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Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Trip Planning Forum :: How did everyone do?
 
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fishforfun66
01/31/2025 03:54PM
 
got permit and date of entry i wanted i read about entry problems into canada through your permit if it is true must be a pain for outfitters who run people by boat to entry points they should increase fees for reserving permits and then discount total price when they pick up permit then only the serious will reserve permits people that have to schedule to be off work just can't sit around and wait to see what gets cancelled
 
Bearpath9
02/01/2025 11:15AM
 
Got me a little 3 nighter on Hegman. Been there once before, but I am limited to easy access portages, so I am happy. Plan on hiking the Angleworm portage, sans gear.
 
cwallace
03/24/2025 06:06PM
 
I got the 4 permits for dates and entry points I wanted. Looking forward to 23 days up there this summer and fall with my kids.
 
ProneonthePortage2021
03/09/2025 08:56PM
 
“I am assuming I can blame one of you” had me laughing way too hard. If it bugs you, keep an eye out for cancellations and scoop it up. I seem to get lucky enough to spread the love on that. And while I didn’t get Clearwater as an EP, I did get N Fowl so get to do that loop from the opposite direction. I’m so EXCITED!!

 
foxfireniner
03/20/2025 10:56AM
 
flanceyman: "I understand that EP with one slot will go quickly. But how how can the EP be unavailable for the whole year within a few minutes after 9AM? No EP can have that many individuals reserving so many spots."


So a couple years ago I got a Little Gabbro permit, a very popular one. I logged in, snagged it immediately and all the outfitters in town were like, "whoa! you did good!'


I think outfitters are buying them.
 
grizzlyadams
01/29/2025 11:13AM
 
Got the Ep and date we wanted, after a little bit of stress.
 
heavycanoe
01/29/2025 10:34AM
 
I did not get the permit day that I wanted - I am assuming I can blame one of you. I did get the next day so it looks like camping outside the boundary waters for a night. Which should work out just fine. I was logged in at about 9:01 or 02. I was too late.

How did everyone else do? did you get your permit?
 
mnsportsmanjr
02/05/2025 06:17PM
 
I was sweating bullets because I was on my phone and had always heard that using a phone was not a great idea. But it was the only way I had to be on at 9am. It went surprisingly smooth and we got out EP and date.
 
jparks02
01/29/2025 03:21PM
 
Was on at 9 and also experienced the glitch. Good to know it wasn't something I did wrong. I was able to secure the EP and date we wanted. I have been watching the permits sell out in certain EP's and it has me curious about their popularity. Some of them are easy to figure out reading trip reports, others seem consistent with other BWCA EP experiences.
 
KDaily
01/29/2025 03:55PM
 
I was on at 9 and was able to get the EP and date I wanted. It’s a One permit every other day EP,so I was happy.


Solo trip as usual, should not be crowded.
 
mr.barley
01/29/2025 04:18PM
 
I was on right at 9 this morning and got my EP, but not the exact day. Got one for the day after instead. I'm retired, so no big deal. Boy, did permits go fast.
 
ron1
01/29/2025 06:22PM
 
I was logged on seconds after 9:00 o'clock, and the EP we wanted showed 3 available (out of 6 total) I clicked on it 3 or 4 times but each time it said unavailable after I clicked it. I exited the page to see if resetting it would work, and 15 seconds later when I returned all the permits for the date I wanted were gone, as well as the days surrounding it. By 9:02 that EP (little indian sioux) was pretty much gone for June. I looked at Mudro as an alternate but those were all gone for June as well. There may have been a few left on weekdays outside my vacation window, but I was astonished and disappointed how that entire section of the BWCA is effectively off limits for the year if you are not lucky enough to somehow be among the first applicants in the first few seconds after 9:00 am.
 
4keys
01/29/2025 06:33PM
 
After a computer glitch I did get a Mudro permit for August. We usually try to avoid the most popular eps but wanted to visit this area .


When checking around noon I noticed only a few brave souls booked Angleworm. After reading some recent trip reports I can see why.
 
canoemama3
01/29/2025 07:20PM
 
Had a minute of computer freezing before i got through, but had the permit we wanted and checked out by 9:06. Had to do it fast since I was at work! Haven’t had too many issues with getting our first option for dates/entry points but we haven’t tried for any of the super popular very limited permit entries yet.
 
CanoeViking
01/29/2025 08:29PM
 
I had three trips that I was booking for.


A church group, a boy scout type group, and a personal trip.


I tried to book what had historically been a difficult entry point and it proved to be the same and I was not able to get what I was after. Even though I was on the second it opened up and in less than a minute all of those permits were gone for the entire month and beyond.


Booked a Plan B and unfortunately got it before it was booked out


The next trip I tried to book was booked out completely from May 8 to the end of September within the first minute and a half. So again, I had to pick a Plan B.


The third one was heading out as sag and that one I knew should be safe, but for the first time, I was actually a little nervous I may not get it. But fortunately I did and there’s still plenty left.
 
WanderingWoodsmanMN
01/29/2025 10:20PM
 
Same experience as most here. Was on at exactly 9am sharp looking for 4 permits throughout the year. Had a glitch on the first and by the time I got it worked out (maybe 9:04 am), the 2nd was sold out for weeks on either side of when I wanted. Even with it being just after ice out in early May! Just crazy. The 3rd permit I was looking for had the same thing, sold out for the entire permit season. Got the 4th one but boy howdy, I just cannot understand how some permits sell out for the entire season in less than 10 minutes.
 
x2jmorris
01/30/2025 08:58AM
 
I plan to just look a few days before my trip at what is available
 
BigZig
01/30/2025 02:04PM
 
I felt very fortunate to snag an EP33 permit for June 12. The entire season for that EP was taken by 9:10 or so. First time in that area so looking forward to it.

