| The BWCAW rules and regulations are designed to retain the area’s “wilderness character,” as stated in the 1978 BWCA Wilderness Act. The park is managed by the United States Forest Service as part of the Superior National Forest, whose headquarters are in Duluth with ranger stations in towns across northeastern Minnesota. Motorized watercraft are prohibited except for day-use on a few large lakes around the park’s boundaries. Camping is only allowed at designated sites that have a pit-toilet and a fire grate. To reduce visitors’ environmental footprint they are asked to uphold the Leave No Trace guidelines and groups are capped at 9 people and 4 watercraft.
Human impact in the BWCAW is also moderated by requiring visitors to have a permit. There are several permit varieties depending on what time of year you go and what sort of trip you take: From May 1 to September 30, all overnight stays and motorized day-use require quota permits, but self-issued permits are available for non-motorized day-use. From October 1 to April 30, all permits are self-issued for either day or overnight use. Quota permits should be reserved ahead of time, and then picked up at Forest Service stations or a cooperating organization, such as an outfitter. Self-issued permits do not require any reservation and can be obtained at Forest Service stations, some BWCAW trailheads, and through the mail.
Another result of the permit system is that visitors often travel to new places. Sometimes the familiar entry points were already taken, but there is also an emphasis on trip planning. Reservations require forethought and invite canoeists to look at entry points all across the map. Like beacons lining the BWCAW, those numbers inspire hours poring over maps, tracing new routes through unexplored territory, and imagining adventures yet to come.
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