I went on a solo trip a few weeks ago but had to pay Recreation. gov for 2 people on the permit, not a big deal. In the past, I've read that the solo permit people will get their $16 back if only one is on the permit and only one goes.
I asked the outfitter how to get the refund and he didn't know but he did verify only my name was on the permit and it was for 1 person.
After getting back home I sent an email to recreation.gov, but got no response.
I can live without the extra $16, but curious how other solo people handle their permit fees? Do you get a refund?
Thanks in advance,
FOFO

When I pick up my permit the Outfitter gives me a refund for being a solo and a refund when I show them my Senior Pass. Rec. gov then emails me a receipt that I got a refund.

Zulu: "When I pick up my permit the Outfitter gives me a refund for being a solo and a refund when I show them my Senior Pass. Rec. gov then emails me a receipt that I got a refund. "

I did the "print the permit at home" option, so the outfitter really did nothing, not even let me watch the stimulating video! "I did watch the videos online though."

FOFO

Welcome to the wonderful world of Canadian run reservation system. They now run many state and federal systems including Recreation. gov and Reserve America. My latest experience,
"Dear Ken Martinson,
Thank you for using the Wisconsin State Parks Reservation Service. Your reservation has been confirmed.
Attached is your booking number and a summary of your reservation information. Please bring this letter with you when you register at the park and feel free to contact the reservation call center if you have any questions.
We hope that you enjoy your stay!
OCCUPANT
Ken Martinson
ARRIVING
Monday, June 8, 2020
DEPARTING
Friday, June 12, 2020
CAMPGROUND
Campground
SITE
17
PARTY SIZE
1
EQUIPMENT
Tent(s)
Yellowstone Lake State Park
8495 Lake Road, Blanchardville, Wisconsin, 53516
Park Phone:
Driving Directions: https://maps.google.com?daddr=42.7710,-89.9857
Check In: 3:00 p.m. Check Out: 3:00 p.m.
RESERVATION INFORMATION Confirmed
site TYPE Campsite
Payment Details
Date Thu, Jun 4, 2020 1:38 PM
Transaction Create Reservation
Payment Method Card-USBank
Total Paid $67.75"

I paid $27 and drove across WI for nothing but crickets from all I either contacted or tried to.
Yelowstone SP was closed when I got there on the 8th, campsites chained off with CLOSED FOR THE SEASON signs, after driving across WI and canceling the Reservation I got 3 days returned, they charged for the 8th and charged a cancellation fee. The WI DNR in conversation stated they have nothing to do with the reservations and to call the Canadian reservation system. I still have not gotten thru to a live person.
When the US and WO state hired this outfit there were a lot of negative comments on rule changes, a big one I complained about was the charging of a reservation fee for same day occupancy of a site. In other word reservation is now mandatory no walk in campsite availability.

Good luck getting your money back.

butthead

Butthead, you may have some recourse with your credit card company...mine would credit me and deal with the vendor. You paid for services not received - they should support you.

Well Butthead your dilemma makes me feel a lot better. At least I'm not the only one who feels this way.
"It was still worth the extra money to get the solo trip off my bucketlist!!!!!....."
FISHONFISHOFF

sns: "Butthead, you may have some recourse with your credit card company...mine would credit me and deal with the vendor. You paid for services not received - they should support you."

Excellent point. Open a formal dispute of charge, document what happened, and let the card issuer deal with it. Any good credit card issuer should take your side, and if they start seeing repeated disputes against the same merchant they could even take further action. Use the leverage of the card issuer. Membership has its privileges.

The problem is not a full refund for me. It is getting the WI DNR and the reservation company in Canada to recognize the problem. My frustration is the lack of response from WI DNR who contracted the reservation company on my (WI resident user) behalf.
At this point it's almost worth my sanity to just pass over this issue and move on, but note that I forgot all about contacting the CC company. Thanks for reminding me!
Being retired I decided to quit making reservations and take what was available both in state campgrounds and the BWCA, feeling I freed up reservation spots for those who do not have the luxury of time I do. Now with the rules in place it makes no difference.

butthead

I have never understood the justification for charging the two person minimum in the first place. Does anyone know the reasoning? Or is this another artifact that needs to be corrected.

