I received my Lifetime Senior Pass last year and have used it 4 times at national parks. I understand that I can also use my lifetime pass to get a BWCA permit but have not done this yet. Tomorrow when I log in for a permit does this mean I will not have to pay anything for a permit? Maybe only pay for the $6.00 fee. Or will I need to pay the full price tomorrow when I book, then show the card at the outfitter in June and get refunded the money? Will there be a place for me to enter my pass card number. What about my buddy who also has the Senior card. Will he also get the discount?

The Senior Pass is good for half price in the BWCAW, not free, like a National Park. When you reserve tomorrow, you will be charged $16. *sigh* Go out to your profile on recreation.gov ahead of time (today) and enter your pass number. Then, your $8 will be refunded automatically when you obtain your permit.

schweady: "The Senior Pass is good for half price in the BWCAW, not free, like a National Park. When you reserve tomorrow, you will be charged $16. *sigh* Go out to your profile on recreation.gov ahead of time (today) and enter your pass number. Then, your $8 will be refunded automatically when you obtain your permit.
"

Thanks, this was very helpful. I went into rec.gov and updated my pass.

Any thoughts about what my buddy with the same pass needs to do? Or is he out of luck for the discount?

I'm pretty sure you can get refund when you pick up actual permit. That is all I've done - didn't know you could set it up to be automatically refunded.

Yeah, the old school method still works: everyone with a pass can show theirs when picking up the permit and they will be credited with their discount. The issuing station needs to enter each card number.

Thanks, I appreciate all your help.

How old do you need to be to be eligible for the senior pass?

salukiguy: "How old do you need to be to be eligible for the senior pass?"

62.
America the Beautiful – The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Senior Pass

schweady: "...When you reserve tomorrow, you will be charged $16. *sigh*...
"

A follow-up:

I searched a thread from last year (the first year that I had my senior pass number saved in my reservation.gov profile) and it reminded me that when I made my reservation, there were two charges:
Boundary Waters Interagency Senior Pass Fee - $8.00
Boundary Waters User Fee Deposit - $8.00

It was the second charge (the "Deposit") that was refunded when the permit was issued.
Reservations I saw which were completed on that same day and did not include a Senior Pass discounted fee contained no such User Fee Deposit.
Government work at its finest.

post retracted

I have the senior pass as well as one of my canoeing partners. Last year if you remember we had to list everyone on the permit when we reserved it. You chose either regular or senior for each person. You just had to have the numbers to enter. Actually we had 4 people on the permit so the 2 seniors where only charged the $8 from the start. When my wife and I went I paid the $16 and after the survey phone call it was refunded.

This year, while making our reservations, I noticed that there was opportunity to list any participants in our group as pass holders, but I didn't have their card numbers. No real difference, as we will get the refund at the same time, when we get the permit and they show their cards.

And, oddly, even though my pass number is saved in my profile, I had to enter it again for each permit I reserved...

I made a reservation for two guys. We both had Senior lifetime passes and I was able to enter both Senior pass numbers on the form. I was charged $16.00 Interagency Senior pass, $6.00 for reservation fee, $16.00 for user fee deposit, for a total of $38.00. I’ve never used that card and I can’t remember the costs, is this charge correct?

Savage Voyageur: "I made a reservation for two guys. We both had Senior lifetime passes and I was able to enter both Senior pass numbers on the form. I was charged $16.00 Interagency Senior pass, $6.00 for reservation fee, $16.00 for user fee deposit, for a total of $38.00. I’ve never used that card and I can’t remember the costs, is this charge correct? "

no promise but you should get $16 back - perhaps when you pick up permit. Should be $8 each plus $6 reservation fee.

Will the ranger stations be open to get the refund?

butthead

billconner: "

Savage Voyageur: "I made a reservation for two guys. We both had Senior lifetime passes and I was able to enter both Senior pass numbers on the form. I was charged $16.00 Interagency Senior pass, $6.00 for reservation fee, $16.00 for user fee deposit, for a total of $38.00. I’ve never used that card and I can’t remember the costs, is this charge correct? "

no promise but you should get $16 back - perhaps when you pick up permit. Should be $8 each plus $6 reservation fee. "

Yes, that's what will happen. Oddly enough, if you would have reserved as two adults, full price, you would have been charged $32... instead of $16 + $16... Then, showing your cards at permit pickup would trigger the refund of your $16... The way you did it, you will automatically be refunded the $16 "Boundary Waters User Fee Deposit" once the permit is issued... (A deposit that is not charged when all pay full price.) VNO didn't even need to see my card to do that last year.

Basically, the only advantage of entering it at reservation time is not having to dig out your cards at the permit counter...
Government at work...

butthead: "Will the ranger stations be open to get the refund?


butthead"

Don't know. I always use a cooperator.

Okay, just when I thought I had this all figured out...

On each of my two permits for just my wife and me, my card was charged: $16 for an adult, $8 for me and my senior card, and $8 (which will, apparently, be the refunded portion) for a "Boundary Waters User Fee Deposit."

On my permit for the men's church group (I just set the group size at 4 for now, so I could name the max of 3 alternates), my card was charged: $16 for each of the 3 adults, $8 for me and my senior card, but NO "user fee deposit."

I know it will all come out in the end, but it makes you wonder who's doing the math behind the curtain...

It seems it's just like going solo, schweady. You're going to pay a minimum of $32 + the permit fee, no matter what you do. My solos have always been $38 charge before and after Senior Pass.

Just checked and last year I was credited $24 which is $16 + $8.