The permit system limits the number of groups allowed to enter the wilderness at each entry point on a given day. If you are unable to enter on the date listed on your permit, the permit is no longer valid. You may remain in the wilderness for as long as you like. You are free to travel anywhere within the wilderness during your stay.

There is a $12 fee for reserving a permit and a user fee of $16/adult/trip. Youth that are 17 years and under are $8. Golden Access and Golden Age card holders are also $8. Golden cards are available to disabled and senior citizens at any Forest Service office. When reserving a permit, make your best guess as to the number of people in your group. Changes in group size are made when the permit is picked up. Additional charges or refunds will be charged at the time the permit is picked up.

Permit reservations for the 2008 season are no longer available. If you plan on visiting the BWCAW between October 1st and April 30th 2008, permits are required, but a reservation is not necessary and can be self-issued at the entry point when you arrive.

The BWCAW Internet Reservation System will once again become available for on-line applications for the 2009 season on December 1, 2008. Between December 1st 2008 and January 15th 2009, all permit applications are collected, but not processed. Between January 15th and February 1st, all the applications are processed. If more applications are received for entry on a specific day at a certain entry point, a lottery is run to determine who gets those permits. As a practical matter, the overnight-paddle permits for the entry points around Sawbill are highly unlikely to fill that early, so you are almost certain to get the entry point and date that you pre-apply for.

After February 1st, you can apply for entry permits on-line or by phone (1-877-550-6777 toll free). Most entry points and dates are available at relatively short notice. You can check permit availability on-line any time.

A change this year: www.bwcaw.org will be redirected to www.recreation.gov starting Dec 1. You will need to make a new user account. Bookmark www.recreation.gov so you will be ready to access the new BWCAW reservation system.

Confused? Sawbill Outfitters is happy to reserve a permit for you. Just fill out this form and include it with your outfitting reservation forms, call us, or make a note in the "Comments" section of Sawbill's on-line outfitting reservation form. Please note, filling out Sawbill's Permit Application Form does not guarantee the availability of a permit. If there is a problem with availability, we'll contact you as soon as possible.

After successfully reserving a permit, you will receive a permit reservation confirmation from the BWCAW Reservation Center. Check it carefully for errors, especially entry point and entry date. If you need to change your entry point and/or entry date, you must reserve a new permit. If you cancel your permit reservation two or more days before your entry date, the user fees will be refunded in full. The $12 reservation fee is non-refundable.

You can arrange to pick your permit up here at Sawbill if that is more convenient for you. The website defaults to the Tofte Ranger District for pickup, but you can select us from the drop-down menu and the permit will be sent here. If you accidentlally have your permit sent elsewhere, we can still issue it here at Sawbill with a quick phone call. It's a good idea to bring your permit confirmation letter with you.