BWCAW Permit Reservation Policies

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The National Recreation Reservation Service™ (NRRS™) is your one-stop reservation resource for the recreation facilities and activities offered by the US Army Corps of Engineers, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation and USDA Forest Service.

Reserving Permits

You can reserve permits in advance for the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) offered through the NRRS™:

The Lottery

The BWCAW lottery was initiated well over a decade ago in order to fairly distribute available quotas for entry dates and entry points where demand exceeds availability. The permit reservation process starts each year when lottery applications for permit reservations may be submitted through Recreation.gov or by mailing a paper application beginning December 1. Applications submitted by mail will be accepted through the close of business (5:00 p.m. CST) on January 10. Applications submitted via Recreation.gov will be accepted through January 15. All applications submitted during this period will be processed by lottery (regardless of the order received). Mail-in applications are available from any Superior National Forest Office or from www.fs.fed.us/r9/superior.

FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED On January 20, following the lottery, first-come, first-served reservation processing will begin via Recreation.gov. Phone reservations will be accepted beginning February 1.

Policies

RESERVATION FEE A $12.00 non-refundable reservation fee is required for each reserved permit.

OVERNIGHT USER FEE When making advanced reservations, you will be given the option to pay for the entire group or charged a minimum of $32.00 for 2 adults. You will also have the option of changing the group size through Recreation.gov within a two day window prior to the entry date.

Method of Payment

Recreation.gov accepts several methods of payment to accommodate your needs, including VISA, Master Card, Discover/Novus and American Express. Please see the below table for additional methods of paying for NRRS™ reservations or contact customer service at 1-877-553-6777.

Method of Payment	Sales Channels
	Call Center	Internet	Field
Bankcard	Yes	Yes	Yes
Certified Checks Bank Checks Money Orders	No	No	Yes
Personal Checks Travelers Checks	No	No	Yes
Cash	No	No	Yes*
Foreign Currency	No	No	No
* Only Forest Service Offices can accept cash and checks, in addition to credit card payments. All discount cards (Interagency Senior/Access Pass and BWCAW Seasonal Fee cards) must be presented at the time of permit pickup to receive a discount, otherwise a full user fee will be charged. Non-Forest Service permit pick-up locations only accept credit card payments and may charge up to a $2.00 fee to issue an overnight permit.

Recreation.gov billing information: If you paid by bank card, your monthly statement will contain a reservation billing under the name "Recreation Gov 888-448-1474 NY" Please make note of this. If you have questions, please call the toll free number listed above.

Change and Cancellation Policy:

If a BWCAW reservation is cancelled outside the 2-day window prior to your entry date, the user fees paid by the card holder will be fully refunded. If cancelled within the 2-day window, $32.00 for 2 adults is retained and additional payments will be refunded. The Forest Service will retain the entire payment if the group is a no show. A new confirmation letter will be generated each time a change is made. Adjustments to group sizes can be made through Recreation.gov or at the permit issuing station as needed. The $12.00 reservation fee is non-refundable. Cancellations to the reservations can be made via Recreation.gov or by calling the BWCAW Reservation Center. (Call 1-877-550-6777, February 1 - April 30, 9:00 - 1:00, M-F and May 1 - September 30, 9:00 - 1:00, seven days a week)

Emergency closures: In event of an emergency closure, the NRRS will attempt to notify the group leader to offer alternate dates and entry points. If this is not possible, all fees paid will be refunded.

Transfer Policy: BWCAW reservations are not transferable.

Confirmation Policy: Payment is required to confirm all individual reservations. Confirmation letters are sent via email or by U.S. Postal Service.

Refunds: Refunds due to cancellation will be returned within 48 hours if paid by credit card. No refunds will be distributed for no-shows.

Discounts: Holders of the Interagency Senior and Access Passes (and the Golden Age and Access Passes) may receive a 50% discount on their user fee, not the entire group. All cards (Interagency Senior/Access Pass Holders, or Seasonal) must be presented at the time of permit pickup to receive a discount, otherwise the full fee will be charged.
Interagency Senior/Access Passes can be purchased at any National Forest Office for $10.00 for citizens who are age 62 or older. Access Pass cards are available for free. Proof of medically determined permanent disability or eligibility for receiving benefits under federal law must be shown.

Changes to the Policies and Procedures: The NRRS™ reserves the right when necessary to modify reservation policies. Current reservation policies are available on the Internet at: http://www.recreation.gov/marketing.do?goto=/tourPolicy.htm and at NRRS™ participating field locations.