 
Speckled
01/30/2025 01:18PM
 
WanderingWoodsmanMN: "Same experience as most here. Was on at exactly 9am sharp looking for 4 permits throughout the year. Had a glitch on the first and by the time I got it worked out (maybe 9:04 am), the 2nd was sold out for weeks on either side of when I wanted. Even with it being just after ice out in early May! Just crazy. The 3rd permit I was looking for had the same thing, sold out for the entire permit season. Got the 4th one but boy howdy, I just cannot understand how some permits sell out for the entire season in less than 10 minutes. "


My experiance mirrors yours - glitch, then had to adjust a couple permits and then the final ones, which I wasn't really worried about were available. Agree - crazy how an entire season for certian EP's sells out near instantly. I honestly don't understand it. Is it truely users or are thier bots or outfitters snagging them up...i'm just not sure how it works.
 
merlyn
01/30/2025 01:20PM
 
I used Rockwood as Lizz/swamp was first choice with a 2 dates either/or. no luck but got second choice ep seagull with first date choice. might have a problem as email for res.gov is no longer valid but Rockwood said it was fixable with new email. I created a new res.gov account so I can book other trips as permits get canceled
 
schweady
01/30/2025 04:19PM
 
Something is dreadfully wrong with the reservation system's 'new and improved' operational code:


After getting my permit, and after the initial push is over, I'll occasionally go back to look at how many are left/how fast they went/what days and EPs are most popular. Usually no surprises.


Just now, I took a look at the whole calendar for E Bearskin. Beginning right around the Fishing Opener, the zeroes started showing up and carried pretty well through mid-September, but with one odd exception: the entire month of June showed as untouched: 30 straight days of 3 daily permits left out of 3. Not true, of course: when clicking on a date and then the 'Book Now' button, it would hesitate for a number of seconds before the dreaded 'no availability for the selected date(s)' window would pop up. Starting over and refreshing etc finally showed a more accurate story: most of the weeks in June nearly fully reserved, just like the rest of the season...


Yes, it's a .gov site, so we've learned to have pretty low expectations, but really? All of the ideas regarding lotteries or rolling reservation calendar windows, etc aside - we deserve a better website design atop a far more robust server.


And: pity the poor fool who only thinks to go in every year at Little Gabbro or Mudro or Clearwater or E Bearskin etc...

 
shouldertripper
01/30/2025 08:08PM
 
Got my first choice despite the glitch. Will be going to mudro (restricted) for the first time for a July solo.


Doesn’t involve an OP permit but also pumped to spend 5 nights at fall lake campground with my 6 year old son and 4 year old daughter.
 
BWCA
01/31/2025 07:49AM
 
Just a reminder that permits alerts are up and running. 842 so far this year.


See pinned thread at top of forum for details.
 
afromaniac
01/30/2025 11:37AM
 
I got the one I wanted! Had to be quick though, I looked 5 minutes later and the EP was all sold out!
 
wanderingfromkansas
01/29/2025 12:01PM
 
Only had interest in one permit, and got Duncan Lake on the day I wanted!
 
520eek
02/01/2025 07:57PM
 
I haven't put in yet. Planning for Sept though...
 
Ausable
01/29/2025 11:24AM
 
I got the EP and date that we wanted even though I logged in at 9:10. We had flexibility around the date, and there were permits (3/day) available for all those days, but we got choice #1.
 
portagerunner
01/29/2025 11:35AM
 
Only had one "hard" date with a preferable entry point that I snagged right at 0900. My other trips are still date and EP TBD, so I'll likely be picking a permit area that I have not been to when the date gets closer.
 
bfurlow
01/29/2025 11:45AM
 
I did fine with my permits.


One of them was through Moose, so no issues there. The other was Missing Link August permit, and there was only one other permit taken, out of 5, for my same date.
 
flanceyman
01/29/2025 11:58AM
 
I understand that EP with one slot will go quickly. But how how can the EP be unavailable for the whole year within a few minutes after 9AM? No EP can have that many individuals reserving so many spots.
 
Jefflynn06
01/29/2025 11:58AM
 
Logged in right at 9:00 and still did not get the exact permit I was after - specific date and EP. Wound up moving the date two days earlier in order to get the permit for that EP. That was my flexibility limit due to vacation time but was lucky enough to get the EP I was after within that time frame. I did see the alternate entry point I had was available for the date I first looked into right after I had booked. So all worked out but with a bit of stress of missing out right away.
 
NEIowapaddler
01/29/2025 12:08PM
 
My laptop froze up on me when I tried to add my first permit to the cart so I had to switch to my phone. By the time I got logged on there at 9:02 that permit was gone. Thankfully my schedule is flexible enough that I was able to snag one for the next day for the same EP. I was planning on a September trip to Mudro but by the time I completed the first permit purchase Mudro was sold out for the whole week I was planning on. Never thought an EP with 5 permits a day would sell out for September that fast. So I grabbed a Duncan permit for that week instead. I knew Mudro is popular but didn't expect that.
 
ockycamper
01/31/2025 05:26PM
 
We always go last week of September. No problem with permits at that time.


Really would like to do an October trip one year
 
Riverman8728
02/05/2025 06:05PM
 
My wife got online on day two, got the permit we wanted in July, and August. So, all good for us luckily here in Oregon.