Is it possible to register non-motor day permits somehow online vs. getting it at the entry point? What if there are no permit forms at the entry point? Our family has too many folks in our group this year, so I'm planning to help them get in to the base camp the first day, then kayak back out. Thank you!

I don’t think so. If you drive by any other entry point grab one just in case.

I don’t think traveling with your family for the day and assisting them would be ok either. The FS would frown on that.

Patrick, you may want to clarify your plan. Right now, it sounds like you're planning to break, or at least bend, the rules of the maximum group size of nine people.

The Ranger stations have a box of them outside so you can get them even when the building is closed. I always have some in my glove box because I have seen the box at the EP empty before.

Just grab a few of them for your glovebox as Ducks suggests. You can fill them out anytime, just make sure you do it before you enter and that the slip ends up in the box.

Jackfish brings up a good point... The '9 people, 4 boats' rule applies universally, not just to each permit. From USFS website :
"Nine (9) people and four (4) watercraft are the maximum allowed together in the wilderness.
You may not exceed the limit as a group at any time or anywhere (on water, portages, campsites) in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness."

It would be acceptable for you to help some of the group paddle in, maybe you paddle in with the first half, but make sure you're long gone before the rest of the group gets there.

Not to pile on...But...the rule referenced above is specifically to STOP people on separate permits but part of the same group from travleing and gathering togther. Without clarification (we could be wrong) this seems like what you are trying to do?

To get around the rule of no more than 9 people, 4 watercraft rule many mega groups used to just grab 2 permits then all travel together...then just get 2 camp sites but often gather in one. This crowds portages, overuses camp sites. Unfortunately the common offenders are big families, Church Groups, and Boy Scout Groups (not the Sommers Northern Tier Base but Indy groups).

So later on they added the part this part to the rules "You may not exceed the limit as a group at any time or anywhere (on water, portages, campsites) in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness."

Z4K offers a great solution and still follow the rules.

T

Thanks folks! The group will likely travel all together so it looks like I'll just need to sit out this summer trip and take in a smaller group in September. Sitting at the cabin on Poplar will do just fine.

I did travel with a group of 14-16 fishermen many years back who routinely went down the Moose River off the Echo Trail to Lac La Croix in May. We'd take two campsites on an island immediately into the big lake. We'd use the second site as the "bedroom" for some of us, eat all meals, clean all fish, plan each day, etc., all together at the one campsite. Looks like that was also questionable. Oh well.