Abbey: "I have never understood the justification for charging the two person minimum in the first place. Does anyone know the reasoning? Or is this another artifact that needs to be corrected. "

I use to think it was it was related to no-shows/cancellations fees and such but that doesn't quite ring true. It's just stoopid. ;) There are all kinds of add-ons and adjustments that have to be made for groups. Soloist, not so much.

fishonfishoff: " I went on a solo trip a few weeks ago but had to pay Recreation. gov for 2 people on the permit, not a big deal. In the past, I've read that the solo permit people will get their $16 back if only one is on the permit and only one goes.
I asked the outfitter how to get the refund and he didn't know but he did verify only my name was on the permit and it was for 1 person.
After getting back home I sent an email to recreation.gov, but got no response.
I can live without the extra $16, but curious how other solo people handle their permit fees? Do you get a refund?
Thanks in advance,
FOFO"

I’m not aware that I did anything different this year.
I picked up my solo permit at an outfitter and received a refund on the credit card statement.

Not sure that it would have worked if I’d just printed my email confirmation though.

On my last solo I simply decided to eat the loss of the extra person cost, rather than go into Frost River and get my permit in person.
In the future I think I will go into Frost River so I can get the refund, it is only about 1.5 miles away from my place in Duluth. I also shake my head about this quirk in the permit system.

I have only ever picked up at the forest service station, and have always gotten an automatic refund when they find out I am solo.

I went back into my statement and noticed that I was still being charged $38 for a solo permit. I too was not given a permit at my customary outfitter. They told me to just make sure that I had a screenshot available on my device in case I needed to show a forest service ranger. But I did put in a dispute and Chase is crediting me $16 and notifying recreation.gov I think all is well?

Good you got a refund even if it may not have been from the reservation system. I firmly believe the folks setting up and making rules for reservations have no idea what a solo canoe is. Instead consider 2 people in 1 canoe as absolute minimum. Jan, Dan, Paul and I got questioned at Canadian customs for only 4 people having 4 canoes (where were the other paddlers???)! This has happened to me more than once. Booz Allen Hamilton INC in Virginia runs recreation.gov to the best of my knowledge and have a poor history of handling user questions/complaints. Similar problems with Camis a Canadian based contractor of what was handled by Reserve America for WI and is now run thru Aspira Dallas TX.
Tons of fun tracking who does what for whom!

butthead

I'm glad you got your refund. I just figured it was worth the extra $16 to escape from the COVID madness for a week. Hopefully they get it figured out, although I have my doubts!!!!!.
FISHONFISHOFF

I always got the refund from the permit issuer.

Blatz: "I always got the refund from the permit issuer. "

I printed the permit online.
FISHONFISHOFF

fishonfishoff: "

Blatz: "I always got the refund from the permit issuer. "

I printed the permit online.
FISHONFISHOFF"

Won’t your printer print you a sixteen dollar bill? Maybe you need a new printer... haha!
I don’t like all the farming out all this stuff. Granted it’s just sixteen bucks. But it’s the hassle and principal of the matter. They should put Bwca.com in charge. You may never get your sixteen bucks back, but it would at least go to a good cause!

nctry: "

fishonfishoff: "

Blatz: "I always got the refund from the permit issuer. "

I printed the permit online.
FISHONFISHOFF"

Won’t your printer print you a sixteen dollar bill? Maybe you need a new printer... haha!
I don’t like all the farming out all this stuff. Granted it’s just sixteen bucks. But it’s the hassle and principal of the matter. They should put Bwca.com in charge. You may never get your sixteen bucks back, but it would at least go to a good cause!"

Bwca.com gets my vote for reservations.
FISHONFISHOFF

Call National Forest office, give the reservation number, tell about being solo traveler. They can access reservation and modify the group member number and than "issue" permit and that will trigger the refund. This trigger can only be done one day before the trip or after you get back from the trip. Will generate refund back to the credit card used to make reservation. During usual travel years this refunding is done when the office/cooperator business issues the printed permit for travel. Doing travel on confirmation notice is not the same process...like this is not the same kind of year.

I got a permit yesterday. Options for solo and sr agency card were available reducing the price to $6....plus the $32 use fee equal $38.

Along the lines of what pma indicated, I emailed the Forest Service office and they processed my $16 refund the day I entered. These are unusual times and they are good folks - contact them and it will get taken care of.

Bede: ". They told me to just make sure that I had a screenshot available on my device in case I needed to show a forest service ranger. "

What if you don't take a device?

My understanding, Karl, is that you just print out your confirmation and take with you.

I would expect that others are getting the emails with a title "If you printed your BWCAW permit at home...". I have been getting them regularly, so in an effort to get them to stop, I finally took the time to send them my reservation numbers and the number of people on each trip, one of which was a solo that I did not get my $16 refund for.

To my surprise, a couple of hours later, I received an email stating that my refund was processed.

Now I just have to decide what to do with this unexpected windfall.

Great news! Due to the email about using your permit I got my $16 refund. Now what should I do with all the extra cash? I was thinking of investing in a cruise line stock and become very wealthy. Instead I bought a couple hamburgers!
FISHONFISHOFF