “Reservations” to modify a permit. Review hours and locations to select an issue station near your entry point.  
• Multi-factor Authentication (MFA): MFA is new and completely optional for visitors to access their Recreation.gov account. This selection adds a layer of security but is not required.  
• Fees & Cancellations: Review this section of the BWCAW permit to ensure you are aware of all related fees and the cancellation policy – www.recreation.gov/permits/233396. 

Successful trips are the result of careful planning! 

• Leave No Trace Videos: Watch and share the Leave No Trace (LNT) video series with your group prior to arrival. Then watch Part 3 and review the BWCAW Regulations and Rules at issuance
• BWCAW Trip Planning Guide: Review the trip planner. Topics include permits, Leave No Trace, regulations and rules, safety, entry points, maps, history, volunteering, and more!  
• Trip Itinerary: The BWCA Wilderness is over 1 million acres in size. Leave a trip itinerary with family or friends prior to departure, see example on page 23 of the trip planner. 
• Route Planning: Look online for route planning guidebooks, trip ideas and information. Contact local outfitters, guides, resorts, or commercial issue stations.
• Bear Awareness: BWCAW visitors are required to properly store food. Read the Forest Order and consider using IGBC approved containers, product-tested and found to be resistant to bears. 
• Superior NF Recreation Opportunities: Is wilderness the best option for your group? The forest has 3 million acres with over 200 backcountry campsites that require no fees or reservations. Visit the Superior National Forest website for canoe routes (outside BWCAW).